Bachelor of Social Work Student Resources
WSU’s Bachelor of Social Work Department provides students with what they need to achieve their full potential.
Find more details about resources and opportunities the BSW Social Work Student Handbook (PDF).
IV-E Child Welfare Scholar Program
Are you passionate about promoting the welfare of children through child protection, foster care, and/or tribal social services?
Want to get paid while learning about these public child welfare services?
IV-E Child Welfare Funding is available for undergraduate Social Work students at WSU to get hands-on experience before they graduate and apply their skills while employed at Title IV-E eligible welfare agencies afterward.
Watch the IV-E Child Welfare Scholar Program Overview VideoAs a child welfare scholar, you’ll work with vulnerable children who are at risk of foster care and out-of-home placement.
In addition to taking specific social work and child welfare classes, you’ll attend occasional training and meeting sessions.
This is a unique opportunity for you to complete your practicum requirement at a county child welfare setting.
Bonus: You’ll receive a stipend of $3,000 per semester for your work.
Before you apply for the IV-E Child Welfare Scholar Program, make sure you currently (or will) meet the following requirements:
- Are a full-time student with Social Work declared as major.
- Take SOCW 420 – Child Welfare with a grade B or better.
- Maintain good academic standing.
- Attend child welfare IV-E student meetings and training seminars.
- Engage in a senior field practicum arranged in a county, state, or tribal child welfare unit.
- Complete a 3-month job search for a child welfare job in a county, state, or tribal welfare agency.
- Maintain employment at a county, state, or tribal welfare agency for 4.5 months for each semester that the stipend is received.
If you’re interested in applying for the IV-E Child Welfare Scholar Program, first watch a video to learn more about what a realistic job in this field may be like.
You’ll be asked about this video during your interview for the stipend program.
Once you’ve watched the informational video, you’re ready to apply.
Make sure you’re prepared by reviewing the application questions (PDF) ahead of time.
Then complete the IV-E Child Welfare Scholar Program Application.
Deadlines
- Fall term applications are due the fourth Tuesday in October
- Spring term applications are due the fourth Tuesday in March
For more information, please email Brittany Vega, IV-E Coordinator, at brittany.vega@winona.edu. You may also email Katie Gavin, IV-E Student Support Specialist, at katie.gavin@winona.edu.
Student Association of Social Workers
The Student Association of Social Workers (SASW) is a pre-professional association for all students interested in social work.
Members are actively engaged in program development and campus and community activities such as:
- peer support
- community service activities
- public speaking and educational engagements
- fund-raising events
- social activities
Learn how to get involved on the Winona campus by emailing sasw@winona.edu or leaving a message in the SASW president’s mailbox located in the BSW office at Maxwell 250.
Dr. Jay Palmer is the faculty advisor for the group.
Learn how to get involved on the Rochester campus by emailing mkirk@winona.edu or leaving a message for the social work faculty advisor in ST 131.
Dr. Mary Kirk is the faculty advisor for the group.
Global Engagement
The Bachelor of Social Work Department is committed to preparing students who are globally aware and culturally sensitive to the needs of the populations they will be serving.
The BSW program offers and collaborates on a variety of social work-oriented international learning opportunities. Students can also take advantage of study abroad opportunities, with both short-term and longer programs.
Learn more about Winona State’s study abroad programs.
Location: Barbados
Tentative Dates: 11-13 days in May 2028
Explore the culture, history, and communities of Barbados through this interdisciplinary, faculty-led study abroad experience.
Students will engage with local organizations, schools, healthcare settings, and community programs while examining issues related to well-being, social justice, education, public health, and community development.
Through experiential learning and cultural immersion, you will gain a deeper understanding of Caribbean perspectives and compare global approaches to supporting individuals, families, and communities.
Learn more about the Holistic Approaches to Child and Family Welfare, Social Justice, Healthcare, and Education in the Caribbean faculty-led travel study program.
Locations: Austria, Slovakia, and Czechia
Tentative Dates: May 29-June 12, 2027
This travel study will explore international social justice and social welfare issues in one of the most beautiful countries in the world: Austria.
Through a series of workshops, field trips, lectures, and activities, students will participate in an international dialogue with scholars from around the globe at an event hosted by University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Linz.
Students will be challenged to explore comparative social welfare programs and policies— especially related to immigration, child welfare, and homelessness—through an intercultural lens.
Students will also visit service agencies and other historically important cultural sites and cities, including Salzburg, Vienna, and Czech Republic.
Learn more about the International Perspectives of Social Welfare faculty-led travel study program.
Questions? Please contact Anne Vande Berg or Charissa Eaton.
Location: Mexico
Tentative Dates: January-May
This semester-long program is designed to develop cross-culturally competent, ethical social work professionals with a global perspective. This opportunity provides a semester of transformative, experiential learning that is focused on social and economic justice.
Students will develop key cross-cultural and professional skills to help them work more effectively with the Latino community, as Mexicans comprise the largest immigrant group in the U.S.
This semester abroad program is for students admitted to the Social Work program.
Learn more about the Social Work in a Latin American Context study abroad program.
Questions? Please contact Ruth Charles.
Contact the Bachelor of Social Work Department
Maxwell 273
507.457.5401