Limestone's Online Social Work Program Ranked Among Best

Limestone College was recently designated as having the 10th best online Social Work program in the United States, according to a nationally-recognized website.

Affordable Colleges Online (AC Online) is considered a leading resource for online learning and college affordability information.

Ranked schools by the website had to meet a number of criteria and metrics, including: must be a public or private, not-for-profit institution; must offer at least one fully-online bachelor’s degree program; must offer academic and counseling services; and must assist with job placement for graduates.

“We wanted to reward the schools that are pursuing excellence in a field responsible for making a difference in the lives of others,” said Dan Schuessler, CEO and Founder of AC Online. “These institutions are ensuring there will be a prepared workforce for a field that is supposed to grow at least 19 percent by the year 2022.”

Scoring a 95.87 out of a possible 100, Limestone came in at No.10 out of 21 schools making the list. About Limestone, the report stated, “Students can choose to take online courses exclusively, or mix in-person and distance courses, as they pursue a bachelor's degree in social work through Limestone's online program. Curriculum focuses on the patterns of behavior that individuals, families and communities follow, and explores how to use an understanding of these patterns to prevent problems and improve social conditions.”

For more information, please visit www.affordablecollegesonline.org.

Building upon the success of its traditional Social Work degree, Limestone College began offering its complete Social Work degree program online beginning in January 2015.

Limestone students who qualify may choose to obtain their Bachelor of Social Work degrees in online classes, or in more traditional in-person classes, or a combination of both.

“We’re proud to say that this program is the first CSWE-accredited online Social Work degree in South Carolina,” said Jackie Puckett, Associate Dean and Director of the Social Work program. “We want potential students to know that Limestone has a Social Work degree program that may be flexible to meet their needs – whether in-person, online or a mixture of both.”

The mission of the Limestone College Social Work program is to prepare students for beginning generalist practice using knowledge of professional self, social work values, and interpersonal skills to improve quality of life and effect social change. Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), this major is appropriate for students planning a career in occupations such as community action worker, homeless shelter worker, gerontologist, domestic violence counselor, school system social worker, substance abuse counselor, human services worker, nursing home/hospital worker, hospice social worker, or industrial social worker.

Many of Limestone’s Social Work students are working adults who attend classes in the evening at one of its eight convenient locations in South Carolina. This new program opens up new avenues for these students who need the convenience of completing their degrees while continuing to work full-time. This new online Social Work degree program provides an option for Department of Social Services (DSS) employees who have a desire to add a Social Work degree to their resumes.

For more information about Limestone College’s online Social Work degree, contact (864) 488-4585 or visit www.limestone.edu/social-work.