Howard Payne University Social Work Program

Howard Payne University’s social work program stands out by blending faith with professional practice. The program works as a Christ-centered academic community that strives for excellence. Students learn generalist social work education built on faith principles and core professional knowledge. This unique approach helps students tackle challenging human situations through a spiritual lens.

The program got a major boost when the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation reaffirmed its accreditation through 2025. Since its first accreditation in 1997, the program has successfully renewed it three times, which shows its quality and adherence to professional standards.

Most social work programs focus purely on secular aspects. HPU believes social work principles naturally fit with Christian values and Jesus’ teachings. This viewpoint allows graduates to see redemptive changes in their clients’ lives while following professional standards. Students get the tools they need to handle tough human situations like abuse, trauma, and addiction with both professional expertise and spiritual wisdom.

HPU’s social work education goes beyond crisis response. Students master prevention and positive development strategies. They learn ways to build healthy relationships, make marriages stronger, and develop better parenting skills. This detailed approach opens doors to various careers in child welfare, adult protective services, community organizations, schools, correctional facilities, hospitals, and treatment centers.

HPU graduates have great career mobility. More than 20 alumni now work in helping professions right in the Brownwood community. On top of that, program graduates can take the state’s baccalaureate social work licensing exam, which makes them more employable. Students who pursue graduate studies need less time to get their Master of Social Work degree.

The program welcomes all students while keeping its right to include faith requirements that match the university’s religious beliefs. HPU’s curriculum emphasizes human dignity, social justice, and effective advocacy. Graduates leave with professional skills and compassionate, faith-based practices.

Social Work Degrees Offered at HPU

Howard Payne University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree gets students ready for their first jobs in social service settings of all types. The program earned its full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation through 2025. This marks their third successful reaccreditation since 1997.

Students need to complete thirty-six semester hours of core coursework. The program uses systems point of view and generalist methods throughout its curriculum. The core curriculum has these courses:

• Introduction to Social Work
• Human Behavior in the Social Environment I and II
• Social Services in Rural Settings
• Social Welfare Policy
• Research Theory and Techniques
• Social Work Practice I, II, and III
• Field Instruction I and II (including capstone seminar)

Students learn key knowledge, values, and skills through these courses. The program focuses heavily on diversity, ethics, and social justice. Every course teaches students how to work with different populations and ways to ease discrimination and oppression.

Students must finish a detailed field practicum in their final year. This two-semester experience needs at least 410 hours in placement settings—180 hours in fall and 230 hours in spring. Students attend two-hour seminars each week where they talk about their experiences and combine their learning.

Howard Payne University also created a great path for BSW graduates who want to continue studying. They partnered with Angelo State University, which means HPU students can directly join ASU’s Master of Social Work program. Students need to finish their last 60 hours of the BSW degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher. This partnership also lets HPU students apply for scholarships at ASU.

After graduating, students can take Texas’s baccalaureate social work licensing exam, which makes them more attractive to employers. The program shows great results in preparing students for careers. More than 20 graduates now work in helping professions just in the Brownwood community.

Specializations

HPU’s social work program prepares students through specialized training that leads to various professional paths. Students gain expertise that arranges with their career goals and faith-based service principles.

Howard Payne University builds professional specialization on a strong generalist foundation. Students can concentrate their studies in several key areas from this base. The education can be tailored toward specific fields such as child or adult protective services, health care settings, mental health services, individual and family counseling, criminal justice environments, and social agency administration.

These specializations create substantial career versatility. HPU graduates work in many environments including:

• Hospitals and treatment facilities
• Schools and educational institutions
• Correctional facilities and criminal justice settings
• Community organizations and advocacy groups
• Child welfare and family service agencies

HPU weaves faith principles with professional practice throughout these specialization paths. Graduates emerge with technical expertise and compassionate, values-based service skills.

Online and Hybrid Options

Howard Payne University’s social work school education stands out with its adaptable learning paths. The university understands that students often juggle work and family responsibilities while studying.

HPU makes education available through flexible course scheduling. This setup works great especially when you have work commitments that require flexible study options without sacrificing educational quality or accreditation.

HPU has partnered with Angelo State University to offer their MSW program both on campus and fully online. This partnership creates more options for HPU students who want flexible graduate education.

Students can start their journey at different times throughout the year. Fall entry works for the 2-year or 3-year Advanced Generalist Practice track, while summer entry suits the 1-year Advanced Standing program. These thoughtfully planned options make quality social work education available to students whatever their location or schedule needs.

Graduation rates

Student completion rates at Howard Payne University reveal key insights about how well their programs work. Latest data from 2023 shows the overall graduation rate at 31.1%, but these numbers change based on student backgrounds and program choices.

Looking at how long it takes students to finish, 24% graduate in the standard 4-year timeframe – what we call “normal time.” This number rises to 35% for students who take up to 6 years, and reaches 36% for those who need up to 8 years to complete their degree.

The university sets bold goals for student success. They want graduation rates above 40%, plus they predict another 15-20% of students will graduate after transferring elsewhere. Progress looks promising. Since 2017, first-time full-time students have averaged a 33% six-year completion rate, and 19% more students graduated after transferring to other schools.

Transfer students at HPU graduate at higher rates than first-time students. The numbers tell an interesting story – transfer students who started in Fall 2017 achieved a 53% six-year completion rate. This is a big deal as it means that they outperformed first-time full-time students who graduated at 42%.

HPU’s social work program shines in professional testing. About 70% of social work graduates pass their licensing exam on their first try. This success makes graduates more employable.

Different student groups show varying success rates. Female students identifying as two or more races led graduation rates in 2023 at 66.7%. White students followed at 48%, Hispanic students at 36%, and Black/African-American students at 24%.

Students who plan to continue their education benefit from HPU’s accredited Bachelor of Social Work program. The program cuts down required credit hours needed to get a Master of Social Work degree. This creates a faster path for students who want advanced professional credentials after their undergraduate studies.

Career outcomes

Howard Payne University’s social work graduates step into a job market that’s ready for them, with remarkable placement numbers to prove it. The latest data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows that 99% of HPU graduates land jobs or continue their education within 180 days after graduation. This is a big deal as it means that HPU graduates outperform the national average by 14 points.

Social work graduates from HPU find meaningful careers in many different settings. Here’s where you’ll find HPU social work alumni making an impact:

• Adult protective services and child welfare agencies
• Community organizations and advocacy groups
• Educational institutions and school systems
• Correctional facilities and rehabilitation centers
• Hospitals, treatment facilities, and healthcare settings

HPU’s social workers don’t limit themselves to these traditional roles. Many build careers in politics, research, policy analysis, or take on leadership positions. The program gives students versatile skills that work in any sector. HPU’s faith-based foundation also opens doors to unique opportunities in Christian organizations and ministries where spiritual integration matters.

Money matters too – social work careers provide reliable income. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that social workers earned a median annual wage of $61,330 in 2024. The future looks bright with about 63,800 job openings predicted each year.

HPU’s accredited BSW program offers the quickest way to get an advanced degree. Students with a bachelor’s degree from HPU can finish their Master of Social Work in just one year instead of two. This fast-track option saves both time and money.

HPU graduates bring something special to complex human situations by combining faith principles with professional practice. Their unique blend of professional expertise and spiritual insight helps them tackle society’s challenges. This makes them valuable team members in organizations serving people from all walks of life.

Unique Features about the Social Work Programs at HPU

Howard Payne University’s social work program stands out through its hands-on learning approach combined with faith integration. The program differs from standard curricula by weaving Christian principles into professional practice. This unique approach enables graduates to witness “God’s redemptive powers at work in the lives of the people with which they interact”.

The program goes beyond classroom teaching with powerful simulations that build empathy and understanding. Students join annual poverty simulations that challenge their usual mindsets. Dan Humeniuk, assistant professor and department chair explains, “The whole point of the simulation is to take the participants out of their comfort zones… It also emphasizes a Christian’s responsibility in reference to how people of faith should respond to poverty”.

Prevention and positive development remain key focuses of the program, not just crisis response. Faculty members highlight that “social work is also about promoting positive youth development and healthy relationships and strengthening marriages and parenting skills”.

Field education acts as the “signature pedagogy” for social work at HPU. Students get opportunities to:

• Apply theoretical knowledge in real practice settings
• Experience situations focusing on social work values and ethics
• Develop professional identity through integration, application, and socialization
• Work with diverse, vulnerable populations requiring multilevel interventions

The program builds mutually beneficial alliances with organizations like Buckner International. These partnerships give students “valuable experiential learning experiences” that promote both spiritual and intellectual growth. Students develop a unique viewpoint where their “entire life is centered around the principles of Jesus’ teachings”.

The mission statement captures this distinctive approach: “committed to being a Christ-centered academic community dedicated to excellence, offering generalist social work education to a diverse student body grounded in faith and the essential knowledge, values, and skills of the profession”.

HPU shapes social workers who see their profession as a calling—where helping others becomes a natural extension of faith principles applied through professional expertise.