Academic Programs
Regular Program: Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
Program objectives
The program aims to acquaint students with the subject matter and profession of social work that helps them to develop professional career and involve them in solving the recurrent social and economic problems of the country. The Bachelor of Social Work degree program is therefore expected to accomplish the following specific objectives: –
•To produce students with basic knowledge and skills of various interventions for addressing problems of individuals, groups, organizations, communities and societies;
•To enhance students’ critical thinking ability and their communication skills in the Social Work profession
•Equip the students with necessary research methods, social work code of ethics and practices so that they can effectively employ it to mitigate societal problems;
•Produce students who appreciate diversity and promote mutual respect.
Entry Requirements
Students who have completed their two years preparatory lessons of grade 11 and 12 will be admitted after passing college entrance examination successfully up to the university standard. The college entrance standard is determined by the ministry of education.
Duration of Study
The training of the program, BSW (regular), will take three years of study. As per the standard of International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) and the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), BSW students are necessarily required to have a substantial amount of time to be placed in organizational settings for fieldwork education where they are expected to learn more about social work practice.
Graduate Profile
Bachelor Program of Social Work is expected to produce graduates who
• understand the professional codes of ethics approved by International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and International Federation of social work (IFSW)
•Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, principles and practice
•Understand history and interpretation of the social work profession, its contemporary structures and issues
•Acquire the ability to develop and apply appropriate interventions with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
•Demonstration of the ability to identify emerging and continuing practice areas to address poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, gender differences, disabilities, etc.
•Capable of working in collaboration with allied professions and interdisciplinary settings
•Understanding of the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination, with application of strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice
•Use communication skills differentially across diverse populations and with professions
•Acquire the ability to analyze, contribute, and influence social policies
•Demonstrate the capacity and capability for exercising leadership in community, social welfare in public or private institution within NGOs and governmental organizations
Graduation Requirement
Students will be graduated with BSW degree from Jimma University if and only if the following points are met:
I.Students have to take 180 ETCTS or 110 credit hours of training in ETCTS categorical classification of unit module/course as modular approaches with mixing the major courses (foundational),common courses and in the field placement with supportive competence.
II.A student is required to have a minimum of 2.00 points CGPA upon graduation as well as no ‘F’ grade for any of the unit module/courses to be graduated that adds up to a module of the category grade,
III.Passing successfully the senior paper, and
IV.Approval of the university senate
Degree Nomenclature
The Degree graduates of this program earn will be called “Bachelor in Social Work”. The Amharic translation of this shall read as follow “የባችለር ድግሪ በሶሻል ወርክ”
Continuing & Distance Program: Bachelor of Social Work
Program objectives
The program aims to acquaint students with the subject matter and profession of social work that helps them to develop professional career and involve them in solving the recurrent social and economic problems of the country. The Bachelor of Social Work degree program is therefore expected to accomplish the following specific objectives: –
•To produce students with basic knowledge and skills of various interventions for addressing problems of individuals, groups, organizations, communities and societies;
•To enhance students’ critical thinking ability and their communication skills in the Social Work profession;
•Equip the students with necessary research methods, social work code of ethics and practices so that they can effectively employ it to mitigate societal problems;
•Produce students who appreciate diversity and promote mutual respect.
Admission Requirements
Students who have completed their two years preparatory lessons of grade 11 and 12 will be admitted after passing college entrance examination successfully up to the national admission standard. The ministry of education determines the university entrance standard. Students who have attended other related TVT and diploma programs and passed COC exams as well as those who have graduated from other related fields with first degree can be admitted.
Duration of the program
The training of the program, BSW, will take four years. As per the standard of International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) and the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), BSW students are necessarily required to have a substantial amount of time to be placed in organizational settings for fieldwork education where they are expected to learn more about social work practice.
Graduate Profile
Bachelor program of Social Work is expected to produce graduates who:
◦Understand the professional codes of ethics approved by International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and International Federation of social work (IFSW)
◦Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, principles and practice
◦Understand history and interpretation of the social work profession, its contemporary structures and issues
◦Acquire the ability to develop and apply appropriate interventions with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
◦Demonstration of the ability to identify emerging and continuing practice areas to address poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, gender differences, disabilities, etc
◦Capable of working in collaboration with allied professions and interdisciplinary settings
◦Understanding of the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination, with application of strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice
◦Use communication skills differentially across diverse populations and with professions
◦Acquire the ability to analyze, contribute, and influence social policies
◦Demonstrate the capacity and capability for exercising leadership in community, social welfare in public or private institution within NGOs and governmental organizations.
Graduation Requirement
Students will be graduated with BSW degree from Jimma University if and only if the following points are met:
I.Students have to take 175 ECTS or 106 credit hours of training in ECTS categorical classification of unit module/course as modular approaches with mixing the major courses (foundational),common courses and in the field placement with supportive competence.
II.A student is required to have a minimum of 2.00 points CGPA upon graduation as well as no ‘F’ grade for any of the unit module/courses to be graduated that adds up to a module of the category grade,
III.Passing successfully the senior paper, and
IV.Approval of the university senate
Degree Nomenclature
The Degree graduates of this program earn will be called “Bachelor Degree in Social Work”. The Amharic translation of this shall read as follow “የሶሻልወርክባችለርድግሪ”
Weekend and Evening Program: Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
Program objectives
The program aims to acquaint students with the subject matter and profession of social work that helps them to develop professional career and involve them in solving the recurrent social and economic problems of the country. The Bachelor of Social Work degree program is therefore expected to accomplish the following specific objectives: –
•To produce students with basic knowledge and skills of various interventions for addressing problems of individuals, groups, organizations, communities and societies;
•To enhance students’ critical thinking ability and their communication skills in the Social Work profession;
•Equip the students with necessary research methods, social work code of ethics and practices so that they can effectively employ it to mitigate societal problems;
•Produce students who appreciate diversity and promote mutual respect.
Admission Requirements
Students who have completed their two years preparatory lessons of grade 11 and 12 will be admitted after passing college entrance examination successfully up to the national admission standard. The ministry of education determines the university entrance standard. Students who have attended other related TVT and diploma programs and passed COC exams as well as those who have graduated from other related fields with first degree can be admitted.
Duration of the program
The training of the program, BSW (non-regular), will take four years. As per the standard of International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) and the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), BSW students are necessarily required to have a substantial amount of time to be placed in organizational settings for fieldwork education where they are expected to learn more about social work practice.
Graduate Profile
Bachelor program of Social Work is expected to produce graduates who:
1.Understand the professional codes of ethics approved by International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and International Federation of social work (IFSW)
2.Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, principles and practice
3.Understand history and interpretation of the social work profession, its contemporary structures and issues
4.Acquire the ability to develop and apply appropriate interventions with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
5.Demonstration of the ability to identify emerging and continuing practice areas to address poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, gender differences, disabilities, etc
6.Capable of working in collaboration with allied professions and interdisciplinary settings
7.Understanding of the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination, with application of strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice
8.Use communication skills differentially across diverse populations and with professions
9.Acquire the ability to analyze, contribute, and influence social policies
10.Demonstrate the capacity and capability for exercising leadership in community, social welfare in public or private institution within NGOs and governmental organizations
Graduation Requirement
Students will be graduated with BSW degree from Jimma University if and only if the following points are met:
I.Students have to take 185 ECTS or 112 credit hours of training in ECTS categorical classification of unit module/course as modular approaches with mixing the major courses (foundational),common courses and in the field placement with supportive competence.
II.A student is required to have a minimum of 2.00 points CGPA upon graduation as well as no ‘F’ grade for any of the unit module/courses to be graduated that adds up to a module of the category grade,
III.Passing successfully the senior paper, and
IV.Approval of the university senate
Degree Nomenclature
The Degree graduates of this program earn will be called “Bachelor Degree in Social Work”. The Amharic translation of this shall read as follow “የሶሻልወርክባችለርድግሪ”
Regular Program: Masters of Social Work (MSW)
Program Objective
The objective of Jimma university school of social work is to produce competent professional social workers as practitioners, scholars, and leaders of the profession who are equipped with the basic knowledge, values, ethics and skills of social work to contribute for their country in alleviation of poverty and the pressing social problems. Above all, to produce graduates who are ensuring the rights of human being and fighting for social justices.
The Specific objective of the MSW program is intended to:
1.Produce qualified social workers who can provide professional social work services at different social settings and areas.
2.Produce social workers who can work with or on behalf of their clients to identify, prioritize, plan, intervene, and evaluate the problem of the society.
3.Train professional social workers who can carry out researches on various social problems.
4.Produce qualified social work professionals to develop the profession at its highest level competency.
5.Produce graduates who can effectively engage from micro to macro level to address the needs of individual clients, families, groups, organizations, communities, and the society at large.
6.Produce professionals who can implement the knowledge, values, and skills of social work profession to handle the adverse situations of the people.
7.Produce social workers who can analyse the existing policies and challenge injustice policies and practices.
Admission Requirements
1. Candidates will be eligible to apply for admission if they have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Social Anthropology, Psychology, Health Science, Nursing, Law, Gender studies, Cooperatives, Development studies, Public Health, Economics and Psychiatry.
2. The applicants are also expected to meet the requirements set by the School of Social Work.
3. Candidates who fulfil criteria indicated above are also expected to meet the requirements set by the school’s graduate committee including scoring pass result of entrance exam.
4. Bridging courses will be given for those who joined the program from other backgrounds than that of social work.
Duration of the Study
This MSW program consists of course work, field practice and thesis works that shall be taken two academic years period for regular students. Extending the duration beyond two years requires the permission of the school of social work and respective bodies.
Graduate Profile
The School of Social Work is expected to produce MSW graduates who:
1.Draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems;
2.Pursue social change particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable individuals and groups of people;
3.Focus their social change efforts primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice;
4.Seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about cultural and/or ethnic diversity;
5.Strive to ensure access to needed information services and resources, equality of opportunity, and meaningful participation in decision making for all people;
6.Strengthen relationships among people in purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities;
7.Endeavour to enhance peoples capacity and opportunity to change and address their own needs;
8.Engage in social work practice from a sound empirical base to understand, critique, interpret, and apply theory to practical situations and conduct social work research;
9.Understand individual and social functions and dysfunctions and utilize this knowledge in designing, implementing, managing, monitoring, and evaluating social services;
10.Promote the responsiveness of organizations, communities, and other institutions to individual’s needs and social problems;
11.Uphold the mission, values and ethical principles, ethical standards, and practices of the Social Work Profession;
12.Demonstrate the abilities of analytical and critical thinking skills within the context of professional Social Work practice, essential to effectiveness of current social work methods.
Graduation Requirements
The degree is awarded to the students upon fulfilment of the following requirements, subject to approval by the university senate;
1.Passes with grades of “B” or better in each course taken in the program and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00;
2.Completes minimum of 1000 clock hours of field placement education, and
3.Timely submission and successful defense of a thesis
4.Each student should successfully complete all field attachments that are compulsory to the profession and get the approval from the agency and university supervisors.
Degree Nomenclature
Successful graduate of this program will earn a “Master of Social Work” (MSW). The Amharic translation of this shall read as “የማሰተርሰ ዲግሪ በሶሻልወርክ”.
Weekend/Evening Program: Masters of Social Work
Program Objective
The objective of Jimma university school of social work is to produce competent professional social workers as practitioners, scholars, and leaders of the profession who are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of social work to contribute for their country in alleviation of poverty and pressing social problems. Above all, it is to produce graduates who are ensuring the rights of human being and fighting for social justices at national, regional and international levels.
Specifically the program is intended to:
1.Produce qualified social workers who can provide professional social work services at different social settings and areas.
2.Produce social workers who can work with or on behalf of their clients to identify, prioritize, plan, intervene, and evaluate the problems.
3.Train professional social workers who can carry out researches on various social work issues and social problems.
4.Produce qualified social work professionals who can promote the profession at its highest level of competency.
5.Produce graduates who can effectively engage from micro to macro level to address the needs of individual clients, families, groups, organizations, communities, and the society at large.
6.Produce professionals who can implement the knowledge, skills, and values of social work profession to handle the adverse situations of the people.
7.Produce social workers who can analyze the existing policies and challenge injustice policies and practices.
Admission Requirements
1. Candidates will be eligible to apply for admission if they have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Social Anthropology, Psychology, Special Need Education, Medicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, Public Health, Law, Gender studies, Cooperatives, Development studies, Management, Economics, Political Science, Civics and Ethical Education.
2. The applicants are also expected to meet the requirements set by the School of Social Work.
3. Candidates who fulfil criteria indicated above are also expected to meet the requirements set by the school’s graduate committee including scoring pass result of entrance exam. Bridging courses will be given for those who joined the program from other backgrounds than that of social work. The bridging courses will be Introduction to Social Work and Methods of Social Work Practice
Duration of the Study
This MSW program consists of course work, field practice and thesis works that shall be taken three academic years of period for non-regular students. Extending the duration beyond three years requires the permission of the school of social work and respective bodies.
Graduate Profile
The School of Social Work is expected to produce MSW graduates who:
1. Draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems;
2. Pursue positive and causal social change particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable individuals and groups of people;
3. Focus their social change efforts primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice;
4. Seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about cultural and/or ethnic diversity;
5. Strive to ensure access to needed information services and resources, equality of opportunity, and meaningful participation in decision making for all people;
6. Strengthen relationships among people in purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities;
7. Endeavour to enhance people’s capacity and opportunity to change and address their own needs;
8. Engage in social work practice from a sound empirical base to understand, critique, interpret, and apply theory to practical situations and conduct social work research;
9. Understand individual and social functions and dysfunctions and utilize this knowledge in designing, implementing, managing, monitoring, and evaluating social services;
10. Promote the responsiveness of organizations, communities, and other institutions to individual’s needs and social problems;
11. Uphold the mission, values and ethical principles, ethical standards, and practices of the Social Work Profession;
12. Demonstrate the abilities of analytical and critical thinking skills within the context of professional Social Work practice, essential to effectiveness of current social work methods.
Graduation Requirements
The degree is awarded to the students upon fulfilment of the following requirements, subject to approval by the university senate;
1.Passes with grades of “B” or better in each course taken in the program and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00;
2.Completes minimum of 1000 clock hours of field placement education, and
3.Timely submission and successful defense of a thesis
4.Each student should successfully complete all field attachments that are compulsory to the profession and get the approval from the agency and university supervisors.
Degree Nomenclature
Successful graduate of this program will earn “Master of Social Work” (MSW). The Amharic translation of this shall read as “የማሰተርሰዲግሪበሶሻልወርክ”.