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William Paterson University will award its first-ever bachelor’s degrees in social work at the institution’s 2025 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 20. There are 21 inaugural graduates of the William Paterson’s social work degree program, which launched in the fall of 2022.
The University added a bachelor of social work (BSW) degree to its roster of undergraduate programs due to the increasing demand for social workers in the region, says Wartyna Davis, dean of William Paterson’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
“Graduating our first BSW class is significant because it provides needed expertise in supporting the well-being of our communities,” Davis says. “These graduates are stepping into a field that is transformative for the lives of those they will serve as well as their own.”
Amy Avila Maradiaga ’25 is among the BSW program’s 21 inaugural graduates and one of two inaugural recipients of the University’s Academic Award for an Outstanding Student in Social Work. She completed her required fieldwork with Integrity House, a non-profit provider of substance use disorder treatment. Following an internship in the organization’s admissions department, Maradiaga was offered a job as a full-time program administrator of its halfway house for men. She begins her new role right before Commencement and plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work.
Maradiaga describes her experience in William Paterson’s BSW program as “life changing” and the curriculum as “both challenging and empowering.”
Fellow BSW graduate and Academic Award-winner Emily Alers-Gonzalez, who is also going on to pursue her master’s in social work, concurs.
“The professors are supportive and experienced, and the program offers a strong foundation in both theory and hands-on practice,” Alers-Gonzalez explains. “If you are passionate about helping others, fighting for social justice, and want a career that is both challenging and rewarding, social work at WP is the perfect choice.”
Alers-Gonzalez completed her required fieldwork with William Paterson’s Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, a direct tie to her professional goal of helping low-income and diverse students overcome barriers on their path to success.
The BSW at William Paterson is an interdisciplinary degree program comprised of 12 required social work courses as well as courses in sociology and psychology. In their senior year, students participate in a seminar course and complete a 400-hour fieldwork experience.
The program provides students with enhanced training and credentials for careers as case workers, case managers, child welfare specialists, correctional counselors, and substance abuse counselors, among others.
To learn more about the BSW at William Paterson, visit the program’s webpage.
