Military Veterans in Undergraduate Social Work Education

More military veterans are able to access undergraduate education due to enhanced veterans’ benefits enacted since the Gulf Wars. Some of these veterans are choosing to study social work. Although there is a growing body of literature about student veterans, it is unclear whether this existing research with student veterans in general fully applies to social work majors. Social work education has unique features, such as field work and emotionally stressful course material, and it is unclear how social work faculty members perceive the military and those who have served in it. Understanding and addressing the needs of undergraduate social work student veterans aligns strongly with the social work core values of service and competence, and the profession’s emphasis on cultural humility. More research is needed on BSW student veterans so that faculty members can draw on the strengths and meet the needs of these future social work professionals.