Social Work Major, B.S.W.

The Bachelor of Social Work program is designed for students who desire a professional degree in preparation for entry into social work positions within local, state, and federal social service agencies and programs. This program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Students graduating from the program will possess a solid liberal arts foundation through the University Core Curriculum integrated with professional social work knowledge. The principal educational objective of the program is to prepare students for beginning competency-based social work practice. The focus of the program is to prepare generalist bachelor’s level practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and ethical principles needed for work with diverse populations. Students will be prepared to work with a variety of client systems including: individuals, families, groups, organizations, institutions, communities, and society in general.

Curriculum content is carefully constructed to expose students to the following core knowledge areas:

• social welfare issues and policies
• human behavior in the social environment
• social systems theory
• knowledge and skills in conducting social work research
• problem-solving theory and methodology
• generalist intervention model
• knowledge of client populations
• knowledge of social service programs and agencies
• human diversity
• oppression and discrimination
• at-risk populations
• promotion of social and economic justice
• professional social work values and ethics
• practice/intervention skills and integrative field experience

Additionally, the program places great emphasis upon professional self-development and growth, and the 10 core competencies of professional social work practice.

Admission

The philosophy of the program is geared toward preparing the highest-quality professional for the social work field. Therefore, students interested in a major in social work must be admitted into the program. The student must satisfy the following requirements for admission:

• Students are required to review and update their student academic file in the Social Work Department at the start of the application process. Included in the file should be a current copy of all college and university transcripts for each institution the student has attended.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale is required for admission to the social work program. The prerequisite courses must be completed by the beginning of the semester a student plans to enroll in courses identified for majors only.
• Completion of the following 12 hours of social work prerequisite courses with a 2.75 GPA and a grade no lower than C in each class. (At least two of the courses must have an official grade at the time an application is submitted.) SOCW 221 - Introduction to Social Work , 3 hours SOCW 222 - Social Welfare: Emergence of the Social Services , 3 hours SOCW 239 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment , 3 hours SOCW 241 - Social Work Intervention , 3 hours
• Completion of 36 hours of University Core Curriculum (UCC) courses with a minimum grade of C in each of the following courses:
  • Composition – one English Composition course
  • Students must take one three hour course from B1 Ethics, or B2 The Arts, or C4 Western Culture
  • Science - one Biology of Human Concern course
  • Individual Development/Social Behavior
    • PSY 201 - Introduction to Psychology 
    • PSY 261 - Lifespan Developmental Psychology 
    • SOC 121 - Principles of Sociology 
    • SOC 231 - Social Problems 
    • POLS 101 – Introduction to Political Science; or
    • POLS 102 - Introduction to American Politics .
      Students who attend a junior college may take State and Local Government.
      (Only six hours from the above list may be applied to the UCC. PSY 261  is not a UCC course.)
• MATH 100  –A math class at 100 level or higher with a minimum grade of C.
• Transfer students will be evaluated on an individual basis. They must meet the minimum course work requirement(s) or their equivalent(s) to be eligible for admission to the program.
• Completion of the application is required. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all materials to the Social Work Department by the application deadline. The application must be complete to be reviewed by the admission committee.
• A personal interview and/or additional evaluative data may be required of applicants.

NOTE: The program does not grant academic credit for life or work experience in lieu of social work courses or field content. Students must complete all University Core Curriculum requirements, including ECON 175 , to complete the BSW program.

The evaluation process will focus on academic standards and additional criteria, including evidence of a commitment to social work values, basic understanding of social work, professional attitude, and evidence of good writing and oral communication skills.

All eligible students are invited to apply. The program actively encourages minorities and students from diverse backgrounds to apply. The program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, political belief, or disability.

Upon completion of the application process, students will be notified of the admission decision in writing. It should be noted there is a “cap” on admissions; only a limited number of qualified students are admitted each year. Students denied admission into the Bachelor of Social Work program shall have the right of appeal. Students who are admitted into the program must achieve a C+ or better in all social work classes, with the exception of statistics in which a C or better is required, and a minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Students who fail to progress in their course work for more than one semester will be required to reapply to the program. Students who are not enrolled for two semesters or longer will be required to graduate under the bulletin in effect at the time they re-enter.