A Major In Social Work
The bachelor of social work program is designed to prepare persons for employment in social welfare agencies, schools, hospitals, correctional institutions, and day care, geriatric, or rehabilitation centers. Individuals currently working in social welfare settings can improve their skills or increase their opportunities for job advancement.
General Education Requirements
Majors must satisfy the University and College general education requirements,
except that proficiency in a foreign language is not required.
Courses required for the B.S.W. degree may not be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis except Social Work 4800 and 4850.
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Social Work
Students completing this degree may enter beginning positions as social
workers or choose to enter professional schools of social work, looking
toward eventual careers in supervision, administration, research, and
other specialized areas of practice. Candidates for this degree program
must complete the following core requirements:
- Social Work 2000, Introduction to Social Service Social Work
- Social Work 2200, Social Welfare as a Social Institution
- Social Work 2201, Social Welfare as a social Institution Laboratory
- Social Work 3100, Introduction to Interventive Strategies Practice I
- Social Work 3210, Social Issues and Social Policy Development
- Social Work 3510, Human Behavior in the Social Environment
- Social Work 3700, Diversity and Social Justice
- Social Work 4110, Interventive Strategies in social Work with Individuals, Families, and Groups
- Social Work 4300, Interventive Strategies for Social Work with Organizations and Communities
- Social Work 4800 and 4850, Supervised Field Experience in Social Work I and II
- Social Work 4801 and 4851, Integrative Field Experience Seminar I and II
A minimum of 34 hours and a maximum of 50 hours may be taken in Social Work. A minimum of 36 hours is required in related area departments.
Evaluation of transfer credits will be done on an individual basis by a social work adviser.
Related Area Requirements
The following courses, or their alternatives, are required:
- Biology 1012, General Biology, or Biology 1811, Introductory Biology I
- Economics 1000, Introduction to the American Economy
- Political Science 1100, Introduction to American Politics
- Psychology 1003, General Psychology
- Sociology 1010, Introduction to Sociology
- Sociology 2160, Social Psychology, or Psychology 160, Social Psychology
- Sociology 3220, Sociological Statistics
- Sociology 3230, Research Methods and
- Sociology 3231, Research Methods Lab or
- Social Work 3410, Research Designs in Social Work
At least nine additional hours must be taken in social work, sociology, political science, psychology, criminology and criminal justice, anthropology, or economics at the 100 level or above. Hours taken in social work will apply toward the maximum of 50 hours that may be taken in social work courses.
After fulfilling the general education and specific major degree requirements, students are to take the remaining 31 hours required to complete the Bachelor of Social Work degree from courses from one or more of the following areas or their university-quality equivalents at other institutions: anthropology/archaeology, art (appreciation, history, studio), biology, chemistry, communication, criminology and criminal justice, economics, English, foreign languages/literatures, history, mathematics/computer science, music (appreciation, history, performance), philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, business, education, engineering, and interdisciplinary.
The social work department may require students to pass a placement test in order to enroll in the next level course, provided this or an equivalent test is administered to all students seeking to enroll in that course.
Social work majors must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better in all course work specifically required for the major, with satisfactory grades in practicum.
Note: Anthropology, biological sciences, and Spanish are strongly advised by graduate social work schools.
School of Social Work, 121 Bellerive Hall, (314) 516-6385 (phone), or (314) 516-6416 (fax).