School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy

Division of Social Work

The main goal of the baccalaureate social work program is to prepare students for entry level generalist practice. A secondary goal is to provide a strong foundation for students who wish to pursue social work education at the graduate level. Social service and life experiences may not be substituted for any social work course. The social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Social Work Major (B.A.)

Program objectives for a B.A. in Social Work are: a) apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice; (b) understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and principles, and practice accordingly; (c) practice without discrimination to needs of diverse clientele; (d) apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice.

A. University General Education Program (41 hours)

See Graduation from the University for the University General Education Program requirements.

Students majoring in Social Work must take SOCI 3422 to fulfill part of the University General Education American History requirement.

B. College and Degree (B.A.) Requirements (18-19 hours)

The College and Bachelor of Arts requirements are in addition to the University General Education Program requirements.

Students majoring in Social Work must take PHIL 1611 to fulfill the B.A. Mathematics/Natural Sciences requirement prior to taking SOCI 3311 and SWRK 3930 (4).

C. The Major (38 hours in addition to University General Education Program requirements)

Completion of SWRK 2910, 2911, 3902, 3903 (4), 3904, 3906, 3920, 3930, 4830, 4831(4), 4840(2), 4841(2). BIOL 1010/1011, BIOL 1020/1021, ANTH 1200 (included in the University General Education Program requirements), and SOCI 3311 are required.

NOTE: Successful student progression requires each student to earn a minimum grade of “C” in all required courses for the social work major. Students repeating two required classroom courses for the major or field instruction will have an academic review by division faculty in the term following the second course repetition. Although students may declare a social work major at any point in their matriculation, students should have a minimum of 40 hours completed including ENGL 1020, ANTH 1200, and two courses from the following list: SOCI 1111; PSYC 1200; POLS 1100; or ECON 2120 before entering the introductory social work courses, SWRK 2910 and SWRK 2911.

D. Electives

Electives may be chosen to bring the total number of hours to 120.

Social Work Minor

Completion of 18 semester hours in sociology and social work courses including SOCI 1111, SWRK 2910, and 2911, and 9 additional upper division hours in social work courses.

Typical 4-Year Social Work Sequence

Freshman Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

Total Hours Required for Graduation: 120

*Must satisfy University General Education Program Requirement

For the Social/Behavioral Science and Social Science/B.A. - Complete 2 of the following: SOCI 1111, PSYC 1200, POLS 1100, and ECON 2120.