Social Work (B.S.)

Students electing to major in Social Work complete a minimum of 120 credits to earn a bachelor’s degree, including 41–44 credits of core courses and 64 credits in their major. Two foundational courses, BIO-110 Human Biology: Physiology and Health (3 credits) and POL-115 The American Political System (3 credits), can be used to meet core curriculum requirements where applicable. Students must successfully complete SWK-120 Social Problems: Analysis by Race, Class and Gender and SWK-120S Social Problems: Service Learning before officially being accepted into the Social Work Program.

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A Social Work major takes three one-credit workshops designed to address issues concerning diversity, oppression, social justice, and/or special populations (SWK-035 Music Therapy: Journey to Wellness - SWK-099 Conflict and Peace) as one of the two required electives. SWK-087 Violence and the Workplace must be completed by all majors in the fall semester of the junior year. Students intending to major in Social Work should complete SWK-120 Social Problems: Analysis by Race, Class and Gender with a grade of "C" or higher and a grade of P (Pass) in SWK-120S Social Problems: Service Learning. Students in the major are required to achieve grades of "C" or higher in all Social Work courses. 

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Social Work majors with a Psychology major or minor may take one Psychology elective.

Curriculum Components

The curriculum is designed to help students achieve the nine Core Competencies and Practice Behaviors delineated in The Council on Social Work Education's 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards and the one additional Core Competency and four Practice Behaviors required by the Social Work Department. Students are orientated to the profession of Social Work in SWK-120 Social Problems: Analysis by Race, Class and Gender and SWK-120S Social Problems: Service Learning. Additional Social Work courses are arranged in five sequences:

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The Field Experience, the signature pedagogy of Social Work education, includes a minimum of 660 hours of professionally supervised practice in social service agencies. Electives and workshops on topics of special interest are offered each semester. A required capstone course (SWK-470 Integrative Seminar Capstone) is completed in the spring semester of the senior year.

Double Majoring in Social Work and Psychology

The Social Work Department will accept from the Psychology Department either PSY-220 Child Development to satisfy SWK-215 Human Behavior and Diversity I or PSY-230 Adolescent and Adult Psychology to satisfy SWK-216 Human Behavior and Diversity II. 

Degree Plan for Social Work (B.S.)

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This weekend workshop may be taken in either the fall or spring semester of sophomore year.

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One each semester.