Social work students are usually interested in a wide variety of topics related to social justice, human rights, social policy, mental health, and community organizing. Often underlying those interests is a concern for persons who are vulnerable, oppressed, underserved, and living in poverty. Students interested in social work typically have strong oral and written communication skills, an interest in solving social problems, and an enjoyment of working with people from diverse backgrounds.
The following courses are required for the BSW degree and include University Core Curriculum requirements as well as the state’s general education requirements. Students must complete the foreign language (FL) requirement (see the Core Curriculum/General Education Requirements section of this catalog).
 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Courses | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 6 | |
| English Composition and English Composition | ||
| English Composition and Advanced English Composition | ||
| Foreign Language Sequence | 8 | |
| COM 123 or | Public Speaking | 3 |
| COM 122 | Critical Decision Making | |
| Select three hours of Fine arts (FA) | 3 | |
| Select three hours of Literature (L) 2 | 3 | |
| Select three hours of Humanities (HU) or fine arts (FA) or literature (L) electives 1 | 3 | |
| HY 101 or | Western Civ To 1648 1 | 3 |
| HY 102 | Western Civ Since 1648 | |
| PY 101 | Intro To Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Intro To Sociology | 3 |
| BSC 108 or | Intro Biology Non Maj I (with lab (N)) | 4 |
| BSC 109 | Intro Biology Non Maj II | |
| Select four hours of Natural science with lab | 4 | |
| Select three hours of Mathematics (MA) 3 | 3 | |
| Social Work Major Courses | ||
| SW 100 or | Intro Fields SW Practice | 3 |
| SW 105 | Honors Intro Field of SW Pract | |
| SW 200 or | History Social Welfare US | 3 |
| SW 205 | Honors History of Social Welfare in the United States | |
| SW 351 or | Oppression & Soc Injustice | 3 |
| SW 355 | Hon Oppression & Soc Injustice | |
| SW 401 or | Soc Wel Policy & Services | 3 |
| SW 405 | Soc. Wel. Pol. & Serv. Honors | |
| SW 410 | Human Behav Soc Envir I | 3 |
| SW 411 | Human Devel Soc Envir II | 3 |
| SW 420 or | Research Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 425 | Research for Social Work Practice Honors | |
| SW 440 | SW Pract with Indiv & Families | 3 |
| SW 441 | SW Practice with Groups | 3 |
| SW 442 | SW Practice with Communities | 3 |
| SW 443 or | Seminar in Generalist Practice | 3 |
| SW 445 | Social Work Honors Seminar | |
| SW 490 | Field Education | 9 |
| Select two approved Social Work electives | 6 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 94 | |
| Social Work Ancillary Courses | ||
| SW 101 | Orientation to Social Work | 3 |
| SW 310 | Professional Writing Seminar | 3 |
| SW 444 | Field Preparation Seminar | 1 |
| PY 358 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| Select one of the following Social Psychology Courses: | ||
| SOC 205 or | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PY 372 | Social Psychology | |
| Select one of the following Statistics courses: | 3 | |
| Educational Statistics | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Elem Statistical Methods | ||
| Social Statistics | ||
| Statistical Data Analysis | ||
| Select two of the following courses in different disciplines. At least one course must carry SB designation | 6 | |
| Intro To Anthropology | ||
| Intro to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Discoveries In Archaeology | ||
| Biological Anthropology | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| World Regional Geography | ||
| People, Places, & Environment | ||
| Intro American Politics | ||
| Intro Public Policy | ||
| State & Local Govt | ||
| Honors Mentoring | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 4 hours of free electives | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Students must have a two-course sequence in either HI or L. |
| 2 | At least one course must hold the SB designation, and the two courses selected must not be from the same department. |
| 3 | Math courses have prerequisites that must be met. |
| 4 | Students must take SW 310 unless they make an A or B on the writing exam in SW 101. |
| 5 | A Bachelor of Social Work degree requires a minimum of 120 hours. |
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, social work is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. Social workers are employed in a variety of career settings, including schools, hospitals, colleges and universities, mental health clinics, senior centers, nursing homes, elected offices, private practices, prisons, military systems, public defender and criminal court systems, corporations, and numerous public and private agencies that serve individuals and families in need.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center
Sample Course Sequence
A student may choose to vary the sequence of courses outside the School of Social Work and take some electives in the freshman and sophomore years. However, EN 101 English Composition and EN 102 English Composition, the freshman composition courses, must be taken in the freshman year. SW 101 Orientation to Social Work is required for new students. A student may be able to take fewer hours than the 15–16 hours per semester by going to summer session.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EN 101 | 3 | EN 102 or 103 | 3 |
| PY 101 | 3 | SOC 101 | 3 |
| SW 100 | 3 | HY 101 or 102 | 3 |
| SW 101 | 3 | Foreign Language | 4 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | Mathematics above MATH 100 | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core BSC (with lab) | 4 | COM 123 or 122 | 3 |
| Social Behavioral (from approved list) | 3 | SOC 205 or PY 372 | 3 |
| Fine Arts | 3 | SW 351 | 3 |
| SW 200 | 3 | Literature | 3 |
| SW 310 | 3 | Core Natural Science (with lab) | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SW 401 | 3 | SW 411 | 3 |
| SW 410 | 3 | SW 441 | 3 |
| SW 440 | 3 | SW 442 | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 | SW 444 | 1 |
| Social Work Elective | 3 | Social Behavioral (from approved list) | 3 |
| 15 | 13 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SW 490 | 9 | HY or LI sequence | 3 |
| SW 443 | 3 | Free Elective or HU/L/FA | 3 |
| SW 420 | 3 | Social Work elective | 3 |
| PY 358 or SW 415 | 3 | ||
| Free elective | 1 | ||
| 15 | 13 | ||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||