Social Work - BA, BS

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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Social Work

About This Degree

Social work is a professional and academic discipline involving the pursuit of social welfare, social change, and social justice.

Students receive a BS by completing all required courses in the major. To receive a BA, students must also gain proficiency in one or more foreign languages.

For more information about Social Work, see Social Work Department website.
*USU’s Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and consequently meet licensure requirements in all 50 states. States differ in their licensing processes and students are encouraged to become familiar with these processes when pursuing licensure in a particular state.
Admitted and current students must meet with an academic advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
The highest math requirement for this degree is STAT 1040: Introduction to Statistics (QL) or STAT 1045: Introduction to Statistics with Elements of Algebra (QL) .

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken through USU: 30
Total major required credits taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements For This Program

New freshmen: Admitted to USU in Good Standing
Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU: 2.75 GPA
Additional Requirements for Transfer Students: Unofficial transcript(s) from your previous institution(s); contact information for an academic reference.
Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.75, major; 2.75, USU

Additional Information

Bachelor of Science Degree

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree must complete all requirements listed in the program requirements below.

Bachelor of Arts Degree

In addition to fulfilling the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree requirements, students pursuing a (BA) Bachelor of Arts degree must complete the language proficiency requirements in one of the following ways:

Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent) OR
Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of American Sign Language IV (COMD 4920 ) and Socio-Cultural Aspects of Deafness (COMD 4780 ), and by passing an exit interview OR
Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent) OR
Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

For nonnative English-speaking students only, the following options are available:

Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students OR
TOEFL, Michigan, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the University admission criteria.

Social Work Major

Career Additional Matriculation Requirements: Career Additional Matriculation Requirements: Students must apply for the Social Work major by MARCH 1st of their sophomore year (or once all prerequisite courses are completed or in process.) Application requirements can be found on the social work website: https://chass.usu.edu/social-work/tracks/social-work).

Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75, major; 2.75, USU; 2.75, Career

Minimum Grade Accepted: B- or better in all SW courses (in SW 1010 , SW 2100 , SW 2400 , SW 3050 , SW 4100 , SW 4150 , SW 4160 , SW 4870 , SW 5350 , SW 5400 , SW 5870 ). Major requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.
Students may declare Social Work as their major at any time, but are considered pre-major students until they are accepted into the Social Work program. Students apply for acceptance into the major after completing prerequisite courses in their sophomore year. All course offerings in Social Work are open to all Social Work majors, with the exception of the practice courses (SW 3050 , SW 4100 , SW 4150 , SW 4160 , SW 5350 , SW 5400 ) and the field practicum courses ( SW 4870 and SW 5870 ), all of which require admission to the major. All Social Work electives are available to students prior to acceptance into the major. Once accepted into the program, Social Work students are expected to take courses in sequence in order to have the professional foundation knowledge required for each class. Maintenance of a high grade point average and demonstration of professional behavior is important as students progress through the major and continue on to graduate school. Requirements for the Social Work major are as follows:

First year (24-26 credits)

SW 1010 - Introduction to Social Welfare (BSS) 3 credit(s)
Two BSS courses of students’ choosing (BSS) 3 credits each (6 credits total)
BIOL 1010 - Biology and the Citizen (BLS) 3 credit(s) or
ANTH 1020 - Biological Anthropology (BLS) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 1010 - Writing as Inquiry (CL1) 3 credit(s)
STAT 1040 - Introduction to Statistics (QL) 3 credit(s) or
STAT 1045 - Introduction to Statistics with Elements of Algebra (QL) 5 credit(s)
or any QL course +6 credits in SOC and/or ANTH (QL) course (3 credits)
Note: Students must complete QL requirement (STAT 1040 or STAT 1045 or any QL +6 credits in Soc and/or ANTH) with a grade of C- or better as a prerequisite to SOC 3120 , which is a third-year required course.

Second year (12 credits)

ENGL 2010 - Research and Argument Across Perspectives (CL2) 3 credit(s)
SW 2100 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment 3 credit(s)
SW 2400 - Social Work with Diverse Populations 3 credit(s)
One elective enrichment course 3

Note: In their second year, students should apply for advanced standing by March 1st if they have completed the required prerequisite classes.

Third year (21 credits)

SW 3050 - Practice I 3 credit(s)
SW 4100 - Social Work Research (CI) 3 credit(s)
SW 4150 - Practice II 3 credit(s)
SW 4160 - Practice III 3 credit(s)
SOC 3120 - Social Statistics I (QI) 3 credit(s)
Two elective enrichment courses 6

Note: Students should apply for the practicum during spring semester once SW 3050 and SW 4100 have been successfully completed and students are enrolled in SW 4150 and SW 4160 .

Elective Enrichment Courses (9 credits)

Nine credits of electives are to be chosen during the second and third years, prior to the practicum year. At least two electives are to be taken in Social Work, and one upper-division elective can be taken outside of Social Work.

SW 3250 - Social Work and Substance Abuse 3 credit(s)
SW 3350 - Child Welfare 3 credit(s)
SW 3360 - Adolescents: Theories, Problems, and Issues 3 credit(s)
SW 3450 - School Social Work 3 credit(s)
SW 4525 - Aging in the 21st Century 3 credit(s)
SW 3650 - Mental Health 3 credit(s)
SW 4530 - Social Work and Community Health 3 credit(s)
SW 3850 - Spirituality and Social Work 3 credit(s)
SW 4540 - Nonprofit Management for Social Workers 3 credit(s)
SW 4580 - Grief and Loss in Social Work Practice 3 credit(s)
SW 4900 - Topical Issue Seminar 3 credit(s)
SW 4920 - Trauma and Resilience 3 credit(s)
SW 4925 - Resilience and Human Flourishing 3 credit(s)

Optional Elective (does not fulfill elective requirement)

SW 4950 - Directed Readings 1-5 credit(s) ¹

Fourth year (15 credits)

SW 4870 - Beginning Field Practicum 6 credit(s) ²
SW 5350 - Social Policy and Social Justice (CI) 3 credit(s)
SW 5870 - Advanced Field Practicum 6 credit(s)
SW 5400 - Social Work Ethics 3 credit(s)

Note:

¹SW 4950 requires a plan of study, approved by a social work faculty member, at least one semester prior to registration. This course is not considered to be a required elective.

²Prior to enrolling in Beginning Field Practicum, students must apply for admission to the Field Practicum, take the GPT exam, and must be admitted to the major. Further, all previous professional courses must be completed with at least the minimum requisite grade.

Open Electives

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120

Suggested Degree Map - Social Work BA, BS

Social Work BA, BS - 4 Year Degree Map