Social Work, B.S.W.

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Declaration of a major in Social Work does not guarantee admission into the program. Students must formally apply and be admitted into the program and before beginning the professional sequence of courses and/or proceeding into clinical placements. In addition to the academic requirements below, students are expected to adhere to the technical and professional standards of the program. For the most up to date information regarding these standards, program suspension, and termination refer to the Social Work program website linked from the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Minimum GPA Requirement: 2.5
When do students apply? Students must complete application and submit to the department by the third Monday in September or third Monday of February.

Required Pre-requisites: SOCW 151 completed and be enrolled in SOCW 251 and SOCW 253.

Retention in the Program: Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 and make a “C” or above in all social work courses.

Additional Information: The Social Work Program has been accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1974.

Major Requirements

The major requires 57 hours. Only grades of C (2.0) or higher in required and elective social work courses will satisfy requirements for the major. The following courses are required:

SOCW 151 - Introduction to Social Work Credits: (3)
SOCW 251 - Social Issues, Policy and Programs Credits: (3)
SOCW 253 - Interviewing Skills for Practice Credits: (3)
SOCW 334 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I Credits: (3)
SOCW 335 - Social Work Research and Evaluation Credits: (3)
SOCW 354 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment II Credits: (3)
SOCW 362 - Direct Practice: Individuals and Families Credits: (3)
SOCW 364 - Community Practice Credits: (3)
SOCW 402 - Diversity in Contemporary Society Credits: (3)
SOCW 486 - Field Practicum Credits: (12)
SOCW 496 - Field Practicum Seminar Credits: (3)

Electives

9 hours of social work electives and general electives (29 hours) are required to complete the program.

Additional Requirements

A grade of C- (1.67) is required in the following courses:

PSC 150 - American Government and Politics Credits: (3)
PSY 150 - General Psychology Credits: (3)

Admission Information

Declaration of a major in social work does not guarantee admission to the program. Students are eligible to apply for admission when they have attained an overall 2.50 GPA, have completed 35 credit hours, and in addition, have completed SOCW 151, SOCW 251, and SOCW 253 (or be enrolled in SOCW 251 and SOCW 253). Students must maintain an overall 2.50 GPA each semester after admission in order to remain in the program. See the Department of Social Work’s “Admission and Termination Policies” for detailed information.

Visit the department’s website at http://cas.wcu.edu/sw/SW_undergrad.htm to view the 8 semester curriculum guide.