Social Work: Curriculum
Full admission into the upper-division skills classes of the social work program requires that you apply for degree candidacy after you've completed a minimum of 50 credit hours: completed SOW 150 and ENG 101 and 102 with a minimum grade of C (2.0); achieved an overall GPA of 2.0. You also need to maintain a 2.5 GPA in the major to remain in good standing and to graduate from the program.
Coursework
We require the following courses as general education menu options:
- ENG 101 and 102 English Composition I and II (with grade of C or better)
- SOW 308 Minority Group Relations (multicultural category)
- SOW 303 Human Sex and Society (wellness category)
- PSY 100 General Psychology (social science category)
- SOC 100 Principles of Sociology (social science category)
We recommend the following as general education menu options:
- CSC 101 Personal Productivity Software
- PHI 100 Perspectives in Philosophy
- BIO 103 Contemporary Issues in Biology
- BIO 112 Biology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- GEO 311 Geographic Information Systems
- MAT 215 Statistics
We recommend these courses as electives:
- GTY 100 Introduction to Gerontology
- ECO 100 Elements of Economics
- POS 100 Intro to Political Science
- PSY 400 Abnormal Psychology
- SOC 205 Contemporary Social Problems
Note: You need to apply for acceptance to candidacy before enrolling in SOW 302 and need to attend the Social Work Department pre-practicum orientation the semester before you enroll in SOW 419 and 420.
Get a description of each of Cal U's social work courses from our Course Catalog.
Below is a recommended framework of courses for completing the degree in four years.
Bachelor of Science in Social Work: 120 Credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ** ENG 101 English Composition I | 3 crs. |
| ** UNI 100 First-Year Seminar | 1 cr. |
** PSY 100 General Psychology or ** SOC 100 Principles of Sociology | 3 crs. |
| SOW 150 Introduction to Social Work | 3 crs. |
| General Education Courses | 6 crs. |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ** ENG 102 English Composition II | 3 crs. |
| ** SOC 100 Principles of Sociology OR ** PSY 100 General Psychology | 3 crs. |
* Social Work Special Interest:
| 3 crs. |
| General Education Courses | 6 crs. |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| * SOW 301 Social Work Interviewing | 3 crs. |
| * SOW 315 Human Growth and Behavior: Birth to Young Adult | 3 crs. |
* 2nd Social Work Special Interest (see above)
| 3 crs. |
| General Education Courses | 6 crs. |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| * SOW 302 Social Work Practice With Individuals | 3 crs. |
| * SOW 308 Diversity in a Changing World | 3 crs. |
| * SOW 316 Human Growth and Behavior: Young Adult to Late Life | 3 crs. |
| * SOW 320 History and Philosophy of Social Welfare | 3 crs. |
| General Education Courses | 3 crs. |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| * SOW 348 Social Work Practice With Families and Groups | 3 crs. |
| * SOW 366 Social Policy Analysis & Social Service Delivery | 3 crs. |
| * 3rd Social Work Special Interest (see above) | 3 crs. |
| General Education Course | 6 crs. |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| * SOW 303 Human Sexuality and Society | 3 crs. |
| * SOW 370 Policy Practice in Social Work | 3 crs. |
* 4th Social Work Special Interest (see above) or SOW 410
| 3 crs. |
| General Education Course | 6-8 crs. |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| * SOW 405 Social Work Research Methods | 3 crs. |
| * 5th Social Work Special Interest (see above) | 3 crs. |
| General Education Courses | 6 crs. |
| Free Electives | 3 crs. |
| Pre-Practicum Orientation | 0 crs. |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| * SOW 349 Social Work Practice With Organizations and Communities | 3 crs. |
| * SOW 419 Social Work Practicum I | 6 crs. |
| * SOW 420 Social Work Practicum II | 6 crs. |
* Required major and related courses
** Required and recommended General Education courses
