Program Description
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) in Social Work degree builds knowledge and skills related to the delivery of social services to individuals, families and groups. Students complete 480 hours of practicum with a social services agency or organization as part of this program.
Delivery Mode
Traditional (on campus)
Accreditation
This BSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
Curriculum
| Course | Credits |
| General Education Courses | 40 |
| Building a Sense of Community UNI 100 First-Year Seminar |
1 |
| Composition ENG 101 English Composition I |
3 |
| Public Speaking Any Public Speaking Course |
3 |
| Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy Any Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy Course |
3 |
| Health and Wellness Any Health and Wellness Course |
3 |
| Technological Literacy Any Technological Literacy Course |
3 |
| Humanities Any Humanities Course |
3 |
| Fine Arts Any Fine Arts Course |
3 |
| Natural Sciences Any Natural Sciences Course |
3 |
| Social Sciences SOC 100 Principles of Sociology |
3 |
General Education Options
|
12 |
| Special Experience/Field Work Courses (pre-reqs. SOW 345, 370, 405) |
15 |
| SOW 425 Field Education | 12 |
| SOW 435 Field Education Seminar | 3 |
| Advanced Writing Courses | 6 |
| SOW 370 Policy Practice in Social Work (majors only; pre-req. SOW 360) | 3 |
| SOW 405 Social Work Research Method (majors only; pre-req. SOW 302) | 3 |
| Pre-Candidacy Courses | 12 |
| SOW 150 Introduction to Social Work | 3 |
| SOW 201 Interviewing for the Human Services* | 3 |
| SOW 208 Diversity in a Changing World | 3 |
| SOW 215 Human Behavior and the Social Environment I: Life Course | 3 |
| Practice Intervention Courses | 15 |
| SOW 302 SW Practice with Individuals (majors only; pre-reqs. SOW 150, 201, 208, 215 and ENG 101, 102, all courses with a grade of C or higher) | 3 |
| SOW 304 SW Practice with Families (majors only; pre-req. SOW 302 with a grade of C or higher) | 3 |
| SOW 345 SW Practice with Groups (majors only; pre-req. SOW 302 with a grade of C or higher) | 3 |
| SOW 349 SW Practice with Organizations and Communities (majors only; pre-reqs. SOW 302, 304 with a grade of C or higher) | 3 |
| SOW 316 Human Behavior and the Social Environment II: Groups, Organizations and Communities | 3 |
| Social Welfare and Policy Analysis Course | 3 |
| SOW 360 Social Welfare History, Policy Analysis and Social Service Delivery (majors and minors only; pre-req. SOW 150 with a grade of C or higher for SW majors ONLY) | 3 |
| Special Interest Courses | 6 |
Select two of the following:
|
6 |
| Required Related Course | 3 |
| PSY 100 General Psychology | 3 |
| Related Electives | 3 |
| Any ANT, ECO, EDU, GTY, JUS, POS, PSY, SOC, SOW, WST 300-level or above course | 3 |
| Free Electives | 17 or 18 |
| Total | 120 |
* Fulfills laboratory course requirement.
Program Notes: Students must have a grade of C (2.0) or better for pre-candidacy courses. Courses required for candidacy are ENG 101, ENG 102, SOW 150, SOW 201, SOW 208 and SOW 215. Students must apply for acceptance to candidacy before enrolling in SOW 302. All social work courses must be completed with a full C or higher.
Additional Requirements
Full admission into the upper-division skills classes of the social work program requires that the student apply for degree candidacy prior to entering SOW 302. By the start of this class (SOW 302), students must have:
- completed a minimum of 45 credit-hours;
- completed SOW 150, 201, 208 and 215 and ENG 101 and 102 with a minimum grade of C; and
- achieved an overall GPA of 2.00.
Social work majors also need to complete Social Work Pre-Practicum Orientation the semester before they enroll in SOW 425 and 435.
Students need to maintain a 2.50 GPA in the major to remain in good standing and to graduate from the program.
Related Courses/Electives
To earn the BSW degree, students must take the following courses as related courses and related electives:
- PSY 100 General Psychology
- Any two ANT, ECO, GTY, POS, PSY, SOC, SOW or WST courses, one 200 level or above, one 300 level or above
General Education Recommendations
The department recommends that students in the major choose from the following courses for other General Education requirements or for free electives:
- BIO 103 Contemporary Issues in Biology
- BIO 112 Biology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- CSC 101 Personal Productivity Software (technological literacy menu)
- ECO 100 Elements of Economics
- GIS 311 Geographic Information Systems
- GTY 100 Introduction to Gerontology
- MAT 215 Statistics (math menu)
- PSY 400 Abnormal Psychology
- SOC 205 Contemporary Social Problems
- SOW 303 Human Sex and Society (health and wellness menu)
Program Webpage
https://www.calu.edu/academics/undergraduate/bachelors/social-work/index.aspx