Social Work - Undergraduate Programs
Overview
Undergraduate social work education at The University of Texas at Arlington is based on a set of premises. Responsible citizenship and professional social work practice recognize and respond to the realities of a complex and diverse society that is in continual need of constructive social change predicated on social justice. To this end, social work students are expected to demonstrate the capacity to critically evaluate their cultural environment and, in so doing, demonstrate analytical skills and understanding both orally and in writing. Students are required to adhere to the Codes of Ethics as currently published by the National Association of Social Workers and the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners in their professional practice and in their course work. The faculty of the School of Social Work enhances this process through its commitment to teaching excellence, scholarly activities, research, and community and professional service.
The Bachelor of Social Work degree program of the School of Social Work is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Its primary educational objective is to prepare students for beginning professional social work practice. The sequence of courses, designed to include academic social work and field experience requirements in a liberal arts context, enables the student, upon graduation, to work in a variety of social service agencies and settings. A secondary purpose of the program is preparation for graduate study in social work or another profession or discipline for which baccalaureate social work education would be appropriate.
Admission to the BSW Program
Admission to the BSW program requires:
| ENGL 1301 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II | 3 |
| MATH 1301 | CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS (or higher) | 3 |
| PSYC 1315 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| SOCI 1311 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| POLS 2311 | GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES | 3 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
- Overall GPA of 2.5 or better
- Completion of 12 hours in residence at UT Arlington
- Completion of SOCW 2311 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK and SOCW 2313 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE I with a grade of C or better
- Completion of 40 hours of courses, including:
- Completion of the BSW Admission Application Form
- Submission of a personal statement
The application and personal statement are submitted to the BSW Program office. Both will be reviewed by an advisor and the program director. Students will be notified of eligibility within two weeks of submitting their application.
Transfer of Credit
BSW student transcripts are evaluated by the UT Arlington Office of Admissions. Courses that meet the liberal arts requirements of the BSW degree are applied to the degree plan. Other courses are designated as electives. The student receives credit for social work courses from CSWE accredited social work programs. The exceptions are the practicum courses (which must be completed at UT Arlington):
| SOCW 4251 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD SEMINAR I | 2 |
| SOCW 4252 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD SEMINAR II | 2 |
| SOCW 4451 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD INSTRUCTION I | 4 |
| SOCW 4452 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD INSTRUCTION II | 4 |
No credit is given for life or work experience.
Continuation Through the BSW Program
Continuation through the BSW Program and eligibility for entry into Field requires:
- 2.5 average in all social work courses and no grade lower than a C
- Acceptable evaluations in all Social Work courses
- 2.5 overall grade point average
- Satisfactory evaluation from the SOCW 2311 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK instructor and from the supervisor of the volunteer experience required for SOCW 2311 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK.
- Ability to qualify for state licensure in the state of Texas upon completion of the academic program (i.e., no disqualifying factors) under the Texas Professional Social Worker Act.
Requirements for a Bachelor of Social Work Degree
| Pre-Professional Courses | ||
| General Core Requirements | 42 | |
| Recommended Core Requirements | ||
| RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I | ||
| RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II | ||
| HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1865 | ||
| HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1865 TO PRESENT | ||
| GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES | ||
| STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT | ||
| CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS (or higher) | ||
| ELEMENTARY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
or ANTH 2322 | GLOBAL CULTURES | |
| FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING (or approved substitute) | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
English literature course, 2000 level or above | ||
Liberal Arts Elective - English literature course, 2000 level or above | ||
ART, DNCE, MUSI, THEA or other fine arts as approved | ||
Economics course - ECON 2337 (suggested) | ||
| Program Requirements | ||
| SPAN 1441 | BEGINNING SPANISH I | 4 |
| BIOL 1333 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY I | 3 |
| BIOL 1334 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY II | 3 |
| SPAN 1442 | BEGINNING SPANISH II | 4 |
| SPAN 2313 | INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I | 3 |
| PSYC 1315 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| Upper division PSYC course such as PSYC 3318 (or some other), but not PSYC 3310 | ||
| Select one of the following computer course: | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO M.I.S. AND DATA PROCESSING | ||
| COMPUTER LITERACY | ||
| Professional Courses | ||
| SOCW 2311 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK | 3 |
| SOCW 2313 | SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE I | 3 |
| SOCW 3301 | HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT I | 3 |
| SOCW 3302 | HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT II | 3 |
| SOCW 3303 | SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND SERVICES | 3 |
| SOCW 3304 | SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE II | 3 |
| SOCW 3305 | SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| SOCW 3306 | SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE III | 3 |
| SOCW 3317 | HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND DIVERSE POPULATIONS | 3 |
| SOCW 4251 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD SEMINAR I | 2 |
| SOCW 4451 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD INSTRUCTION I | 4 |
| SOCW 4252 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD SEMINAR II | 2 |
| SOCW 4452 | SOCIAL WORK FIELD INSTRUCTION II | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Sufficient to give the 120 hours required for the degree 1 | ||
| Total Hours | 101 | |
| 1 | No more than four hours of activity (EXSA/DNCA) can be used toward a degree for either hours or GPA. |
Suggested Course Sequence
Please refer to the BSW Degree Plan for more specific information.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| ENGL 1301 | 3 | BIOL 1334 | 3 |
| HIST 1311 | 3 | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
| MATH 1301 or 1302 | 3 | HIST 1312 | 3 |
| BIOL 1333 | 3 | PSYC 1315 | 3 |
| SOCI 1311 | 3 | MATH 1308 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| English Literature | 3 | English Literature | 3 |
| POLS 2311 | 3 | POLS 2312 | 3 |
| SPAN 1441 | 4 | SPAN 1442 | 4 |
| Fine Arts | 3 | SOCW 2313 | 3 |
| SOCW 2311 | 3 | COMS 1301 | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| SOCW 3301 | 3 | Anthropology | 3 |
| ECON 2337 or 2305 | 3 | SOCW 3302 | 3 |
| SOCW 3317 | 3 | SOCW 3304 | 3 |
| SOCW 3303 | 3 | PSYC 3000+ | 3 |
| SPAN 2313 | 3 | SOCW 3305 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| SOCW 4251 & SOCW 4451 | 6 | SOCW 4252 & SOCW 4452 | 6 |
| SOCW 3306 | 3 | Electives | 8 |
| CSE 1301 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 14 | ||
| Total Hours: 118 | |||
Field Work Requirements
The BSW Program requires two consecutive semesters of field experience in a single human-service agency. Students enroll in the field instruction course (SOCW 4451 SOCIAL WORK FIELD INSTRUCTION I, first semester; SOCW 4452 SOCIAL WORK FIELD INSTRUCTION II, second semester) and complete 240 clock hours per semester in their assigned agency. Concurrent enrollment in a weekly two-hour, on-campus seminar (SOCW 4251 SOCIAL WORK FIELD SEMINAR I, first semester; SOCW 4252 SOCIAL WORK FIELD SEMINAR II, second semester) is also required. Field placements are arranged early in the preceding semester, after students are formally advised by BSW program advisors as to field eligibility. Eligible students may begin field any semester (see the specific requirements for CPS Field).
All social work students enrolling in Field Instruction courses will be assessed a fee in order to include them in the school's group professional liability insurance policy. Coverage is for a $1,000,000 limit each claim and $3,000,000 limit aggregate.
Computer and Oral Competencies
Social Work students will demonstrate competence in computer usage. The requirement may be met by successful completion of a course approved by the academic advisor. Oral communication skills will be demonstrated by successful completion of COMS 1301 FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING, or a suitable substitute.