Undergraduate Major in Social Work
The Department of Social Work offers courses in Social Work (SOCW) and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Social Work. The B.A. in Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Unlike many of the departments offering undergraduate degrees at the University that allow students from other disciplines to declare minors therein, this unit does not allow the declaration of a minor in Social Work. Additionally, students pursuing the B.A. in Social Work are not required to declare a minor in a second academic discipline.
Requirements
Students wishing to pursue the undergraduate degree offered through the Department must first gain admission to the University, must satisfy all Texas Success Initiative (TSI) responsibility requirements and eradicate identified deficiencies, and must petition the Department for admission upon successful completion (C or better) of nine semester credit hours of specific social work courses (SOCW 145, SOCW 246, and SOCW 340). Each student must be admitted by the Department, as a major, before attempting to meet all of the requirements for the degree. Interested students are asked to contact the Department Office during their freshman year in order to obtain admissions information and procedures. Students returning to the University following an absence of one long semester or more will not be approved for Social Work if the earned GPA is lower than 2.0. No academic credit is given for prior life experiences.
Degree Plan & Courses
A total of 56 credits is required in Social Work for completion of the B.A. degree in which grades of “C” or better must be earned. Grades of “C-” are unacceptable in core Social Work courses and in cognate courses taken in Psychology and Sociology. A student who has two (2) unsatisfactory grades in a given core Social Work course will not be permitted to enroll for a third time, unless the student petitions for a third and final attempt, and that petition is approved by the Department Chair. Therefore this student must meet with their faculty advisor for further academic guidance.
No more than three grades below a “C” may be earned in all other courses. Where courses are part of a liberal arts content area, students may not earn consecutive grades of C- or below in the represented discipline. A grade below a “D” will not be accepted for credit.
- B.A. in Social Work (Degree Plan)
- Social Work Undergraduate Courses
- Social Work Majors Student Handbook
All core and non-elective courses required through the junior year must be completed satisfactorily in order for students to progress to the senior year Block I and the required associated Block I Field Placement. Block I courses (SOCW 440, SOCW 440L, SOCW 443, SOCW 444, SOCW 444S, and SOCW 450) must be taken concurrently during the first half of the senior year. Students who receive a C- or below in more than one Block I course must petition the Department and receive approval to proceed to Block II. Students who earn a C- or lower in SOCW 440 or SOCW 444 will not be allowed to proceed to Block II.
Block II courses (SOCW 439, SOCW 441, SOCW 441L, SOCW 446, SOCW 446S, and a SOCW elective, if applicable) must be taken concurrently during the second half of the senior year. Please note: Social Work graduates are required to pass the state licensing examination in order to use the title of Social Worker in the state of Texas.
In summary, interested students must first gain admission to the University, meet all TSI testing responsibilities, fulfill prerequisites referenced above, and formally apply for admission to the Department. All students interested in Social Work are provided with extensive advisement to ensure proper progression toward graduation. For additional information, the Social Work Department is located on the 3rd floor of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland Building. For additional information please email the Department Chair, Dr. Willis, at Nicole.Willis@423445.com .