Undergraduate Majors:
Social Work & Social Welfare

Program Overview

The School of Social Work offers two majors: social welfare and social work. These majors prepare the student for further academic study or for employment in selected human service arenas. The social welfare major offers an overview of pressing, current social problems; the social work major specifically prepares students as beginning-level professional social workers.

The undergraduate curriculum provides an education in the social and behavioral sciences and their application to human problems. Majors in social welfare and social work receive a liberal arts education that prepares them to be informed citizens involved in human services or social welfare problems and policies. Majors take courses in a variety of social sciences to enable them to view social welfare in its broad social, economic, and political contexts.

About the Majors

All undergraduate students in good standing are eligible to fulfill the requirements for the Social Welfare major. Sophomores need to have taken SW 205 and SW 206 to declare the major, see the L&S Undergraduate Catalog.

The social work major is limited to 25-30 students who have excellent grades and meet the eligibility criteria below. To be admitted to the social work major, students must apply by February 22 and:

• have completed Social Work 205, 206
• have completed or concurrent enrollment in an approved statistics class
• be second-semester juniors (have completed 71 credits at the time of application)
• rank among the top 25 students (overall cumulative grade-point average) who apply for the social work major*

*A very limited number of students who have grade-point averages above 2.5 and bring unique attributes and qualifications may also be considered for admission. See the advisers for more information.

Professional Foundation Program Objectives

1. The ability to apply critical thinking skills within social work practice contexts.
2. An understanding of values and attitudes as a professional social worker.
3. The ability to apply NASW Code of Ethics to multi-faceted ethical dilemmas.
4. The ability to practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients' age, family structure, marital status, class, culture, ethnicity, race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation and disability.
5. The ability to understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice.
6. The knowledge of social work history and current issues in the profession.
7. The knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
8. The knowledge and skills of a generalist perspective to practice with systems of all sizes.
9. The skills to assess the impact of social problems on individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
10. The knowledge of theoretical frameworks on individual development and behavior across the life course and the interactions among and between individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
11. The ability to analyze, formulate, and influence social policies.
12. The knowledge of research methods that enable them to be critical consumers of research and evaluate their own practice.
13. The competence to communicate across client populations, colleagues, and communities.
14. The ability to use the expertise of supervisors and other colleagues for ideas, feedback, and support.
15. The competence to work with an organization and to facilitate organizational changes.

Curriculum and Major Requirements

Please see the L&S Undergraduate Catalog for curriculum information.

Please also review the School of Social Work's Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.