Undergraduate Majors
The Sandra Rosenbaum 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 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.
CURRICULUM AND MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Please see the UW Undergraduate Guide for curriculum and major requirements details.
The Guide also has a list of approved Social Science Concentration courses for:
Please also review the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work’s MSW & BSW Student Rights and Responsibilities.
ABOUT THE MAJOR
The social welfare major offers an overview of pressing, current social problems. Majors take courses in a variety of social sciences to enable them to view social welfare in its broad social, economic, and political contexts.
All undergraduate students in good standing are eligible to enter the Social Welfare major. Students should be enrolled in or have taken SW 205 and/or SW 206 to declare the major. See the Undergraduate Guide for details.
REQUIREMENTS AT-A-GLANCE
A Sample Four-Year plan of study is available on the Guide for BA and BS students.
Freshman or Sophomore Year
SW 205 Introduction to the Field of Social Work (Fall or Spring)
SW 206 Introduction to Social Policy (Fall or Spring)
Junior Year
SW 457 Human Behavior and Environment (Spring)
SW 640 Diversity, Oppression, and Social Justice in Social Work (Fall)
Statistics (Fall or Spring)*
SW Elective (Fall or Spring)***
Soc. Sci. Concentration Elective (Fall or Spring)***
Senior Year
SW 650 Research Methods (Spring)**
SW Elective (Fall or Spring)***
Soc. Sci. Concentration Elective (Fall or Spring)***
* May be taken in either Fall or Spring semester
** May be taken in Spring of either junior or senior year. Also sometimes available in summer.
*** May be taken in either Fall or Spring semester and in either the Junior or Senior years
ABOUT THE MAJOR
The Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) Program prepares students as beginning-level professional social workers. Typically, there are approximately 35-45 students in the program who meet the eligibility criteria.
BSW students complete a year-long social work internship as part of the program. Visit our Field Education site for information about Field Units and Field Education.
REQUIREMENTS AT-A-GLANCE
You can also go to the Guide for a Sample Three-Year or Sample Four-Year plan of study.
Freshman or Sophomore Year
SW 205 Introduction to the Field of Social Work (Fall or Spring)
SW 206 Introduction to Social Policy (Fall or Spring)
Junior Year
SW 457 Human Behavior and Environment (Spring)
SW 640 Diversity, Oppression, and Social Justice in Social Work (Fall)
Statistics (Fall or Spring)*
SW Elective (Fall or Spring)***
Soc. Sci. Concentration Elective (Fall or Spring)***
Soc. Sci. Concentration Elective (Fall or Spring)***
Senior Year
SW 612 Psychopathology for Generalist Practice (Spring)
SW 650 Research Methods (Spring)**
SW 400 Field and Integrative Seminar I (Fall)
SW 401 Field and Integrative Seminar II (Spring)
SW 441 Practice II: Generalist Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups (Fall)
SW 442 Practice III: Generalist Practice with Communities and Organizations (Fall)
* May be taken in either Fall or Spring semester
** May be taken in Spring of either junior or senior year. Also sometimes available in summer.
*** May be taken in either Fall or Spring semester and in either the Junior or Senior years
Professional Accreditation
The BSW Program is accredited through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Information on when the program was first accredited and our last accreditation review are available on their Directory of Accredited Programs.
Ongoing Curriculum Reviews
To ensure our programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of students and the profession, the School of Social Work regularly reviews its curriculum. Guided by annual reviews of student feedback and competency evaluations, the Curriculum Committee actively enhances both the MSW and BSW programs to support student success. As a result, course offerings and requirements may change over time.