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2013-2014 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Social Work

Requirements for a Major in Social Work

The B.S.W. degree requires successful completion of 120 semester hours of college credits. The program is built on a liberal arts foundation plus 34 hours of cognate and international courses. These required courses augment, compliment, and supplement the 45 credit hours of professional social work courses, which include emphases on social work values and ethics, social and economic justice, diversity, and populations at risk in the Human Behavior and Social Environment, Social Welfare Policy and Services, Generalist Social Work Practice, Social Work Research, and Field Education Practice Sequences.

Required courses in the Major are:

The student must earn an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 in social work courses and not have repeated a course more than once.

  • six credits from the list of social work electives
  • three credits from the list of international program courses

Cognate requirements include:

Plus

Plus

Plus

Additional Degree Requirements

In order to ensure the fulfillment of all Grand Valley State University B.S.W. degree requirements, students are urged to follow the schedule of courses indicated in the following four-year curriculum:

Suggested Order of Coursework for a Social Work Major

Fall Semester - Year One (15 Credits)

Winter Semester - Year One (15 Credits)

  • SOC 201 (general education S & BS & SW prerequisite) Credits: 3
  • PSY 101 (general education S & BS & SW prerequisite) Credits: 3
  • General education course (choose from ART, P&L, or HST) Credits: 3
  • General education course (choose from ART, P&L, or HST) Credits: 3
  • General education course (Physical Science Non-lab) Credits: 3

Fall Semester - Year Two (15 credits)

  • General education course (choose a World Perspective) Credits: 3
  • SOC 205 or SOC 384 (SW prerequisite) Credits: 3
  • ECO 210 or ECO 211 or SOC 385 (SW prerequisite) Credits:3
  • PLS 102 (general education SS & SW Cognate) Credits: 3

Winter Semester - Year Two (15 Credits)

  • PSY 303 (SW prerequisite) Credits: 3
  • SOC 382 or SW 300 (SW prerequisite) Credits: 3
  • STA 215 (general education MTH SCI and SW Major)
  • General education theme course Credits: 3
  • General elective Credits: 3

Fall Semester - Year Three (15 Credits)

  • SW 317 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • SW 319 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • SW 340 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • SW 348 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • International Relations Program Course Credits: 3

Winter Semester - Year Three (15 Credits)

  • General Education Course (choose a World Perspectives course) Credits: 3
  • SW 316 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • SW 318 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • SW 341 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • General education theme Course Credits: 3

Fall Semester - Year Four (15 credits)

  • SW 430 (SW Core Course) Credits: 4
  • SW 490 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • SW 492 (SW Core Course) Credits: 1
  • Social Work elective course Credits: 3
  • General elective Credits: 3
  • General elective Credit: 1

Winter Semester - Year Four (15 Credits)

  • SW 491 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
  • SW 493 (SW Core Course) Credits: 1
  • SW 495 (SW Core Capstone Course SWS) Credits: 3
  • Social Work elective course: Credits: 3
  • General education theme course: Credits: 3
  • General elective Credits: 2

Note:

This is a sample curriculum guide. It may not be applicable for every student and is not a replacement for meetings with an academic advisor.

Course Lists:

Social Work Electives (six credits required)

International Relations Program (three credits required)

Recommended Free Electives

Note: Students are not restricted to this list.

Social Work Program Description

Click here for the program description.



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