Social Work, BA

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About the Program

The BASW Program educates students to become professionals in social work. The BASW curriculum provides a professional social work foundation that is transferable to different settings, population groups and problem areas. Students select a curriculum focused in clinical, organizational, community, international and social justice issues with a strong emphasis on service learning in the community with excellence in scholarship.

Degree Requirements

120 Credit Hours
Minimum grade of C+ required for all Social Work courses; C required for ENGL 10400; C- required for ENGL 10500
Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation
Certain courses may only be available at one campus location

PNW General Education Core (30 Credits Minimum)

English Composition (6 Credits): ENGL 10400 - English Composition I and ENGL 10500 - English Composition II
Speech Communication (3 Credits): COM 11400 - Fundamentals of Speech Communication
Quantitative Reasoning (3 Credits): STAT 11300 - Statistics And Society or SOC 38200 - Introduction To Statistics In Sociolog
Natural Sciences (3 Credits): Select from the Natural Sciences Core list
Technology (3 Credits): CIS 20400 - Introduction To Computer-Based Systems or CNIT 10700 - Computers And Software Packages
Humanities (3 Credits): Select from the Humanities Core list
Social Sciences (3 Credits): SOC 10000 - Introductory Sociology
Additional Credits (3 Credits): PSY 12000 - Elementary Psychology
First-Year Experience (FYE) (3 Credits): SWRK 20100 - Introduction To Social Work

Supplemental Core (36 Credits)

Modern Language (12 Credits): Credit in the fourth semester required
US Tradition (3 Credits): HIST 15200 - United States Since 1877 or POL 10100 - American Government And Politics
Western Heritage (3 Credits): HIST 10400 - Introduction To The Modern World
Global Cultures (3 Credits): HIST 10500 - Survey Of Global History , PHIL 23000 - Religions Of The East , or POL 35400 - Civil Liberties And The Constitution
Literature and the Arts (3 Credits): AD 11300 - Basic Drawing , MUS 25000 - Music Appreciation , or THTR 20100 - Theatre Appreciation
Racial and Ethnic Diversity (3 Credits): SOC 31000 - Racial And Ethnic Diversity or ANTH 37900 - Native American Cultures
Gender Issues (3 Credits): ANTH 23000 - Gender Across Cultures , PHIL 40800 - Philosophy Of Love And Friendship , or SOC 31501 - Gender In Society
Social Ethics (3 Credits): PHIL 11100 - Ethics or SOC 22000 - Social Problems
Individual and Society (3 Credits): ANTH 10000 - Introduction To Anthropology , COM 25000 - Mass Communication And Society , or SOC 34000 - General Social Psychology

Major Core (45 Credits)

Other Required Courses (9 Credits)

Free Electives (6 Credits)

Social Science Elective (3 Credits) - Select from the Gen Ed Core list

Total 120 Credits Required

Degree Map

Requirements

Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA): Minimum grade of C+ required for all Social Work courses; C required for ENGL 10400; C- required for ENGL 10500; 2.0 GPA

Experiential Learning (EL): One EL course required. EL courses are noted by (e) next to the course title.

General Education Core: General Education notations can be found within the course description. Please click on a course to see if it meets a Gen Ed requirement.

Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study.

Courses that are only offered on one campus will be noted by an (H) for Hammond, or (W) for Westville.

Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.

Semester 1 (15 Credits)

ENGL 10400 - English Composition I
SWRK 20100 - Introduction To Social Work (W)
SWRK 24000 - Social Work Helping Communication With Individuals And Small Groups (W)
SOC 10000 - Introductory Sociology
Foreign Language Level I

Semester 2 (15 Credits)

Semester 3 (15 Credits)

SWRK 32100 - Human Behavior In The Social Environment I - Fall Only (W)
SWRK 36200 - Social Work Practice I - Fall Only (W)
STAT 11300 - Statistics And Society or SOC 38200 - Introduction To Statistics In Sociolog
Any Gen Ed Natural Science course
Foreign Language Level III

Semester 4 (15 Credits)

SWRK 32200 - Human Behavior In The Social Environment II - Spring Only (W)
SWRK 36300 - Social Work Practice II - Spring Only (W)
Social Science Elective - Select from the Gen Ed Core list
Foreign Language Level IV
Racial and Ethnic Diversity - SOC 31000 or ANTH 37900

Semester 5 (15 Credits)

SWRK 30100 - Social Work Research - Fall Only (W)
SWRK 36100 - Institutional Social Welfare - Fall Only (W)
Social Work Elective - 30000 level or above (W)
Western Heritage - HIST 10400
Gender Issues - ANTH 23000 , PHIL 40800 , or SOC 31501

Semester 6 (15 Credits)

SWRK 35100 - Junior Practicum - Spring Only (W)
SWRK 35900 - Macro Practice: Human Service Organizations And The Community - Spring Only (W)
Social Ethics - PHIL 11100 or SOC 22000
Any Gen Ed Humanities course
Literature and the Arts - AD 11300 , MUS 25000 , or THTR 20100

Semester 7 (15 Credits)

SWRK 36600 - Group Practice In Social Work - Fall Only (W)
SWRK 46100 - Field Practicum In Social Work - Fall Only (W)
Individual and Society - ANTH 10000 , COM 25000 , or SOC 34000
Global Cultures - HIST 10500 , PHIL 23000 , or POL 35400

Semester 8 (15 Credits)

SWRK 46400 - Field Practicum In Social Work II - Spring Only (W)
US Traditions - HIST 15200 or POL 10100
Free Elective
Free Elective

Additional Information and Guidelines

The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work is designed to give students the necessary background for entry-level employment in social services, currently one of the fastest-growing fields in the Midwest. It also provides a solid foundation for students wishing to pursue graduate work in psychology or sociology.

Employment Opportunities

Entry Level: Social Services Case Manager, Community Health Care Worker, Social Service Specialist, Community and Social Service Specialists, Correctional Officer, Protective Service Worker, Healthcare Support, Teacher Assistant, Healthcare Educator, Security Officer

Additional Education/Training: Child & Family Specialist, Addictions, Counselor, Youth & Chemical Dependency Specialist, Social Worker, Education Teachers, Elementary, Education Teachers, Secondary, Kindergarten Teacher, Teacher and Instructor, All other, Nursing Assistant, Psychiatric Aides

Resources

The 8 semester plan of study is a recommended sequence of classes designed to show how this program can be completed within four years.

Visit the 15 to Finish website for information and resources.

For career information, check out “What Can I Do With this Major?”

For Financial Aid eligibility, click here. Annual FAFSA filing deadline is March 10. Financial Aid recipients are required to complete 30 credits per calendar year to stay eligible for the standard financial aid award.

Financial Guarantee: If you follow the degree map and find a course unavailable, you may be able to take the course for free in a future semester. Certain exclusions apply.