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Social Welfare Course Requirements
All Social Welfare majors are required to complete each BASW core course with a 2.0 or higher grade and maintain a 2.5 GPA in all major coursework.
The courses listed below are not taken in numerical order. See the BASW Model Program of Study for course sequencing details.
Social Welfare Core Courses
- TSOCWF 300: Historical Approaches to Social Welfare (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 310: Social Welfare Practice I (3 cr)
- TSOCWF 311: Social Welfare Practice II (3cr)
- TSOCWF 312: Social Welfare Practice III (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 320: Social Welfare: Contemporary Approaches (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 390: Introduction to Social Welfare Research* (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 402: Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (5 cr) - W**
- TSOCWF 404: Cultural Diversity and Social Justice (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 405: Practicum Seminar I (3 cr) - W**
- TSOCWF 406: Practicum Seminar II (3 cr) - W**
- TSOCWF 414: Introduction to Field (1 cr)
- TSOCWF 415: Practicum (11 cr total)
*Successful (C or 2.0 or higher) completion of a course in statistics is a prerequisite for TSOCWF 390.
**W indicates that the course meets the University's Writing Intensive Criteria.
Please note, students with admission requirement or Social Welfare prerequisite deficiencies must meet with the academic advisor regarding completion of deficiencies. Also, students who have not completed at least 20 credits of Arts and Humanities (A&H) or 20 credits of Natural Sciences (NSc) distribution within their lower-division coursework must meet with the academic advisor regarding selection of appropriate courses within an elective category to complete requirements.
General Education Requirements |
BASW Admission Requirements |
Graduation Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (1) | Three (3) years of high school math through intermediate algebra or a course in intermediate algebra at the college | |
| Reasoning [RSN] | 5 credits; Will be met with a required introductory statistics course (2) | |
| Composition [C] | 5 credits of English composition (2) | 5 credits of English composition (2); Met with prerequisite course |
| Writing [W] | 10 credits of writing-intensive course work (3) | |
| Diversity [D] | Introductory/Survey course in Sociology (2) | 5 credits; Met with prerequisite course |
| Arts and Humanities [A&H] | 20 credits | |
| Social Sciences [SSc] |
Introductory/Survey course in Psychology (2) Introductory/Survey course in Sociology (2) |
20 credits; Two of four courses met (4) with prerequisite courses |
| Natural Science [NSc] |
20 credits 5 credits may be met with a required introductory statistics course |
|
| Other requirements | Completion of a minimum of 75 college-level credits before start of the program | Completion of 180 college-level quarter credits |
(1) Intermediate algebra requirement must be fulfilled to be considered for admission to the major.
(2) Minimum grade of 2.0/C required in each course.
(3) Writing-intensive coursework requirements can also be met with core TSOCWF coursework (3 courses)
(4) One course can fulfill multiple GER areas, but the credits completed can only count once toward the 180 total credits needed to graduate.
Ten (10) credits of Social Welfare Electives (TSOCWF 300- and 400-level non-core courses) are required and may be taken any time during the program or during any quarter enrolled as a matriculated student, including summer. The following courses are approved Social Welfare electives.
- TSOCWF 350 Biopsychosocial Human Services (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 351 Applied Statistics for Social and Human Services (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 353 Mental Illness and Recovery (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 354 Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 355 HIV/AIDS: Global and National Issues (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 361 Addictions and Mental Illness in Criminal Justice (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 363 Criminalization of Immigration (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 374 Human Trafficking (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 409 Readings in Social Welfare (1-5 cr, max. 15 cr)
- TSOCWF 420 Interpersonal Violence and Society (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 421 Cross-Cultural Grieving (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 422 Aging in American Society (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 425 Comparative Social Policy (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 427 Disproportionality Across Systems (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 428 Policy and Practice with Sexual Offenders (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 430 Children of Incarcerated Parents (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 433 Crisis and Trauma Interventions with Crime Victims (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 436 Contemporary Social Work in Criminal Justice Settings (5 cr)
- TSOCWF 490 Research in Social Welfare (1-3 cr, max. 10 cr)
The courses you take to meet the requirements for your degree will not always total the 180 credits you need to graduate. The additional credits you need to bring your total to 180 are called "general electives." Students may choose from a variety of disciplines outside their major to fulfill general electives.
Please note: Students with admission deficiencies or Social Welfare prerequisite deficiencies must meet with an academic advisor regarding completion of deficiencies. Also, students who have not met the minimum of at least 20 credits of Arts and Humanities (A&H), 20 credits of Natural Sciences (NSc) and 20 credits of Social Sciences (SSc) within their lower-division course work must meet with the program advisor regarding selection of appropriate courses within an elective category to complete these Areas of Inquiry (A of I) requirements.
Curriculum overview
Students complete the required BASW core curriculum in sequence over a two-year period. The BASW curriculum consists of a 58-credit program, offered through a hybrid schedule, comprised of three major areas: foundation courses, social work practice courses and practicum (field experience) combined with practicum seminars. In addition to these three areas, students will be required to complete 10 credits of upper-division Social Welfare electives. General electives may also be required depending upon the number of college level credits applied toward the degree.
To qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare a student must complete a minimum of 180 credits as outlined:
CATEGORY | CREDITS |
|---|---|
College-level credits: General Education, Prerequisites, and electives | 75 (minimum) |
Core courses | 58 |
Social Welfare electives | 10 |
General electives | Varies |
Total | 180 |
BASW Model Program of Study
The Model Program of Study shows a typical progression for the degree. To qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare, students must complete a minimum of 180 quarter credits. Below is an example curriculum plan based on entry to the major with at least 90 college-level credits already completed.
AUTUMN |
WINTER |
SPRING |
SUMMER |
|---|---|---|---|
|
TSOCWF 301
TSOCWF 300
TSOCWF 402 (W) |
TSOCWF 310
TSOCWF 320
SW Elective* |
TSOCWF 311
TSOCWF 404 (DIV)
TSOCWF 414
SW Elective* |
Electives - Attendance during summer quarter may be optional, but is likely needed. Consult with an academic advisor. |
| 12 credits | 15 credits | 14 credits | Varies |
AUTUMN |
WINTER |
SPRING |
|---|---|---|
|
TSOCWF 390
TSOCWF 405 (W)
TSOCWF 415 |
TSOCWF 312
TSOCWF 415
SW Elective* |
TSOCWF 406 (W)
TSOCWF 415
SW Elective* |
| 12 credits | 13 credits | 12 credits |
NOTE: Statistics is a required course for the BASW program; if a statistics course has not been completed with a 2.0 (or C) grade or higher, students must take it prior to TSOCWF 390.
* Ten (10) credits of approved Social Welfare electives and general electives may be taken at times other than those designated above, schedule permitting. Based upon sample plan, enrollment in 12 credits during summer is suggested.
** Total may vary based on the number of college level credits applied toward the degree.
Distribution Note: Social Welfare majors who are pursuing the minor in Criminal Justice may not double count TSOCWF 300-400 level courses as approved Social Welfare electives and as electives for the minor in Criminal Justice. The TSOCWF 300-400 level course(s) may satisfy one distribution area or another, but not both.
More Information for BASW curriculum
Social Welfare Practicum
In addition to classroom instruction, students are required to complete 480 hours of practicum experience, known as field education, in an outside agency or organization under the supervision of a qualified social worker. In the practicum settings, BASW students gain experience in such roles as advocate, case manager, change agent, group leader and organizer. They may assist a chemically-dependent person in changing destructive behavior patterns; help a battered person find a safe, stable environment; support a person with mental illness in living independently in their community; marshal resources to enable a person with a physical disability to enter mainstream society; foster or find a safe environment for an abused child; advocate for housing for homeless people; or help a community organize itself to prevent a number of neighborhood problems.
Program petition for course substitution
Current social welfare majors, criminal justice majors or students who have declared the minor in criminal justice are eligible to submit course substitution petitions for review. You must supply documentation as outlined on the Program Petition for Course Substitution along with the signed form, including the course syllabus. Please allow a minimum of 7 -10 days for review. Decision notifications will be sent to your UW email address. Only college-level transferable courses are eligible for course substitutions (vocational-technical course work is not eligible).
