2010-2011 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Social Work

• Requirements for a Major in Social Work
• Cognate requirements include:
• Additional Degree Requirements
• Suggested Order of Coursework for a Social Work Major
• 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.

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 44 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 Practicum 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

• SW 150 - Human Needs in Complex Societies Credits: 3
• SW 316 - Interviewing in Social Work Credits: 3
• SW 317 - Generalist Practice I Credits: 3
• SW 318 - Generalist Practice II Credits: 3
• SW 319 - Social Welfare Policy and Services Credits: 3
• SW 340 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I Credits: 3
• SW 341 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment II Credits: 3
• SW 348 - Field Education Preparation Credits: 2
• SW 430 - Social Work Research Credits: 4
• SW 490 - Social Work Field Education I Credits: 3
• SW 491 - Social Work Field Education II Credits: 3
• SW 492 - Social Work Field Seminar I Credits: 1
• SW 493 - Field Practicum in Social Work Seminar II Credits: 1
• SW 495 - Social Work Capstone Credits: 3

Cognate requirements include:

• BIO 103 - The Biology of People Credits: 4
• PLS 102 - American Government and Politics Credits: 3
• PSY 101 - Introductory Psychology Credits: 3
• PSY 303 - Psychopathology Credits: 3
• PSY 360 - Social Psychology: Psychology's View Credits: 3
• SOC 201 - Introduction to Sociology Credits: 3

Plus

• ECO 210 - Introductory Macroeconomics Credits: 3
• ECO 211 - Introductory Microeconomics Credits: 3
• SOC 385 - Social Class Inequality Credits: 3

Plus

• SOC 280 - Special Topics in Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 384 - Sociology of Drug Use and Abuse Credits: 3

Plus

• SOC 382 - Race and Ethnicity Credits: 3
• SW 300 - Pluralism in American Society Credits: 3

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 (13 Credits)

• WRT 150 - Basic Skills Credits: 4
• SW 150 - General Education SS & SW Core Course Credits 3
• SOC 201 - General Education SS & SW Core Course Credits: 3
• General Education Course (Choose from The Arts, Philosophy & Literature, or Historical Perspectives) Credits: 3

Winter Semester - Year One (16 Credits)

• MTH 110 (Basic Skills) Credits: 4
• PSY 101 (General Education SS & SW Cognate) Credits: 3
• General Education Course (Choose a U.S. Diversity) Credits: 3
• General Education Course (Choose from The Arts, Philosophy & Literature, or Historical Perspectives) Credits: 3
• General Education Course (Physical Science Non-lab) Credits: 3

Fall Semester - Year Two (16 credits)

• BIO 103 (General Education LS/Lab & SW Cognate) Credits: 4
• General Education Course (Choose a World Perspective) Credits: 3
• General Education Course (Choose from The Arts, Philosophy & Literature, or Historical Perspectives) Credits 3
• PSY or SOC 360 (SW Cognate) Credits 3
• PLS 102 (General Education SS & SW Cognate) Credits: 3

Winter Semester - Year Two (15 Credits)

• PSY 303 (SW Cognate) Credits: 3
• SOC 280 or SOC 384 (SW Cognate) Credits: 3
• SOC 382 or SW 300 (SW Cognate) Credits: 3
• ECO 210 or ECO 211 or SOC 385 (SW Cognate) Credits: 3
• General Education Theme Course 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: 2
• International Relations Program Course Credits: 3
• General Elective Credits: 1

Winter Semester - Year Three (15 Credits)

• STA 215 (General Education Mathematical Sciences and SW Cognate) 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/General Elective Credits: 3

Fall Semester - Year Four (14 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 or WRT 305 (Basic Skills) in necessary Credits: 3

Winter Semester - Year Four (16 Credits)

• SW 491 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
• SW 493 (SW Core Course) Credits: 1
• SW 495 (SW Core Course) Credits: 3
• Social Work Elective Course: Credits: 3
• General Education Theme Course: Credits: 3
• General Elective Credits: 3

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)

• SW 300 - Pluralism in American Society Credits: 3
• SW 320 - Children and Child Welfare Services Credits: 3
• SW 322 - Health Care and Social Services Credits: 3
• SW 354 - Social Work: International Service Credits: 3 to 4
• SW 450 - Law and Social Work Credits: 3
• SW 453 - Case Management Credits: 3
• SW 461 - Multicultural Issues in Social Work Practice Credits: 3
• SW 499 - Independent Study in Social Work Credits: 1 to 4

International Relations Program (three credits required)

• GPY 235 - World Regional Geography Credits: 3
• HST 210 - Empire, Culture, and Conflict Credits: 3
• HST 331 - Modern Latin America Credits: 3
• HST 337 - The Age of Islamic Empire Credits: 3
• HST 338 - Modern Middle East Credits: 3
• HST 386 - Europe since World War II Credits: 3
• LAS 374 - Revolution in the Americas Credits: 3
• PLS 211 - International Relations Credits: 3
• PLS 313 - International Organization Credits: 3
• PLS 327 - Politics of Developing Countries Credits: 3
• SOC 350 - Family & Gender in the Developing World Credits: 3
• SW 354 - Social Work: International Service Credits: 3 to 4

Recommended Free Electives

Note: Students are not restricted to this list.

• ANT 204 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Credits: 3
• PA 270 - Public and Nonprofit Administration Credits: 3
• PA 449 - Public Policy Credits: 3
• PHI 102 - Ethics Credits: 3
• PHI 325 - Ethics in Professional Life Credits: 3
• PSY 310 - Behavior Modification Credits: 3
• PSY 316 - The Psychology of Human Intimacy and Sexuality Credits: 3
• SOC 379 - Love, Sex, and Gender Credits: 3
• SOC 383 - Sociology of Women Credits: 3
• SOC 383 - Sociology of Women Credits: 3
• SOC 390 - Advanced Seminar on Social Issues Credits: 3
• SS 381 - Death and Dying Credits: 3
• WGS 200 - Introduction to Gender Studies Credits: 3
• WGS 360 - Foundations of Feminism Credits: 3
• WGS 380 - Special Topics in Women and Gender Studies Credits: 1 to 4