2015-2016 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

Entire Catalog Colleges Content & Navigation Course Filters Courses Degree Types Program Acronyms Program Descriptions Program Emphases Program Requirements Program Types Subjects Search Search Help
Search Descriptions

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

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, complement, 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 are required as well as 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 - Professional Development in Social Work Credits: 3
• 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 - Social Work Field Seminar II Credits: 1
• SW 495 - Social Work Capstone Credits: 3

Cognate Requirements Include:

• BIO 104 - Biology for the 21st Century 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
• OR SOC 360 - Social Psychology: Sociology's View (3 credits)
• SOC 201 - Introduction to Sociology Credits: 3

PLUS

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

PLUS

• SOC 205 - Social Problems Credits: 3
• OR
• SOC 384 - Sociology of Drug Use and Abuse Credits: 3

PLUS

• SOC 382 - Race and Ethnicity Credits: 3
• OR
• 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 (15 Credits)

• WRT 150 - Strategies in Writing (4 credits)
• SW 150 - Human Needs in Complex Societies (3 credits) (general education S and BS and SW core course)
• MTH 110 - Algebra (4 credits) (prerequisite for general education MTH SCI)
• BIO 104 - Biology for the 21st Century (4 credits) (general education LS/Lab and SW prerequisite)
• General education course (choose from the Arts, Philosophy and Literature, or Historical Perspectives) Credits: 3

Winter Semester - Year One (15 Credits)

• SOC 201 (general education S and BS and SW prerequisite) Credits: 3
• PSY 101 (general education S and BS and SW prerequisite) Credits: 3
• General education course (choose from ART, P and L, or HST) Credits: 3
• General education course (choose from ART, P and 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 Perspectives) 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 and 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 Issues 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 Issues 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 Issues 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)

• SW 300 - Pluralism in American Society Credits: 3
• SW 320 - Children and Child Welfare Services Credits: 3
• SW 322 - Responding to Illness Credits: 3
• SW 333 - Community Work with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Credits: 3
• SW 351 - Cross Cultural Service Learning Credits: 3
• SW 354 - Social Work: International Service Credits: 3 to 4
• SW 380 - Special Topics in Social Work Credits: 1 to 4
• SW 439 - The Family and Social Work Practice Credits: 3
• 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 310 - Cultural and Social Topics in Nonwestern History 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 - 20th Century Europe 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 and 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 - Policy Research and Evaluation 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 - Sociology of Love 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 Gender, and Sexuality Studies Credits: 1 to 4

Social Work Program Description

Click here for the program description.