USF 2001-2002 Undergraduate Catalog - Pages 115 - 117

Social Work (SOK)

Courses - Course Descriptions - Printable Degree Requirements

The University of South Florida offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree in the School of Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences. This program has been developed in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Council on Social Work Education, the national accrediting body for social work education programs, and in accordance with the recommendations of the National Association of Social Workers. The B.S.W. program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The primary objective of the B.S.W. program is the preparation of the graduate for beginning level professional practice as a social work generalist.

The secondary objectives of the B.S.W. program are to

1. Provide for the social work human resources needs of the university service district (the central Florida west coast area), the State of Florida, and the Southeast Region;
2. Prepare graduates for additional professional training at the graduate level in social work or in related human service professions;
3. Provide an exposure to social work as a profession and to contemporary issues in the social welfare field.

In preparing the B.S.W. graduate for beginning professional practice, the curriculum provides the student with an opportunity to develop a knowledge base and skill base as a "generalist" practitioner. The student will develop an understanding of various methods of intervention and skills in their application to a variety of client systems. For example, interventive methods may take the form of individual and group counseling, resource development, consultation, teaching, advocacy, etc. Client systems may be individuals, families, groups, organizations, or communities. The student will develop an understanding of the dynamics of human behavior in individual, group and organizational contexts and the influences of the sociocultural environment upon those behaviors. The student will learn about the development of social welfare systems and institutions and the social, economic, and political processes affecting policy development and program implementation. The student will develop an understanding of the utilization of basic social research skills particularly related to the processes of problem-solving, planning, and evaluation.

The student will also become aware of the value base of the profession and engage in a self-examination process as it relates to the development and reflection of ethical and effective professional practice. The B.S.W. program, as any professional program, places great emphasis on the development of a professionally responsible graduate in terms of one's obligations to the client system served, the profession itself, the organization in which one works, and to the general public which ultimately provides any profession with legitimacy.

Enrollment in the B.S.W. program is limited. Students may apply for admission to the School for the B.S.W. program after having satisfied the admission criteria described below.

However, the completion of the prerequisites does not guarantee the student's admission to the program. Limited state funding places constraints on the size of the social work faculty and in order to maintain a high quality of instruction, it is necessary to achieve an appropriate faculty-student ratio. This means that it may be necessary to deny full admission to the B.S.W. program solely on the basis of no available space. Any student applying for full admission to the program should be aware of this possibility.

Additionally, any student who does not maintain a GPA of at least 2.75 in social work courses while enrolled in the B.S.W. program or who clearly does not exhibit responsible professional behavior, may be subject to dismissal from the program. A social work major receiving a grade of less than "C" in a core course will be required to repeat the course. Furthermore, no student will be allowed to enter field placement with a "D" grade in any SOW core courses, even if the student's GPA is 2.75 or above with the inclusion of the "D" grade.

Admission to the B.S.W. program is a three-stage process, i.e., common prerequisites, provisional courses, and core curriculum. Any student who holds a minimum of Sophomore standing and is completing common prerequisite work in political science, biology, economics, psychology and sociology (see specific requirements below) may declare a social work major. At this stage, students may file a declaration of major form with the College of Arts and Sciences, Academic Affairs Office. All majors will be assigned to an advisor within the School who will assist the student in selecting courses. Many students will have already taken most of the common prerequisite courses as part of general distribution at USF or in their course of study at a community college. After completion, a student will be ready for courses in the provisional social work major, a final step in applying for full admission to the B.S.W. program as a full major. It is necessary to be admitted as a full major before taking core social work courses.

Admission requirements for the social work full major are as follows:

1. A student must have completed a minimum of one semester as a pre-social work major.
2. A student must have completed required common prerequisites and provisional courses (see listing).
3. A student must complete an application for full admission and file it with the School of Social Work before the beginning of the semester in which admission is sought; dates will be announced in provisional courses.
4. A student may be asked to complete an admission interview with a favorable action from the Undergraduate Committee.
5. A student must achieve a grade of "B" or better in SOW 3302, “Introduction to Social Work” and SOW 3203, “The American Social Welfare System,” to be considered for full admission.
6. A student must have successfully completed CLAST. CLAST may be repeated.
7. A student must achieve a GPA of 2.75 in all Social Work courses to enroll in field placement and subsequently graduate with the B.S.W. degree.

Requirements for the Major in Social Work