USF 1999-2000 Undergraduate Catalog - Pages 104 - 105

Social Work (SOK)

Course Descriptions

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

1. to 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. to prepare graduates for additional professional training at the graduate level in social work or in related human service professions;

3. to 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 interventive methods 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. Unlike many academic programs where the student may declare a major, the B.S.W. program is a limited access program. 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 admission to the B.S.W. program solely on the basis of no available space. Any student applying for 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, ie., common prerequisites, foundation, and core curriculum. Any student who holds a minimum of Sophomore standing and has completed common prerequisite work in political science, biology, economics, psychology and sociology (see specific requirements below) may declare a presocial work major. This is done by filing a declaration of major form with the College of Arts and Sciences, Records and Advising Office. All pre-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 foundation courses in the pre-social work major, a final step in applying for admission to the B.S.W. program as a full major. It is necessary to be admitted as a major before taking core social work courses.

Admission requirements for the social work 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 foundation courses (see listing).

3. A student must complete an application for admission and file it with the School of Social Work before the beginning of the semester in which admission is sought; dates will be posted in the Social Work office.

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 admission.

6. A student must have successfully completed CLAST. CLAST may be repeated and the applicant may reapply to the program after successful completion of CLAST.

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.

Common Prerequisite Courses (P)

A student must successfully complete, by earning a "C" or better:

One course in each of the following cognate areas or equivalency--

Human Biology:
Food: Personal and Global Perspectives
Sex and Today's World
Principles of Biology for Non-majors
Human Anatomy & Physiology
Human Sexual Behavior

Political Science:
American National Government
State and Local Government and Politics
Florida Politics and Government

Psychology:
Introduction to Contemporary Psychology
Contemporary Problems in Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Psychology of Adjustment

Sociology:
Introduction to Sociology
Contemporary Social Problems
Social Psychology
Sociology of Sex Roles
Social Stratification
Sociological Aspects of Deviance

Economics:
Basic Economics -SS

Foundation Courses (P*) for Pre-Social Work Majors

1. A student must successfully complete by earning a "C" or better one of the following cross cultural courses or equivalency.

   Introduction to the Black Experience
   Social Institutions and the African-American Community
   Black Women in America
   Culture and Society in Africa
   Racism in American Society
   Blacks in the American Political Process

   Anthropology:
   Introduction to Anthropology
   The Anthropological Perspective
   Cultural Anthropology
   Ethnic Diversity in the USA
   The Individual and Culture

   Sociology:
   Racial and Ethnic Relations

   Women's Studies:
   Introduction to Women's Studies
   Psychology of Women
   Women and Politics
   Issues in Feminism
   American Women in Contemporary Society I
   American Women in Contemporary Society II
   Literature by American Women of Color
   The Image of Women in Literature (also offered in English)
   Third World Women Writers (also offered in English)

2. Both of the following Social Work courses, earning a "B" or better:
   American Social Welfare System
   Introduction to Social Work

Requirements for the Major in Social Work (Core Courses)

1. Human Behavior and Social Environment Courses
   SOW 3101 (4)      SOW 3102 (4)

2. Social Welfare: Policy & Program Course
   SOW 4233 (4)

3. Social Research Course
   SOW 3401 (4)

4. Social Work Practice Courses
   SOW 4341 (5)      SOW 4343 (5)

5. Directed Field Experience
   SOW 4510 (3)      SOW 4510L (6)

6. Multi-cultural America
   SOW 4522 (3)

Summary:
Core Courses - 29 hours
Field Experience - 9 hours
TOTAL - 38 hours

Prerequisites (State Mandated Common Prerequisites)

Please send questions or comments to:
Karen M. Hall - webCat@ugs.usf.edu
Effective Date: Semester I, 1999