Dec 04, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
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2019-2020 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Social Work, B.A.S.W.

The School of Social Work offers, in conjunction with the general education requirements, a professional program leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW). The goals of the BASW program are to prepare students for entry level, professional, generalist social work practice and for graduate social work education, including advanced standing. Students learn to practice as professional social workers with persons and groups representing the range of human diversity and with systems of all sizes (individuals, families, groups, communities, and institutions). Students have the option to take the major courses in a daytime sequence or an evening sequence.

Social Work majors should consider taking courses as electives or for fulfillment of general education requirements in any of the ethnic studies disciplines, women’s studies, sociology, anthropology, human development, and gerontology programs in the Colleges of Health and Human Services and Liberal Arts. The School of Social Work can make recommendations concerning those courses which would be most useful to students interested in acquiring broader information closely allied to professional social work practice.

Admission Requirements

Admission Under Impaction - Fall Only

Social Work is now considered to be a highly impacted major. Admission to the Social Work program takes place in the fall semester only. Refer to the following website for additional criteria: http://www.csulb.edu/depts/enrollment/admissions/index.html.

Admission Under Impaction for Continuing Students

Students who indicate an interest in the Social Work major when they enter as freshmen will be assigned a pre-social work major code. Acceptance into the pre-major by the University does not imply or assure subsequent acceptance into the major by the School of Social Work. Students who are not accepted into the major cannot continue as pre-social work majors. Social Work is now considered to be a “highly impacted major” (see above).

Admission Under Impaction for Transfer Students

Students must be eligible for admission to the University as transfer students and must apply for admission to the University no later than November 30 for admission the following fall. Students who are not admitted to the major will not be admitted to the University. Social Work is now considered to be a “highly impacted major” (see above).

Additional Application Procedures

Applicants to the BASW program must submit a separate program application packet to the School of Social Work by the beginning of March for the upcoming fall semester. The application includes statements of biographical and educational background and a description of community and/or social work experience. In addition, each applicant must submit two reference forms (one academic and one professional reference). Eligible applicants will be selected for admission on a space-available basis based on review of the entire application packet. Explore the School of Social Work BASW Admissions website (http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/chhs/departments/social-work/bachelor-of-arts/) for more information on this major.

Prerequisite Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Social Work major, all applicants must demonstrate the following:

Minimum lower division preparation (grade of C or better required):

  • Major preparation courses (with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5):

BIOL 205 - Human Biology  
PSY 100 - General Psychology  
HDEV 190 - Elementary Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences ; or STAT 108 - Statistics for Everyday Life ; or PSY 110 - Introductory Statistics ; or SOC 170 - Elementary Statistics ; or another course in elementary statistics

  • Required General Education courses not covered by major preparation courses:

Written Communication
Oral Communication
Critical Thinking
Mathematics if Statistics course taken above is not GE approved

It is highly recommended that students who are interested in the social work major focus on additional social science courses in their GE preparation. These courses can include but are not limited to: Sociology courses (such as SOC 100 , SOC 142 ), Anthropology courses (such as ANTH 120 ), and Human Development courses.

Graduation Requirements

Complete the requirements for General Education

Complete the prerequisite requirements (see above)

Complete the major course requirements by taking each of the following courses:

Complete the required major courses in the following sequence:

First Level (fall):

Second Level (spring):

Third Level (fall):

Fourth Level (spring):

Complete Field Education requirements:

The field sequence has an integral role in the BASW curriculum, providing an opportunity for students to apply social work knowledge and practice skills in an agencybased educationally-focused internship. In the junior year, students complete an 80-hour practicum (S W 341 ) at a community agency  (8 hours/week for 10 weeks). Students complete 450 hours of field placement (S W 495A /S W 495B ) in their senior year for which they earn 6 academic units. Students complete 16 hours per week in an assigned agency placement and attend a weekly seminar on campus. This must include either two  8-hour weekdays or one 8-hour weekday and two 4-hour weekday blocks (Monday - Friday daytime hours). Students are placed in a variety of agencies in the surrounding communities, and the School of Social Work’s field faculty selects the most appropriate field placement site for students. Criminal background checks and health screenings are generally required for field placements.

Fulfill the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)

Complete Abnormal Psychology by the end of the junior year

Meet all grade requirements:

All Social Work courses must be completed with a grade no lower than a “C” in classroom courses or a “CR” for practicum or field experience courses. If a student earns a grade lower than a “C” in a classroom course or an “NC” in a practicum or field experience course, the student must repeat the course. All courses must be taken in sequence, therefore, a student cannot move forward in the Social Work program until each course has been successfully completed. All practicum or field experience courses must be taken concurrently with direct generalist practice courses

CalSWEC BASW Stipend Program

California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) is a unique partnership between social work education and the publicly supported child welfare agencies. A goal of the CalSWEC program is to recruit and prepare a diverse group of social workers for careers in public child welfare. CalSWEC provides financial support to BASW students in exchange for a commitment to work in a public child welfare agency after graduation. The intent of the program is to strengthen and enhance the quality of practice by professionally trained and educated public child welfare social workers.

The IV-E stipends provide support for full-time students in their senior year enrolled in the BASW program. A CalSWEC reimbursement program is available for parttime students currently employed with the County Social Services department that provides child-welfare functions. All part-time applicants must provide a letter of support from their agency administrator/director. Financial support for awarded part-time students will include actual cost of full tuition and fees, book costs as well as a travel allowance.

Application Process

Students must first be admitted into the BASW program. Students are required to submit a CalSWEC application. The application is supplemented with various questions designed to ascertain their interest and level of commitment to a career in public child welfare. Once accepted into the program students must undergo pre-screening for county employment, including fingerprinting and participation in the criminal clearance process as well as a psychological and/or medical exam. The student is required to sign a contract to secure full-time employment in a public child welfare
agency after graduation.

Priority is given to applicants representing diverse population groups currently served by child welfare agencies in California. Fluency in a high demand language is also given priority. Years of service and other child welfare experience also weigh significantly into the selection process. Students in the program must be U.S. citizens, have a permanent visa or have the right to work in California.

An Awards Committee, made up of representatives of the CSULB School of Social Work and representatives of public child welfare agencies from counties surrounding the University, will review and finalize selection of candidates to whom the award will be offered.

Requirements

Students participating in the program must meet all the following criteria:

  1.  Successful admission to the BASW major;
  2. Maintain a C (2.0) average;
  3. Attendance at mandatory seminars/trainings on specialized topics;
  4. Have a valid driver’s license and secure use of a car as required for field internship;
  5. Undergo pre-screening for county employment;
  6. Complete physical and psychological examinations required by agency listed in the affiliation agreement;
  7. Fulfill work commitment upon graduation; students sign a contract to render one year of continuous and satisfactory full-time employment in a California public child welfare agency;
  8. Students must reimburse CalSWEC if they are unable to successfully complete any of the program requirements.