Overview

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), offered by the School of Social Work within the College of Public Health, prepares students for entry-level social work careers advancing social justice and working with individuals, families and communities in need.

Program Objectives

By completion of their undergraduate studies, BSW students will be able to:

  • apply skills and knowledge of generalist social work practice with systems of all sizes;
  • understand human behavior from holistic and developmental perspectives that encompass dynamic interaction among social, political, cultural, economic, psychological, spiritual and biological factors;
  • critically select and apply theories and research findings to social work practice;
  • understand and adhere to professional social work values and ethics;
  • assess situations using knowledge about the effects of structural injustices based on race, class, gender, culture, sexual orientation, ability, age and other forms of oppression; and
  • exercise self-awareness and reflection as part of the development of their professional and personal selves.

Curriculum

The BSW curriculum is organized so that courses scheduled to be taken later in the program assume, and build on, the knowledge and skill foundation provided in the General Education and social work courses taken earlier. For this reason, most social work courses designate successful completion (with a C or better) of earlier courses as prerequisite to taking later courses. This program of study for BSW students has been carefully designed and approved by faculty. It is intended to provide students with a coherent, integrated and high-quality learning experience.

Campus Location: Main, Online

Program Code: SW-SSWU-BSWK

Licensure/Certification

Social work is a licensed profession and BSW graduates are eligible for licensure. For license requirements by state or province view the interactive map provided by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).

Contact Information

Cheri Carter, PhD, LSW, Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Program Director
Ritter Annex, Room 581
215-204-1228
cheri.carter@temple.edu

Learn more about the Bachelor of Social Work.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2023-2024. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2023 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Requirements for the Degree

University Requirements

  • All students are required to complete the university General Education (GenEd) curriculum.
    (Students who entered prior to fall 2011 should check with their advisor for the appropriate year and program requirements.)
  • All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses at Temple as part of the major. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are SSWU 3096 and SSWU 4396.

College Requirement

  • All CPH students, including SSW students, must complete the College Core Course, HRPR 1001.

Clearance Requirements

Please note the Social Work program requires students to complete clinical/field education experiences at facilities both on and off the University campus. These placements will require criminal background checks, Act 33/34 clearances and perhaps a drug screen. Placements may also require the student to maintain personal health insurance. The results of these requirements may limit and potentially eliminate placement options which can, in turn, result in an inability to meet graduation requirements. Additionally, conviction of a misdemeanor, felony, or felonious or illegal act may prevent you from becoming credentialed and/or licensed to practice social work. Please see https://www.aswb.org/licenses/ for more information about state licensure.

School of Social Work Requirements

  • Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 overall and in the major.
  • A grade of C or higher is required in all social work courses and HRPR 1001.

BSW Program Requirements

University and College Courses
HRPR 1001Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play3
CSI 1111Introduction to Public Speaking3
PSY 1001Introduction to Psychology3
SOC 1176Introduction to Sociology3
KINS 1223Human Anatomy and Physiology I4
or BIOL 1001 Human Biology
*Any Biology course with a course number of 1000 or above will satisfy the BSW BIO requirement; however, some graduate programs may require successful completion of an undergraduate Human Biology course.
Select one of the following:3
Introduction to the Economy
Macroeconomic Principles
Microeconomic Principles
Global Economics
The American Economy
POLS 1101The American Political System3
or POLS 1911 Honors Introduction to American Politics
Select one of the following:3
Social Statistics
Honors Social Statistics
Elements of Statistics
Statistics for Psychology
*Any Statistics course with a course number of 1000 or above will satisfy the BSW STAT requirement.
Electives
Social Work Specific Elective Course3
Free Electives5
Professional Courses in Social Work
SSWU 2005Introduction to the Social Work Profession I3
SSWU 2006Introduction to the Social Work Profession II3
SSWU 2089Service Learning in the Social Work Profession2
SSWU 3003History and Values of Social Welfare3
SSWU 3004Social Welfare in the US3
SSWU 3007Human Behavior in the Social Environment3
SSWU 3009Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Communities and Organizations3
SSWU 3011The Social Worker in the Group3
SSWU 3096Institutional Racism3
SSWU 4001Seminar in Social Work Practice3
SSWU 4002Seminar in Social Work Practice3
SSWU 4187Social Work Field Practicum I5
SSWU 4107BSW Field Seminar I2
SSWU 4287Social Work Field Practicum II5
SSWU 4207BSW Field Seminar II2
SSWU 4396Introduction to Social Research3
SSWU 4407Evaluating Programs and Practice in Social Work3
Total Credit Hours85

Field Work Practice

A minimum of 400 hours in supervised field settings is required. Students are overseen by an MSW (or BSW with at least two years of experience). They are directly involved in professional tasks in the agency and in the community. This component of the educational program of study facilitates the integration of classroom learning, particularly in the social work subject areas of human behavior, policy, practice and research. Students apply what they are learning and receive feedback from both classroom and field instructors on their work. Field work practice consists of 10 credits of the 55 credits of professional social work courses specified above.

Some of the fields of practice in the five-county Philadelphia area in which majors do their field work are these:

  • Aging: including adult service centers as well as assistance in a variety of public and private organizations with treatment and protective functions;
  • Children and Youth: child abuse, foster care and adoption agencies, parenting and support services;
  • Community Organization/Planning: public issues and policies, neighborhood services at settlements, Y's, community centers;
  • Correctional/Justice: probation, parole, prison, community rehabilitation organizations;
  • Developmental Disabilities: community-living arrangements, day programs, other public and private functions;
  • Education: schools and alternative education programs;
  • Family Services: material aid, crisis intervention, ongoing counseling;
  • Health/Hospitals: advising, counseling, direct service with and on behalf of patients; a variety of functions in hospitals and community health centers;
  • Legal: public agencies assisting low-income population in matters relating to law, housing, and discrimination;
  • Mental Health: small and large institutions, community-based units, public and private auspices;
  • Substance Abuse: counseling and other direct service in a variety of settings, both public and private;
  • Violence and Domestic Issues: domestic violence of all kinds, sexual assault, and child abuse, in a wide variety of settings.

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of Social Work

Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2023-2024 Academic Year

Note: The symbols (F) or (S) after the course number indicate that the class is offered ONLY in a specific semester:

(F) = offered only in fall semester
(S) = offered only in spring semester
Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
FallCredit Hours
HRPR 1001 Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play 3
ENG 0802
Analytical Reading and Writing
or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL
or Honors Writing About Literature
4
GenEd Breadth Course 3-4
GenEd Breadth Course 3
Free Elective 2
 Credit Hours15-16
Spring
CSI 1111 Introduction to Public Speaking 3
SOC 1176 Introduction to Sociology 3
GenEd Quantitative Literacy Course GQ 4
GenEd Breadth Course 3
GenEd Breadth Course 3
 Credit Hours16
Year 2
Fall
PSY 1001 Introduction to Psychology 3
IH 0851
Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life
or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life
3
SSWU 2005 Introduction to the Social Work Profession I 3
GenEd Breadth Course 3
Select one of the following (other STAT courses will be considered): 3
Social Statistics
Elements of Statistics
Honors Social Statistics
Statistics for Psychology
 Credit Hours15
Spring
SSWU 2006 Introduction to the Social Work Profession II 3
SSWU 2089 Service Learning in the Social Work Profession 2
IH 0852
Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good
or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good
3
GenEd Breadth Course 3
Select one of the following (*any BIO course will satisfy this requirement; however, some graduate programs may require successful completion of an undergraduate Human Biology course): 4
Human Anatomy and Physiology I 1
Human Biology
 Credit Hours15
Year 3
Fall
SSWU 3003 History and Values of Social Welfare 3
SSWU 3007 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (F) 3
SSWU 3011 The Social Worker in the Group 3
POLS 1101
The American Political System
or Honors Introduction to American Politics
3
Free Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Spring
SSWU 3004 Social Welfare in the US 3
SSWU 3009 Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Communities and Organizations 3
SSWU 3096 Institutional Racism (F, S) 3
Select one of the following: 3
Introduction to the Economy (F)
Macroeconomic Principles
Microeconomic Principles
Global Economics
The American Economy 2
GenEd Breadth Course 3
 Credit Hours15
Year 4
Fall
SSWU 4001 Seminar in Social Work Practice (F) 3
SSWU 4187 Social Work Field Practicum I (F) 3 5
SSWU 4107 BSW Field Seminar I (SW 4187 & SW 4107 are concurrent) 2
SSWU 4396 Introduction to Social Research (F) 3
Social Work Elective 3
 Credit Hours16
Spring
SSWU 4002 Seminar in Social Work Practice (S) 3
SSWU 4287 Social Work Field Practicum II (S) 3 5
SSWU 4207 BSW Field Seminar II (SW 4287 & SW 4207 are concurrent.) 2
SSWU 4407 Evaluating Programs and Practice in Social Work 3
 Credit Hours13
 Total Credit Hours120-121
1

Refer to GenEd Science & Technology for information on a GS Waiver.

2

ECON 0858 satisfies the University GedEd U.S. Society requirement as well as SSW's Economics requirement.

3

16 hour/week field practicum requirement.

In order to receive a Bachelor of Social Work degree, a student must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours, which includes the University General Education (GenEd) curriculum and the School of Social Work curriculum. A potential graduate must also hold a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better (having received a C or better in all social work courses and HRPR 1001), and meet any additional requirements, such as the Exit Interview.