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
These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 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.
- 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 4196 and SSWU 4296.
College Requirement
- All CPH students, including SSW students, must successfully complete, with a C or better, the College Core Course, HRPR 1001.
Clearance Requirements
Students attending Temple University College of Public Health and School of Social Work are required to submit to Temple University Student Health Services proof of immunizations and proof of immunity for MMR, Varicella and hepatitis B, proof of being fully vaccinated to COVID-19, TB screening, and a physical exam prior to matriculation. Annually, an influenza vaccine is required. Some affiliates may also require annual TB screening and urine drug screenings. Students who are in fully on-line programs with no in-person class or practicum experience can request a waiver for the above health requirements. Visit Student Health Services for more information on Prematriculation Requirements.
All students who attend programs that have a clinical / practicum / field education experience will be required to purchase access to the EXXAT - APPROVE compliance module. This module to order, store and maintain compliance documents is required for participation in a learning experience at an affiliate site.
Students who attend CPH programs that have a clinical / practicum / field education experience which are completed at affiliate sites both on and off the Temple University campus are required to comply with minimum standard compliance metrics which include the above health requirements in addition to a national criminal background check, Act 33/34 clearances in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and FBI fingerprinting through DHS or DoE. FBI fingerprinting is a national check, which can be performed through any of the 50 states.
The results of these requirements may limit and potentially eliminate placement options for the student, thus resulting in their inability to meet graduation requirements. Additionally, conviction of a misdemeanor, felony, or felonious or illegal act may prevent the individual from becoming credentialed and/or licensed to practice depending on the field of study.
In addition to the above, students who attend the Bachelor of Social Work program are required to show proof of health insurance annually, and background checks are required to be completed annually.
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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University and College Courses | ||
| HRPR 1001 | Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play | 3 |
| CSI 1111 | Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
| PSY 1001 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 1176 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| KINS 1223 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| 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 1101 | The American Political System | 3 |
| 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 Course | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 5 | |
| Professional Courses in Social Work | ||
| SSWU 2005 | Introduction to the Social Work Profession I | 3 |
| SSWU 2006 | Introduction to the Social Work Profession II | 3 |
| SSWU 2089 | Service Learning in Social Work: A Pathway to Civic Engagement and Generalist Practicum | 2 |
| SSWU 3003 | History and Values of Social Welfare | 3 |
| SSWU 3004 | Social Welfare in the US | 3 |
| SSWU 3007 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment | 3 |
| SSWU 3009 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Communities and Organizations | 3 |
| SSWU 3011 | The Social Worker in the Group | 3 |
| SSWU 3806 | 3 | |
| SSWU 4196 | 3 | |
| SSWU 4296 | 3 | |
| SSWU 4187 | Social Work Field Practicum I | 5 |
| SSWU 4107 | BSW Field Seminar I | 2 |
| SSWU 4287 | Social Work Field Practicum II | 5 |
| SSWU 4207 | BSW Field Seminar II | 2 |
| SSWU 4406 | 3 | |
| SSWU 4407 | Evaluating Programs and Practice in Social Work | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 85 | |
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 2024-2025 Academic Year
Note: The symbols (F) or (S) after the course number indicate that the class is offered ONLY in a specific semester:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) = offered only in fall semester | ||
| (S) = offered only in spring semester | ||
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| HRPR 1001 | Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play | 3 |
| ENG 0802 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL [GW] or Honors Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3-4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 2 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-16 | |
| 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 Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSY 1001 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| IH 0851 or IH 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 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 | ||
| Honors Social Statistics | ||
| Elements of Statistics | ||
| Statistics for Psychology | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SSWU 2006 | Introduction to the Social Work Profession II | 3 |
| SSWU 2089 | Service Learning in Social Work: A Pathway to Civic Engagement and Generalist Practicum | 2 |
| IH 0852 or IH 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 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 Hours | 15 | |
| 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 or POLS 1911 | The American Political System or Honors Introduction to American Politics | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SSWU 3004 | Social Welfare in the US | 3 |
| SSWU 3009 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Communities and Organizations | 3 |
| SSWU 3806 | 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 Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| SSWU 4196 | F | 3 |
| SSWU 4187 | Social Work Field Practicum I (F) 3 | 5 |
| SSWU 4107 | BSW Field Seminar I (SSWU 4187 & SSWU 4107 are concurrent) | 2 |
| SSWU 4406 | F | 3 |
| Social Work Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| SSWU 4296 | S | 3 |
| SSWU 4287 | Social Work Field Practicum II (S) 3 | 5 |
| SSWU 4207 | BSW Field Seminar II (SSWU 4287 & SSWU 4207 are concurrent) | 2 |
| SSWU 4407 | Evaluating Programs and Practice in Social Work (S) | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120-121 | |
- 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.