Social Work (BSW)

To be accepted into this major, you must pass all courses listed above with a B- or better.

Application PDF

Students must be accepted to the social work major before beginning major core and content classes.

*SOCW 390R can be taken multiple times in different topic areas. The same topic area cannot be repeated for credit.

• Social Work courses can only be repeated once.
• Program Probation - receiving a grade lower than C- or dropping below 2.0 CGPA or major GPA (2 semesters)
• Program Termination - during the probation period, receiving a grade lower than C- in a SOCW class or failing to raise the CGPA or major GPA above 2.0 by the end of the probation period.

No social work course credit is granted for life or previous work experience.

No grade below "C-" accepted.

Forthcoming

Students who graduate with a Baccalaureate Degree in Social Work (BSW) from BYU–Hawaii are prepared as generalist social work practitioners. The beginning generalist practitioner assesses and works with consumer populations including referrals to community resources, guides consumer populations through the planned change process, intervenes with individuals, families, groups, and the community in a range of situations, conducts ongoing evaluations, and makes appropriate closure.

BSW practitioners are employed in a variety of direct practice settings such as state departments of human services, mental health, and developmental disabilities services, children’s service agencies, halfway houses, nursing homes, area-wide agencies on aging, agencies serving battered women, rape crisis centers, child-care centers, etc. At the practice setting, the generalist social work practitioner takes on various roles such as social broker, case manager, advocate, counselor, mediator, and educator.

The social work program also prepares students for graduate study in social work as well as service within their family, church, and community. The knowledge, skills, values, and ethics gained from a social work education can be well used both professionally and personally, formally, and informally.

The human experience is filled with good fortune as well as challenges and difficulties. Sometimes we are unable to cope with or resolve difficulties such as poverty, marital conflict, parent-child relationship problems, delinquency, abuse and neglect, substance abuse, and mental/emotional stress. Social work is the profession that helps individuals, groups, and communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and work toward social and economic justice and peace.

The underpinnings of the social work profession include but are not limited to: (1) social work values such as autonomy, non-judgmental attitude, and the dignity, worth, and value of all human beings; (2) social work knowledge about human behavior, research, the life cycle, group dynamics, social policy, the ecological framework, human diversity, the environment, etc.; (3) practice skills and paradigms for working with multilevel populations such as preparing, communicating, analyzing, contracting, role taking, and stabilizing; and (4) planned change or an orderly approach to problem-solving.

The BYU–Hawaii Social Work Program has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) continuously since 1978. CSWE is the national organization that provides the leadership for social work and monitors the quality for Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs in the United States.

Social work majors have the opportunity to be members of the Social Work Student Association (SWSA). The SWSA provides social work majors with representatives to provide input into the Social Work Program decision-making process that affects students, the faculty, and the curriculum. In addition, the SWSA helps to meet the bio-psycho-social-spiritual well-being of social work majors. The Phi Alpha Honor Society is also available to social work majors who display academic and service excellence. Students are also encouraged to join a professional organization such as the National Association of Social Workers, the International Federation of Social Workers, or a professional social work organization of their home country.

The mission of the Brigham Young University–Hawaiʻi Social Work Program is to prepare knowledgeable, competent, and effective social work professionals, with the highest degree of integrity, committed to the elimination of poverty, the alleviation of human suffering, and the promotion of peace within individuals, families, communities, and societies throughout the world. Consistent with this mission, the Social Work Program is committed to:

• preparing students to be generalist social work practitioners, who value scientific inquiry, and view the world through a person-in-environment framework;
• developing empathy within students, with a deep respect for the dignity and worth of every individual, an appreciation of all forms of human diversity, and a commitment to build and nurture human relationships;
• fostering within students an abiding commitment to pursue and advocate for social justice in all its forms, including racial, economic, and environmental justice, and the realization and achievement of human rights for all people;
• maintaining a special focus on the needs of students indigenous to Hawaiʻi, Oceania, and the Asian Rim;
• and supporting the overall mission of the University and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in preparing our students to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Upon completing a major in Social Work, students will:

1. Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior.
2. Engage diversity and difference in practice.
3. Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
4. Engage in practice-informed research and research- informed practice.
5. Engage in policy practice.
6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
7. Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
9. Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

All students are required to apply for admission into the Social Work Program. Students are accepted into the social work major if they:

• are at least first-semester sophomores,
• pass Social Work 160 Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work with at least a C+,
• have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5,
• have submitted an application to major packet, and
• have been successfully interviewed for admission into the major by the admission committee

In order to be recognized as a regular social work major, a student must complete a Social Work Major Application online.
Completed applications are due:

• March 1st – spring entrance
• June 1st – Fall entrance
• November 1st – Winter entrance

To apply, go to: https://esw.byuh.edu/socialwork/application-to-major

All students who meet the minimum program academic requirements are invited to apply to the major. No student will be denied admission due to age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, culture, or national origin.

Forty-eight credit hours are required to graduate with a major in social work. See Recommended Curriculum for a description of the courses social work majors are required to pass. Only a C- or higher grade in social work classes may be applied toward completion of the Baccalaureate of Social Work (BSW) Degree.

There is also a recommended schedule for taking the required social work classes. It is important that students make an appointment with the social work Academic Advisor as soon as possible to develop a Major Academic Plan (MAP) and to receive a copy of Social Work Degree Requirements. The MAP is a personalized document indicating when the student is to take all courses required for General Education and the social work major for graduation. The student and program are to adhere to the MAP for a timely graduation. The Social Work Degree Requirements can be used to track the courses you have taken and have yet to take to qualify for the BSW.

The Field Education Program is an integral part of the generalist social work program reserved for seniors majoring in social work at BYU–Hawaii. Field education is comprised of a practicum and a seminar that give students the opportunity to discuss how they infuse knowledge, values, and skills at their agency. Students are expected to be in their agencies five days a week averaging 30 hours per week. Students should plan to not work and not take any other course during their practicum. Regardless of the option selected, students are required to obtain a minimum of 450 practicum hours, be supervised by a professional social worker, be enrolled in a seminar, and be placed in an agency-based social service setting.

Upon successful completion of the practicum and seminar requirements, students receive 12 credit hours. Students are responsible for finding an approved agency with assistance from the field practicum director. For more information concerning field education, please read the Field Practicum Manual found on the Social Work Program page.

Students who successfully complete courses at other universities may have their courses evaluated by the Office of the Registrar for acceptance at BYU–Hawaii.

Social work major courses are considered for acceptance if the transferring university is accredited with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). In the event the university is an international school, transfer courses will be considered IF the accreditation association is equivalent to CSWE. For example, if a student from Australia takes courses in social work, their courses will be considered for transfer if the school was accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The social work program director will consult with faculty who teach comparable courses. The director will make the final decision.

The burden will be upon the entering student to provide evidence of course equivalency, such as transcripts, course syllabi, program accreditation, etc.

While life experiences or previous work experiences may enhance learning social work knowledge and skills, social work course credit is not granted for these experiences.