Social Work (BSW)

Program Requirements

Required Courses for Admission to the Major — 3 Credits

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

Application PDF

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

Required Social Work Foundation Courses — 15 Credits

Required Social Work Practice Courses — 9 Credits

Elective Social Work Exploration Courses: Complete 5 Courses — 15 Credits

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

Required Field Practicum Preparation (Semester Prior to Field Practicum) — 1 Credit

Required Field Practicum - Department Approval Required — 12 Credits

Additional Program Requirements

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

No grade below "C-" accepted.

Program Learning Outcomes

Forthcoming

Career Opportunities and Graduate Study

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 on-going 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 Social Work Profession

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 towards 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.

Accreditation

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 Student Association

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 effects 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 Honorary Social Work Society is also available to social work major 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.

Mission Statement

The program supports the overall mission of the University and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by preparing culturally competent, effective, and ethical social work professionals committed to providing services to the poor, oppressed, and underserved. The program also provides opportunities for students to take leadership roles in supporting and promoting social justice and the social work profession internationally by facilitating peace within individuals, families, communities, and nations.

Program Goals

• To prepare students to be social work professionals and competent generalist social work practitioners with individuals, families, groups, communities, and societies.
• To prepare students to assist in the promotion of social welfare, social justice, and peace within the appropriate individual, family, political, cultural, and social context.
• To enhance personal development and change within students.
• To promote the profession of social work in the international arena.
• To prepare students for responsible leadership and citizenship, family life, and church and community service.
• To prepare students to be effective consumers of research and its application to social work practice.

Admission and Retention Standards

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.

Social Work Major Application Packet

In order to be recognized as a regular social work major, a student must complete a Social Work Major Application Packet which includes: an application, a major academic plan (MAP using the online tool MAPPER) completed with the assistance of the academic advisor, a signed copy of the Standards for Social Work Students, a letter of recommendation, a resume, and an autobiography written by the student.

Completed applications are due on the first Friday in March for spring admission, the first Friday in June for fall admission, and the first Friday in November for winter admission.

To download a copy of the application, please go to socialwork.byuh.edu or you may get a hard copy from the Social Work Program administrative assistant. Applications are to be submitted to the administrative assistant.

When a student applies for acceptance into the Social Work Program, the student must be successfully interviewed by the admission committee. During the interview, the admission committee will ensure that the application packet is complete and that the applicant has met the criteria for acceptance into the major. If the student does not meet all requirements for admission, a letter will be sent explaining the deficiency (ies) and what needs to be done before the student reapplies. Students may be granted provisional status and will be accepted into the major if all stipulations are met within the specified time frame for full acceptance into the 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.

Required Curriculum

The student is to successfully complete five pre-requisite requirements before being formally admitted into the Social Work Program. These pre-requisite requirements are:

• First semester sophomore status or at least 24 credit hours.
• Have completed 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.
• Has been accepted or provisionally accepted by the admission committee.

Fifty-six 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.

Field Education

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.

Transfer Students

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 courses equivalency, such as transcripts, course syllabi, program accreditation, etc.

Life Experiences or Previous Work Experiences

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.