BSW FAQs

A degree in social work prepares students for professional social work practice, a growing and dynamic profession in which you promote the well-being of individuals, groups, and communities. Social workers are employed by hospitals, schools, child welfare agencies, criminal justice settings, advocacy organizations, organizations that serve veterans and active duty military, mental health service providers, and more. The degree also provides an excellent foundation in problem-solving, communication, and inter-professional collaboration, skills which are valued by many professions and graduate degree programs.  

• 54 hours, overall GPA of 2.25 
• PY 101 or PY 105, SOC 101, and BSC 108 or BSC 109 or BSC 114/115 or BSC 116/117 or BSC 118 or BSC 120 
• Math 100 or placement into college-level math (Math 110 or Math 112 or higher) 
• Minimum GPA of 2.50 in social work courses 
• Completed professional program application 
• SW 100 or 105, SW 200 or 205, SW 351 or 355, SW 101 and SW 310

• NO! You must take either two literatures and one history or two histories and one literature. 
• You must take a sequence in either history or literature (e.g. HY 101 & HY 102; HY 117 & HY 118; any two literature courses). 
• Taking two literatures and one history will allow you to more easily complete your humanities and fine arts requirements. 
• If you choose to take a HY sequence, you must take HY 101 or HY 102 (Western Civilization) or HY 117 or HY 118 (World History). You may take HY 103 or HY 104 instead of HY 101 or HY 102 or HY 117 or HY 118 if you have taken GY 105 or SW 419. NOTE: Beginning with the 2023 Catalog, students may take HY 103 or HY 104 instead of HY 101 or HY 102 or HY 117 or HY 118, if they have taken GY 105, SW 419, ANT 225 or Education Abroad through UA.

• You must take Public Speaking (COM 123) or Critical Decision Making (COM 122) or honors equivalents. These are humanities classes. 
• You must complete two courses from the following list. At least one course must hold the SB designation and the two courses selected must not be from the same department. 
  • ANT 100 Introduction to Anthropology (SB) 
  • ANT 102 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (SB)  
  • ANT 103 Introduction to Archaeological Anthropology (SB) (HU)  
  • ANT 225 Introduction to Global Health (SB)
  • BUI 102 Foundation II (SB) Open to Blount students only.
  • EC 110 Microeconomics (SB) (SS)  
  • EC 111 Macroeconomics (SB) (SS) 
  • EC 112 Honors Microeconomics (UH, SB)
  • EC 113 Honors Macroeconomics (UH, SB)
  • GY 105 World and Regional Geography (SB) () 
  • GY 110 Principles of Human Geography (SB) ()  
  • PSC 101 American Politics (SB)  
  • PSC 211 State and Local Government
  • PSC 370 American Public Policy  

• BSW students are required to take a foreign language and do not have the option of taking computer science instead of foreign language. Any computer science courses will count as free elective credit.
• If you did not have foreign language in high school you should begin with a 101 class. 
• If you had less than two years of foreign language in high school you should begin with a 101 class. 
• If you had two years of foreign language in high school, please refer to the Undergraduate  Catalog for placement information or begin with a 101 class in another language. 
• If you place into a 102 or 103 class, you are required to take only that class (only one semester). 
• Many students choose Spanish because of the growing Spanish speaking population but others choose from the variety of language classes available. 

• UA requires 8 credit hours of natural science, including a lab with each of the two classes. 
• The School of Social Work requires human biology (BSC 108 or 109 or BSC 114/115, or BSC 116/117 or BSC 118 or BSC 120) with a grade of C- or higher as one of your natural sciences.  

• One core math class (Math 110, Math 112, or a higher-level core math class). 
• During orientation you may be informed that you need to complete Math 100 (and perhaps Math 005 as well) before taking a core math. Your Math placement is determined by your score on the Math Placement Test or your standardized test scores.
• You must be eligible for a core math before entering the professional program. 
• You should complete Math 100 or a higher-numbered math course before taking statistics, which you must complete before enrolling in SW 420/425 and beginning your field placement.  

• To complete your required 120 credit hours, you may need to take some “free electives.”  “Free elective” means any university class of your choice. 
• If you are having difficulty with classes, you may want to take a study help class, such as BEP 110, NEW 122, or BCE 101. 
• Some students choose to double major. If you choose to do so, your free electives should be taken in the second major subject area—discuss this with your advisor in the division of your other major. 
• You may wish to declare a minor. If so, you should take the classes required for that minor. You need to check with an advisor in the department of study to determine requirements for a minor. BSW STUDENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DECLARE A MINOR.
• You must complete 6 hours of social work electives. These are in addition to any free electives you may need.
• Refer to the class schedule in myBama for social work electives offered in a given semester.  If you have questions about social work electives, reach out to your advisor.

100-400 level Social Work courses that are not required are considered social work electives. Below is a list of three-hour social work electives that may be offered:  

• SW 206 Growing Old in America  
• SW 208 Juvenile Delinquency: Causes, Control, and Services  
• SW 210 Family and Child Welfare  
• SW 212 Death, Dying, and Bereavement  
• SW 300 Special Topics (topics vary from semester to semester)  
• SW 320 Volunteerism in Human Services  
• SW 414 Chemical Dependency  
• SW 415 Psychopathology
• SW 419 International Social  Work
• SW 498 Independent Study 

*Additional electives may be offered in future semesters. 

• You must meet the University’s Scholastic Progress Standard. This standard specifies a minimum GPA—it varies with the number of credit hours you have achieved. Refer to the Undergraduate Catalog or the BSW Handbook. 
• To be accepted into the professional program, you must have achieved an overall GPA of at least 2.25 and a Social Work GPA of at least 2.5. 
• Once you are in the professional program, you must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.25 and a Social Work GPA of at least 2.5. 
• You must earn at least a C- in each course required by the School of Social Work.

NOTE: Missing the deadline may delay your admission into the program for 1 year.  

SEE YOUR ADVISOR! You may be eligible for conditional admission.