Social Work (BSW)
This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2019–Spring 2020 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.
Bachelor of Social Work
Unit: Kent School of Social Work (KE)
Academic Plan Code(s): SW_ _BSW, SW_ _BSWO
Program Information
This program can be completed in a traditional classroom format or entirely online.
The Bachelor of Social Work program at the Kent School of Social Work prepares students for entry-level professional social work practice. It also provides the foundation for graduate study in social work. The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
The BSW Program Curriculum builds on a liberal arts base. The curriculum is designed to promote the development of generalist social work knowledge and skills in using critical thinking to analyze, plan and implement effective interventions to address complex social problems and the subsequent impact on individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Students gain experience through service learning and social work practicum.
Degree Summary
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements 1 | 31 | |
| College/School Requirements 1 | 29 | |
| Program/Major Requirements 1 | 60 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Some credit hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the program, in which case additional electives will be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree. See the Degree Requirements tab for specific coursework. |
Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.
Departmental Admission Requirements
Entering First-Year Students to Lower Division BSW
- Either of the following:
- Graduation from accredited high school
- Successful completion of General Education Development (GED) tests
- High school GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Pre-College Curriculum (PCC) GPA of 2.5 or higher
- ACT/SAT score of 20/1020 or higher
- Students with admission criteria below the above standards are admitted to Pre-Social Work in the Exploratory Division
Transfer Students to Lower Division
Transfer students with fewer than 24 credit hours
- College GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Either of the following:
- Graduation from accredited high school
- Successful completion of General Education Development (GED) tests
- High school GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Pre-College Curriculum (PCC) GPA of 2.5 or higher
- ACT/SAT score of 20/1020 or higher
Transfer student with 24 credit hours or more
College GPA of 2.5 or higher
UofL Student Switching Major
University GPA of 2.5 or higher, please use major change form on ULink at Louisville.edu
Post-baccalaureate Student
- College cumulative GPA of 2.5
- Applicants with higher GPAs are encouraged to apply to the MSSW program
Upper Division BSW Students
Requires internal application from Kent School. Must have 45 hours of college credit, a minimum of 2.5 GPA. The packet consists of a personal statement, secondary application, resume, and 2 letters of recommendation directly to Kent School BSW Program. Transfer student must submit undergraduate application, all college transcripts to UL Admissions. This is a competitive program approved by the department.
Must meet application deadline: Priority deadline, February 1; Final deadline, May 1 for following Fall acceptance to Upper Division. Late applications will be accepted on a case-by-case basis, please contact the BSW Department for approval to apply late (BSWKent@louisville.edu). Applicants need to apply directly to Kent School BSW Program before the application deadline.
Admissions to the Lower Division does not guarantee admission to the Upper Division
General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements 1 | 31 | |
| The following courses are required by the program and should be taken to fulfill the respective General Education requirement: | ||
| Social Problems - D1, SB (SOC 202 satisfies 3 hours of SB and D1 General Education Requirement) | ||
or SOC 201 | Introduction to Sociology - SB | |
or SOC 203 | Introduction to Social Psychology - SB | |
All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above). Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.
College/School Requirements
Social Work Lower Division Requirements4
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SW 101 | Social Work Orientation | 1 |
| SW 201 | Introduction to Social Work - D1, SB | 3 |
| PSYC 201 | Introduction to Psychology - SB | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Human Biology for Social Sciences (suggested) | ||
| Human Anatomy & Physiology 2 | ||
| Physiological Psychology | ||
| Select one of the following Sociology courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Sociology - SB | ||
| Social Problems - D1, SB | ||
| Introduction to Social Psychology - SB | ||
| Select one of the following Statistics courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Social Statistics (suggested) | ||
| Elementary Statistics - QR 2 | ||
| Statistics for Psychology 2 | ||
| Introduction to Social Statistics 2 | ||
| Quantitative Analysis - QR | ||
| General electives 3 | 22 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 38 | |
Program/Major Requirements
Social Work Upper Division Requirements
| Year 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| SW 302 | Social Welfare Institutions, Policies and Services | 3 |
| SW 303 | Generalist Practice I | 3 |
| SW 301 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 |
| Intro to SW (SW201) if not taken in Lower Division or Upper Division Social Work Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SW 322 | Issues in Policy and Service Delivery | 3 |
| SW 304 | Generalist Practice II | 3 |
| SW 319 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | 3 |
| SW 307 | Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice Practice 6 | 3 |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| SW 405 | Generalist Practice III | 3 |
| SW 470 | Practicum I 6 | 3 |
| SW 472 | Practicum Seminar and Lab I - CUE | 3 |
| SW 426 | Introduction to Social Work Research | 3 |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SW 406 | Generalist Practice IV | 3 |
| SW 471 | Practicum II 6 | 3 |
| SW 473 | Practicum Seminar and Lab II | 3 |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 60 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Culminating Undergraduate Experience (Graduation requirement) | ||
| Requirement fulfilled by completing: | ||
| Practicum Seminar and Lab I - CUE | ||
| 1 | Six (6) hours of Diversity (D1/D2) coursework is required. If these competency areas are not covered as part of the program requirements and/or general elective coursework, 6 additional hours will be needed to fulfill the University of Louisville competency-area requirements. |
| 2 | Or equivalent as approved/decided by the unit |
| 3 | Students who satisfy General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree. |
| 4 | Students must have a minimum total of 60 credit hours to complete the Lower Division requirements. |
| 5 | Three of the five Upper Division Social Work Elective courses may be from the College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Social Sciences (minimum 300 level). Please contact the BSW Advising Team should you have questions. |
| 6 | The Upper Division BSW Program curriculum has changed for students entering for Summer/Fall 2019. Students will be required to take SW 307 Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice Practice and five Upper Division Electives to meet the total credit hours of 120. Practicum I and II are now 3 credit hours each. |
Flight Plan
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| SW 101 | Social Work Orientation | 1 |
| ENGL 101 | Introduction to College Writing - WC | 3 |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S | 3 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences Lab - SL | 1 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH | 3 | |
| General Elective | 1 | |
| MATH 105 | Quantitative Reasoning - QR (or other Cardinal Core Quantitative Reasoning course) | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 102 | Intermediate College Writing - WC | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 |
History of Civilizations I - D2, SBH |
3 |
| SW 201 | Introduction to Social Work - D1, SB | 3 |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Oral Communication - OC | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSYC 201 | Introduction to Psychology - SB | 3 |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S | 3 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| General Elective: SOC 210, PAS 200 or WGST 364 suggested | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SOC 202 | Social Problems - D1, SB | 3 |
| General Elective: ANTH 201, GEOG 200, or PAS 206 suggested | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Human Anatomy & Physiology | ||
| Physiological Psychology | ||
| Human Biology for Social Sciences (suggested) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Social Statistics (suggested) | ||
| Introduction to Social Statistics | ||
| Statistics for Psychology | ||
| Elementary Statistics - QR | ||
| Quantitative Analysis - QR | ||
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| SW 301 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 |
| SW 302 | Social Welfare Institutions, Policies and Services | 3 |
| SW 303 | Generalist Practice I | 3 |
| Intro to SW (SW201) if not taken in Lower Division or Social Work Upper Division elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SW 304 | Generalist Practice II | 3 |
| SW 319 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | 3 |
| SW 322 | Issues in Policy and Service Delivery | 3 |
| SW 307 | Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice Practice | 3 |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| SW 405 | Generalist Practice III | 3 |
| SW 470 | Practicum I | 3 |
| SW 472 | Practicum Seminar and Lab I - CUE | 3 |
| SW 426 | Introduction to Social Work Research | 3 |
| Social Work Upper Division elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SW 406 | Generalist Practice IV | 3 |
| SW 471 | Practicum II | 3 |
| SW 473 | Practicum Seminar and Lab II | 3 |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Social Work Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 120 | |
Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan. What-if reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan. Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.
To create either report:
- Log into your ULink account.
- Click on the Student Services tab.
- Next, click on "View my Academic Advisement Report" to run a Degree Audit report in the Undergraduate Advising area.
- To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."
Click here to run a Degree Audit report, or create a What-if report.
Flight Planner
Based on your major, the Flight Planner tool may be available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan. The Flight Planner can be found in the ULink Student Center. Consult with your advisor for assistance with the Flight Planner.
