Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)

Temple University School of Social Administration

Office of Dean
Ritter Annex Fifth Floor
215-204-8623

Mission Statement

The School of Social Administration (SSA) is dedicated to societal transformations to eliminate social, political, and economic injustices for poor and oppressed populations, and advance the quality of life for all through:

• Education emphasizing the discovery of knowledge, use of critical inquiry and professional ethics to guide solution-seeking and action-taking to effect social change among professional social workers in front-line, supervisory, managerial, and other leadership positions.
• Research and scholarship to advance applied knowledge and generate evidence-based strategies to resolve problems occurring between people and their social environments at local, state, national, and global levels.
• Public service that aids the dissemination of knowledge and evidence-based strategies through collaborations and partnerships with communities, agencies, and organizations.

Goals

The goals of the School of Social Administration are:

1.  the preparation of ethical and competent social work practitioners and leaders who are committed to social and economic justice and to the eradication of barriers to the fullest development of human potential;

2.  the provision of educational opportunities to a diverse population of students representative of the constituencies served;

3.  the production of scholarship and research that contributes to the social work knowledge base;

4.  the engagement in service-related activities with relevant constituencies.             

The primary goal of the Baccalaureate in Social Work (B.S.W.) program is to prepare entry-level, generalist, social work practitioners committed to social work practice that ensures human rights and social, economic and cultural rights for all.  Students who graduate from SSA understand the effects of structural inequities based on race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other forms of oppression and discrimination.   Graduates also practice social work using the strengths perspective and partner with people to increase access to resources and power.

B.S.W. Curricular objectives

By completion of their undergraduate studies, 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;
• exercise self-awareness and reflection as part of the development of their professional and personal selves;
• engage in practice that enhances the capabilities of people to transform their lives and communities;
• communicate effectively verbally, non-verbally and in writing with agencies, advocates, legislatures, policy makers and people in client status;
• practice social work with a commitment to social and economic justice and the empowerment of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities;
• evaluate the effectiveness of their own practice;
• understand the relationship of historic social patterns, values and institutional arrangement, recognizing their impact on social welfare policy and services and the social work profession;
• use supervision and consultation to enhance their professional development and the delivery of services;
• understand the dynamics of human service organizations and know how to engage in productive organizational change;
• understand how global issues affect local practice.

The B.S.W. Curriculum

The B.S.W. 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 liberal arts 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. Additionally, SSA requires that three of the social work courses required in each semester of the senior year -- research, the seminar in social work practice, and the field practicum -- be taken concurrently. This program of study for B.S.W. students has been carefully designed and approved by faculty. It is intended to provide students with a coherent, integrated, and high quality learning experience.

Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)

• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 124 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 Core courses. A grade of "C-" or better is required in courses for the major.
  

University Requirement

University Core Curriculum requirements (18 s.h..), Math 1011, English 1002, Intellectual Heritage 1196 and 1297, Arts, Foreign language or International Studies.

1.  Completion of the Library Orientation, now called the Temple Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT).

2.  Major requirements.

3.  Lower-level courses (34 s.h.):  Specified Core courses, plus: Economics 1001, 1101, 1102, or 1103; History 1102 or African American Studies 1268; Anthropology 1061; Biology 1001 or Kinesiology 1223; Political Science 1101; Psychology 1061; Sociology 1176; Statistics 2101 or Math 1013 or Sociology 1167 or Psychology 1167.

4.  Upper-level courses: Political Science (2000+), Socio-Behavioral (2000+). At least one course should be writing-intensive.

5.  Courses in Social Work (59 s.h.).

6.  Electives (approximately 13 s.h.).

7.  Field Work Practice: A minimum of 400 hours in supervised field settings is required. Students are overseen by an M.S.W. (or B.S.W. 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.

Some of the fields of practice in the five-county area in which majors do their field work are:

• Aging: including adult service centers; assistance in a variety of public and private organizations, 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, discrimination, etc.;
• Mental Health: small and large institutions, community-based units, public and private auspices;
• Substance Abuse: counseling, direct service in a variety of settings, both public and private;
• Violence and Domestic Issues: domestic violence of all kinds, sexual assault, child abuse, in a wide variety of settings.

B.S.W. Program of Study

B.S.W. Program of Study

Transfer Students with 45 Credits or More or Core-To-Core Transfer

Students who transfer 64 credits may be eligible to complete the B.S.W. degree requirements in two years of full time study and two summer sessions. This depends on the number of credits that Temple accepts and what requirements they match in Temple's curriculum. All core curriculum and B.S.W. degree requirements must be met.

Major requirements

• Lower-level courses: Specified Core courses, plus: Economics 1001, 1101, 1102, or 1103; History 1102 or African American Studies 1268; Anthropology 1061; Biology 1001 or Kinesiology 1223; Political Science 1101; Psychology 1061; Sociology 1176; Statistics 2101 or Math 1013 or Sociology 1167 or Psychology 1167.
• Upper-level courses: Political Science (2000+), Socio-Behavioral (2000+). Students should refer to the B.S.W. Handbook for suggested courses.
• Courses in Social Work (59 s.h.).