Social Work (BSW)
The School of Social Work Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The program advances the ideals of economic and social justice, through an enriched curriculum, innovative research and transformative learning. The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.
Social Work specializes in environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.
Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. Clients is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice.
Activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation, administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and implementation, education, and research and evaluation.
Social Work Core Values
The mission of the social work profession is rooted in the National Association of Social Workers core values. These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective:
- service
- social justice
- dignity and worth of the person
- importance of human relationships
- integrity
- competence
Careers in Social Work
Social workers play an important role in helping people manage and overcome social and economic challenges, in addition to advocating for change in their communities. Individuals who have a strong desire to improve the lives of people they encounter on the job often find social work to be a rewarding career. Careers in Social Work include: School Counselor, Case Manager, Child Welfare Social Worker, Therapist, Behavioral Analyst, Hospital Social Worker, Professor, Politician, etc.
Bachelor in Social Work - Admission Requirements
Students may declare Social Work as a pre-major and are eligible for formal admission to the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program sophomore year.
- Completion SOW 201 Career Choice Human Serv Professional
- Grade Point Average (GPA) 2.0 or higher
- Submit a personal statement or video answering the following:
- Describe your motivation(s) for becoming a social worker.
- Describe any employment, volunteer, or life experiences that prepared you to pursue social work.
- What strengths do you bring to professional social work practice?
- Describe your long-term career goals?
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 (Fall) | Hours | |
| SOW 201 | Career Choice Human Serv Prof | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Term 2 (Spring) | ||
| SOW 310 | Cultural Inc. & Soc. Justice | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Term 3 (Fall) | ||
| SOW 306 | Human Behavior I | 3 |
| SOW 321 | Policy I | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Term 4 (Spring) | ||
| SOW 307 | Human Behavior II | 3 |
| SOW 322 | Policy II | 3 |
| SOW 210 or GNT 101 |
Alcohol and Substance Prob or Intro to Gerontology |
3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Term 4 (Spring) | ||
| SOW 401 | Research Methods Social Work | 3 |
| SOW 210 or GNT 101 |
Alcohol and Substance Prob or Intro to Gerontology |
3 |
| SOW 308 or SOW 352 |
Dynamics Marriage/Family or Child Abuse & Neglect |
3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Term 5 (Fall) | ||
| SOW 422 | Field Instruction I | 6 |
| SOW 423 | Social Work Seminar I | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Term 6 (Spring) | ||
| SOW 424 | Field Instruction II | 6 |
| SOW 425 | Social Work Seminar II | 3 |
| SOW 316 | Generalist Practice III | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 51 | |
An overview of professional practice for potential Social Work majors. Exposes students to various professional roles and encourages examination of Social Work as a career.
This course addresses issues relating to alcohol and other substances. Special emphasis is placed on cultural and socio-economic facts that impact substance abuse.
Analyzes the development and behavior of persons from conception through young adulthood: biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors are examined.
A continuation of Human Behavior I, this course examines human growth and development from middle/adulthood through old age.
An examination of diversity and change in marriage, family life, and women’s roles and status, identifying areas of concern to helping professionals.
Provides the theoretical foundation for generalist practice, applying systems thinking to activities in the human services. Examines Social Work functions and tasks for effective service delivery.
Provides students an opportunity to develop skills in communication, interviewing, purposeful observation, recording, problem identification, and record keeping.
Development of techniques and skills in problem/solving with families, groups, communities, and organizations. Selected frameworks for Social Work intervention are explored.
Historical and philosophical development of social welfare as an institution and Social Work as a profession. Policy structures of public and private agencies are examined.
Analysis and interpretation of social welfare policies, programs and issues. Examines the influence of movements, ideologies, political conditions, and sociocultural attitudes on social welfare.
This course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to child abuse and neglect from a Social Work perspective. Social workers in all professional work settings must know how to identify child maltreatment and domestic violence. Students will learn the family dynamics and indicators of maltreatment and effective interventions on the micro and macro level. Additionally, students will learn the extent of the problem, effects on children, treatment issues, the social worker’s role in a multidisciplinary team approach, and how to advocate for individuals and families.
This course focuses on interventions to protect children from neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse by strengthening, supporting and empowering their families. The course explores the history, mission, and scope of child welfare services and practice, including the underlying philosophy and values that drive child welfare practice, and addressing cultural and relationship issues when working with families. The course covers conceptual and practical information on identifying child maltreatment; assessing family needs and strengths; determining the level of risk to children for future maltreatment; case planning; applying a casework model to working with families; interviewing skills in a child welfare setting and integrating the use of professional authority in these activities.
A survey course that develops an understanding and appreciation for factors affecting health status and its contribution to individual and community health.
This course serves as an introduction to the use of statistics as a method of describing and analyzing data from research in Social Work with an emphasis on applied methods.
Introduces the basic logic, knowledge, and skills of research design and methodology in Social Work.
An educational experience under faculty direction in an approved social service agency. Students work approximately 24 hours per week providing services to various client systems.
Corequisite: SOW 422. Students integrate knowledge, values, and skills learned in the classroom with their practice experience in an agency.
Under faculty supervision, students work 24 hours per week in an approved social service agency.
Taken in conjunction with SOW 424. Students are offered an opportunity to refine skills in problem/solving as a final preparation for professional practice.
An historical analysis of child welfare as an institution and an in/depth study of programs, policies, practices, and their impact on children, youth, and families.
An in-depth research effort. To include an introduction to basic logic, knowledge and skills of research design and methodology.
This course serves as an introduction to the use of statistics as a method of describing and analyzing data for research in criminal justice with an emphasis on applied methods. (Three hours of lecture, on hour of laboratory per week)
This course serves as an introduction to the use of statistics as a method of describing and analyzing data form research in Social Work with an emphasis on applied methods.
A seminar for the discussion of specific topics concerning Rehabilitation Counseling offered by the University of Kentucky. May be repeated for credit no more than four times (12 hours of credit).