The School of Social Work offers two professional programs, one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level, as well as a PhD program. The Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare (BASW) program prepares students for entry-level generalist practice. The graduate professional program prepares students for advanced practice within a field of specialization; students earn a Master of Social Work degree. Both the BASW and MSW programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The School also offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree in social welfare that prepares students for careers in research and education.
The Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare (BASW) program includes upper-division courses in social welfare, with prerequisites in psychology, statistics, and sociology. Social welfare courses include content on social welfare history, policy and services, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare research, and cultural diversity. These academic courses prepare students for the senior year three-quarter practicum experience, which involves a total of 480 hours of direct social services under the supervision of a practicum instructor approved by the School.
For more information about this program, refer to the UW degree program catalog.
Refer to the Social Welfare degree program catalog listing for general education requirements.
The School offers a Master of Social Work degree with four options: a two-year full-time program; a three-year part-time program; and both part-time (6 quarters) and full-time (10 months) advanced standing programs for qualified students with a degree in social work/social welfare from a Council on Social Work Education accredited undergraduate program.
The PhD program in social welfare prepares students to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the field of social welfare and the profession of social work for the promotion of social justice. Students acquire both the substantive and methodological competence to contribute theoretical formulations and empirical research that inform effective social work practice and advance scholarship in social welfare.
For more information about these programs, refer to the UW degree program catalog.