Social Work

Faculty:  B.C. Bedics (Chairperson), J.D. Albury, M.H. Beechem, R.E. Doelker, Jr., G.E. Goltermann, M.N. Hall (Emerita), P.T. Rappe, D.M. Rougas, F.A. Sansone; Associate in Social Work: R. Croley; Faculty Associates: A.P. Kazakos, J.D. Kirkpatrick, D.L. Scott

The B.A. degree program in Social Work, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, prepares students to enter beginning professional social work practice.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
In addition to general University requirements, students seeking the B.A. in Social Work must meet the requirements listed below. Consult with your academic advisor for courses which may satisfy both the General Studies requirements and common prerequisites.

The program requires 48 sh in social work courses and 9 sh of prescribed major-related courses and includes two field experiences. A practicum is part of the Introduction to Generalist Practice course, taken in the student's second term. This course introduces the student to agency practice. A field placement is part of the senior Field Instruction course. Students entering field instruction must meet department prerequisites and additional requirements stated in the department's CHOOSING TO HELP student manual.

All Social Work courses must be completed with at least a "C" to be counted toward completion of the degree requirements. No prior work or volunteer experience can be accepted for academic credit.

Because this is a professional preparation program, the department has an application for the Field Instruction courses SOW 4510 and SOW 4522. After declaring the Social Work major with the University, students must complete SOW 3103, 3113, 3203, 3313, 3322, 3350, 3503, 3620, 4332, 4403 with a grade of "C" or better in both academic and practice components, and complete and submit the Field Instruction application packet. Students must have an overall minimum GPA of 2.0, and a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the major as a prerequisite to SOW 4510 and SOW 4522.

Social work majors who have been inactive for three years prior to field placement will be subject to faculty review and may be subject to repeating their practice courses. Students must complete courses required for graduation within five years of entry in the major (usually the junior year) with no less than nine credits completed in any one year.

A degree in Social Work is required for entry level school social worker positions.

Course descriptions are listed alphabetically by prefix in the back of this catalog.

General Studies (36 sh)
Social Work majors should take STA 2023 to satisfy 3 sh of the mathematics component of UWF's General Studies.

For additional information see the General Studies section of this catalog.

Common Prerequisites (15 sh)
State mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. Courses in brackets indicate substitutes from Florida Public Community/Junior colleges and Universities. 

+ Indicates common prerequisites which can used to satisfy General Studies requirements.

Lower Division Electives (9-18 sh)
Sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to complete at least 60 semester hours in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4999) to meet this elective requirement.

Upper Division Electives (3 sh)
Sufficient 3000/4000 level electives to meet UWF's requirement of 48 semester hours in the upper division or completion of all departmental requirements at the 3000/4000 level, whichever is greater.

MINORS
Minors in Social Welfare, Child Welfare, Substance Abuse, and an Interdisciplinary Minor in Aging Studies are available. A grade of "C" or higher is required in all courses.

Aging Studies Interdisciplinary Minor (12 sh)
The Interdisciplinary Minor in Aging Studies provides a broad orientation to the field of gerontology and service to the elderly.

A practicum or other elective may be approved by department chairperson.

Child Welfare Minor (12 sh)