The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work

Notice to Prospective Majors - Impacted Program

In recent years, there has been high student demand for the BA in Social Work, the beginning professional degree. Because of the high student demand, social work has been declared an impacted area of study and special requirements for application to an impacted program apply.

Only a limited number of students are admitted to each cohort of the face-to-face BSW Program and the Distributed Learning Program. Therefore, it is important that you complete the Social Work Core listed below, and advising is required each semester with your major advisor. A supplemental BSW Professional Sequence application must be submitted to begin the BSW Professional Sequence. Special selection criteria are used to determine which students will be admitted.

Prerequisites for Admission to the Social Work Major

• Achieved junior class standing, including transfer students with 60 transferable semester units;
• Completed or have in progress 39 of the 48 required General Education units and the specific prerequisites;
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 for the traditional, full-time BSW program; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.1 for either the hybrid BSW Distributed Learning Program;
• Have 60 hours of documented volunteer experience in social work-related activities in a community agency at time of application to the BSW Professional Sequence. The application will require that you document completion of these hours. The BSW Director is responsible for evaluating the applicability of documented volunteer experience;
• Completion of the 5 non-Social Work Core courses with a minimum C grade by the conclusion of the summer before the applicant's junior year;
• SWRK 170, SWRK 200, and SWRK 202 must be completed with a minimum C grade by the end of the fall semester of the applicant's junior year;
• California nonresidents Professional Sequence applications are considered only when program spaces are not filled by California residents within the 18 Northern California counties of Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, or Yuba;
• It is also recommended that you have completed or have in progress the 6 units of U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals requirement.

If you have passed the above requirements with a C or higher you are eligible to apply for the BSW Professional Sequence. Applications will be available on the BSW Social Work website in August. Complete and return the application electronically to the CSU, Chico School of Social Work office by the deadline indicated.

Transfer students who plan to take prerequisites at other educational institutions must consult the BSW Director to ensure you are enrolled in articulated equivalents to the prerequisite courses on the Chico campus. The BSW Director is responsible for evaluating the transferability of all social work prerequisites not listed on the articulation agreements between CSU, Chico and other units of the California State University, the University of California, and the California Community Colleges system. You may also refer to the website for information on articulated equivalents.

We are committed to your success. Please help us to support your achievements by maintaining frequent contact with your instructors and your Social Work advisor, asking for help and/or information when you need it, and by creating a community of mutual respect and collaboration with your student colleagues and faculty.

BSW Distributed Learning (DL) Program

The School of Social Work offers a BSW Distributed Learning (DL) Program designed for individuals committed to providing professional social work services in our region. Curriculum in the DL BSW Program is the same, fully-accredited curriculum as the campus-based, traditional BSW Program.

Through the DL Program curriculum is delivered in a hybrid format that combines online and face-to-face coursework. Students attend courses on the Chico State campus two to three weekends per semester and attend regularly scheduled live class sessions through an online platform. DL students can choose either a two-year course plan or a part-time, three-year course plan.

Students who plan to apply to the DL Program should consult with the DL Coordinator to review your current academic standing and courses completed, as well as to discuss an academic plan. Major advising is mandatory each semester to ensure on-time graduation.

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units

See Bachelor's Degree Requirements in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. You can view MAPs on the Major Academic Plans page or you can request a plan from your major advisor.

Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.

General Education Pathway Requirements: 48 units

See General Education in the University Catalog and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Pathway Requirements and course offerings.

The 9-unit Upper Division Pathway, included within the 48-unit GE requirement, may not be taken until you have completed 45 semester units. Complete all nine units within one pathway.

Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

See Diversity Requirements in the University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education .

Upper-Division Writing Requirement:

Writing Across the Curriculum (Executive Memorandum 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements in the University Catalog for more details on the four courses.  The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.

1 course selected from:

The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (Executive Order 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

By policy, students receiving less than a grade of C in the Social Work Core and Professional Sequence may not progress in the program. You may petition the BSW Director to review the application of the policy in your situation if serious and compelling conditions contributed to the poor grade. Progression in the Professional Sequence also depends on maintaining a cumulative and CSU, Chico grade point average of 2.0 and completing all prior and current required classes.

Course Requirements for the Major: 61-62 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree.

Social Work Core: 24-25 units

1 course selected from:

OR (the following course may be substituted for the above)

A transferable human biology course.

1 course selected from:

6 courses required:

Note: A maximum of 15 units of internship (courses numbered 189, 289, 389, 489) may be applied to the bachelor's degree at CSU, Chico.

Professional Sequence: 37 units

The completion of the Social Work Core is a prerequisite for applying to the Professional Sequence.

Credit for life experience or prior work experience in lieu of coursework or the social work practicums is not permitted. Please refer to the BSW Student Handbook for more information regarding the school's transfer of credit and proficiency exam policies. All social work courses required in the Professional Sequence are restricted to social work majors.

In the event you drop, do not receive at least a grade of C, or take an incomplete in a required course, including the Social Work Core, you may be ineligible to progress in the major. Contact the BSW Program Director immediately to develop an academic contract.

All courses must be taken in the sequence outlined.

Semester I (Spring): 10 units

3 courses required:

Semester II (Fall): 12 units

3 courses required:

Semester III (Spring): 12 units

3 courses required:

Elective: 3 units

Select three units of social work elective in consultation with your major advisor. The elective may be taken during the semester of your choice.

Professional Standards and Disqualification

The social work degree signifies readiness to begin professional work in positions requiring trust and high ethical standards. You are expected to meet the ethical and professional standards set by the profession and the practicum agencies. Should it be determined you do not meet such standards, you can be dropped from the practicum and all corequisite social work courses and, thus, be prevented from completing the social work major.

The professional standards include the following

• Honoring the NASW Code of Ethics of the social work profession;
• Being found acceptable and receiving at least a minimum satisfactory evaluation by practicum agencies;
• Passing performance in Social Work core and Professional Sequence;
• Avoiding behavior that suggests potential harm to clients, colleagues, or themselves.

Please refer to the BSW Student Handbook for more complete information regarding these standards.

Federal Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program

The undergraduate social work program is a participant in the Federal Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program. Title IV-E provides stipends to on-campus social work students who commit to a minimum of one year of postbaccalaureate employment in public or tribal child welfare. Title IV-E provides financial supports to distributed learning social work students who commit to a minimum of two years of postbaccalaureate employment in public or tribal child welfare. Interested students should contact the BSW Director and the Title IV-E Project Coordinators in the School of Social Work.

Electives Requirement:

To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.

Honors in the Major:

Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.

The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.

Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:

• You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. All 6 units are honors classes (marked by a suffix of H), and at least 3 of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B.
• You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
• Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
• Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
• Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.
• Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.

While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.

Honors in Social Work is by faculty permission and open to seniors who meet the above requirements.