The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work

The School of Social Work at Chico State offers an undergraduate degree in Social Work as well as a Masters degree in Social Work (MSW) which may be completed in a one-year, two-year or three year program. We offer all of our courses in a traditional on-campus format and also in a Distributed Learning (DL) format which allows students to largely take courses on-line with periodic visits to the campus. All of our programs combine a robust curriculum with practical experience in the field for future social workers wishing to work with children, families, groups and communities.

Notice to Prospective Majors - Impacted Program

Several years ago, the Social Work program was compelled to declare impaction due to a limited number of field placements for all of our masters and bachelors students in our service region. Impaction means that we can use an admissions process to limit the number of students entering the social work major in the junior year - essentially our application to the Professional Sequence process.

Fortunately, over the past two years we have been able to admit 95% of students who apply as long as they have completed the required prerequisites.

We are pleased to invite applications to our BSW Program from all qualified candidates. More details about impaction can be found on the School of Social Work website.

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. 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;
Preference is given to 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.

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 by the deadline indicated.

Transfer students who plan to take prerequisites at other educational institutions must consult the BSW Director, DL Coordinator, or DL Advisor to ensure you are enrolled in articulated equivalents to the prerequisite courses on the Chico campus. The BSW Director, DL Coordinator, or DL Advisor 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. We are here to support you please reach out to the BSW Director with any questions.

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 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 or the DL Advisor 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.

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:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
SWRK 435W	Social Work Methods I (W)	3.0	FA	GW W
Prerequisites: GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, SWRK majors only. Corequisite: SWRK 489A. Explores the dimensions of social work practice from a systems perspective: engagement, data collection, assessment, and planning. Students develop skills in building partnerships with clients, group leadership, culturally competent relationship building, problem/need partializing and prioritizing, goal setting, and collaborative planning. Values, ethics, and ethical decision making are emphasized. Students apply knowledge of social systems, human development across the lifespan, and diversity in assessing and planning with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 3 hours clinical. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (009427)
SWRK 445W	Social Work Methods II (W)	3.0	SP	GW W
Prerequisites: GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, SWRK majors only. Corequisite: SWRK 489B. Builds on Methods I in the areas of intervention, evaluation, and closure. Students enhance their skills in maintaining partnerships with clients, group facilitation, culturally competent change strategies, collaboration, evaluation of practice, and closure. Values, ethics, and ethical decision making are applied to intervention and evaluation. Students apply knowledge of social systems, human development across the lifespan, and diversity in intervention and evaluation with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 3 hours clinical. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (009429)

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. 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: 62 units

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

Social Work Core: 25 units

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
BIOL 103	Human Anatomy	4.0	SMF	GE
Study of the structure of the human body, to include muscles, bones, heart, brain, ear, eye, and other systems, as well as a short look at development of the fetus. Lab work entails dissection of the cat and study of the human skeleton. 3 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (001110)
BIOL 104	Human Physiology	4.0	FS	GE
Basic functioning of the organ systems of the human body, including the brain and nervous system; vision and hearing; heart and circulation; blood and immunity; respiration, digestion and metabolism; muscles; excretory, endocrine, and reproductive systems. 3 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (001114)

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

A transferable human biology course.

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ECON 101	Introduction to Economics	3.0	FS	GE
A non-technical introduction to economics with coverage of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Overview of the evolution of economic concepts and ideas. Application of economics to current problems such as inflation, unemployment, the financial sector, the economics of regulation, market imperfections, environmental problems, and international economics. Consumer decision making and different market models are included. (Can be substituted for ECON 102 in the major if students also take ECON 330 as one of their 300-level electives.) 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (002635)
ECON 102	Principles of Macroeconomic Analysis	3.0	FS	GE
An introductory survey of macroeconomic analysis. Use of fundamental economic concepts to analyze the over-all economy. Determination of gross national product, rates of unemployment, problems of inflation, recession, and the use of governmental policies. Discussion of current problems. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (002636)
ECON 103	Principles of Microeconomic Analysis	3.0	FS	GE
An introductory survey of microeconomic analysis. Analysis of individual economic units: household, firms, and markets. Analysis of individual decision making. Supply and demand analysis. Type of market organization: competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. Discussion of current problems. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (002638)

6 courses required:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
MATH 105	Introduction to Statistics	3.0	FS	GE
Prerequisite: GE Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning Ready. Summary of numerical data, distributions, linear regression, and introduction to statistical inference. Statistical software is used. 1.5 hours lecture, 1.5 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (005501)
PSYC 101	Principles of Psychology	3.0	FS	GE
Introduction to concepts and problems in psychology. Topics include perception, learning, development, motivation, personality, abnormal behavior, and biological and social bases of behavior. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (007881)
SOCI 100	Introduction to Sociology	3.0	FS	GE
This course helps organize thinking about societies in general, the society we inhabit, and our place within it. Underlying questions are: Why do people have different values? Why do people act differently? Why is there inequality? And why and how does society; its values and norms, institutions, and groups influence our behavior. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (008933)
SWRK 170	Social Welfare Institutions: A Response to Power and Scarcity	3.0	FS	GE
This course identifies groups within American society which have a high risk of disenfranchisement. Societal responses established to reduce the impact of inequitable distribution of goods, services, and opportunities based on economic, medical, educational, generational, gender, and legal scarcity are studied. Issues are examined from historical and contemporary perspectives. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (009411)
SWRK 200	Diversity and Social Justice	3.0	FS	USD
This course presents a framework for understanding and openly interacting with people from diverse backgrounds that compose the rich mosaic of the United States. The class is designed to promote ethnic-sensitive interpersonal relationships. Diverse people studied are distinguished by issues of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion/spirituality, generation, and national origin. Historical and cultural experiences shaping their lives and current reality are examined. The overall goal is for students to develop high regard for the worth and dignity of all people. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved US Diversity course. (009415)
SWRK 202	Human Behavior Across the Lifespan	3.0	FS
Using a systems framework and selected human behavior theories across the lifespan, the biological, social, psychological, and cultural influences on individuals, families, and groups are investigated. Particular emphasis is given to ethnic and cultural diversity and promoting student self-reflection across generations and cultural competence. 3 hours lecture. (021644)

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. Students entering our DL Program may have a slightly different course sequence.

Semester I (Spring): 10 units

3 courses required:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered
SWRK 303	Human Behavior and the Social Environment	3.0	SP
Prerequisite: Social Work majors only. Second of two human behavior and social environment theory courses relevant to social work practice. While SWRK 202 focuses on individuals and families across the lifespan from diverse backgrounds, SWRK 303 studies groups, organizations, institutions, and communities as social systems. Examines the reciprocal interactions between these larger social systems and diverse individuals and families. 3 hours lecture. (009423)
SWRK 325	Basic Skills in Social Work Practice	3.0	SP
Prerequisite: Social Work majors only. Introduces students to the application of social work ethics and skills for social work practice. Includes the ecological systems framework, strengths perspective, and differential application of practice knowledge related to the needs of various groups characterized by gender, race, ethnicity, culture, generation, sexual orientation, class, and ability. Students learn basic interviewing and communication skills. 3 hours clinical. (009426)
SWRK 330	Social Work Research Methods	4.0	SP
Prerequisite: Social Work majors only. An introduction to the logic and styles of social work research. Particular attention is given to the nature of the scientific method, the methods of formulating research questions, the design of social research and the nature of scientific evidence. A laboratory provides application of research practice introduced in class. 1 hour lecture, 3 hours discussion. (008970)

Semester II (Fall): 12 units

3 courses required:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
SWRK 435W	Social Work Methods I (W)	3.0	FA	GW W
Prerequisites: GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, SWRK majors only. Corequisite: SWRK 489A. Explores the dimensions of social work practice from a systems perspective: engagement, data collection, assessment, and planning. Students develop skills in building partnerships with clients, group leadership, culturally competent relationship building, problem/need partializing and prioritizing, goal setting, and collaborative planning. Values, ethics, and ethical decision making are emphasized. Students apply knowledge of social systems, human development across the lifespan, and diversity in assessing and planning with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 3 hours clinical. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (009427)
SWRK 485	Social Welfare Policy, Programs, and Services	3.0	FA
Prerequisite: Social Work majors only. This course examines economic, historical, generational, political, intellectual, sociocultural, leadership, values, ideologies and other such factors that shape social welfare policy, programs, and services. The course addresses various frameworks for studying social welfare policy and examines the roles of policy makers, processes of social change, and the roles of social workers as facilitators of positive social change. 3 hours lecture. (009432)
SWRK 489A	Social Work Practicum I	6.0	FA
Prerequisite: SWRK majors only. Corequisite: SWRK 435W. Students are placed in an approved social service agency and, under the supervision of a qualified field instructor, engage in generalist social work practice with multi-level client systems. The approved agency may be public, non-profit, or proprietary. The Director of Field Education facilitates student placement. 240 hours in the agency practicum are required. 18 hours supervision. Credit/no credit grading. (009434)

Semester III (Spring): 12 units

3 courses required:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
SWRK 305	Community and Organizational Change	3.0	SP
Prerequisite: Social Work majors only. This course provides students with a foundation in community-based change strategies. Students explore how individuals affect communities, how communities affect individuals, and how social workers can become involved to create social change in conjunction with community members. 3 hours lecture. (015907)
SWRK 445W	Social Work Methods II (W)	3.0	SP	GW W
Prerequisites: GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, SWRK majors only. Corequisite: SWRK 489B. Builds on Methods I in the areas of intervention, evaluation, and closure. Students enhance their skills in maintaining partnerships with clients, group facilitation, culturally competent change strategies, collaboration, evaluation of practice, and closure. Values, ethics, and ethical decision making are applied to intervention and evaluation. Students apply knowledge of social systems, human development across the lifespan, and diversity in intervention and evaluation with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 3 hours clinical. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (009429)
SWRK 489B	Social Work Practicum II	6.0	SP
Prerequisites: SWRK majors only, department permission. Corequisite: SWRK 445W. This course is a continuation of SWRK 489A. Interns remain in the same agency with the same field instructor to further develop their ethical foundation, skills, knowledge, and understanding of self in the delivery of social services with multi-level client systems. 240 hours in the agency practicum are required. 18 hours supervision. Credit/no credit grading. (009435)

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 Program

The undergraduate social work program is a participant in the Federal Title IV-E 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.

For more about honors in Social Work, please visit our website: https://www.csuchico.edu/swrk/ba/honors.shtml.