Social Work (B.S.)
The Bachelor of Social Work Degree Program is designed to produce graduates who are well prepared to enter the work force as generalist social work practitioners.
Admission Process
- Pre-Admission: The first part of the social work education admission and retention process takes place when the prospective student applies for admission to WLU and indicates that he/she is interested in pursuing a social work major or when the student changes his/her major to social work from another major.
- Formal Admission into the WLU Social Work Program: Students who have completed the requirements for admission using the application form found in the WLU Social Work Program Manual, which is posted on the Social Work program website. Students may also obtain the Program Manual from the Social Work Program Director. The criteria for admission are listed in the annual Program Manual. Students who are not formally admitted to the Social Work Program MAY NOT continue taking 300/400 level Social Work courses. Students MAY reapply to the major or request a review and petition for provisional admission.
- Permission to begin the Field Placement: Students must apply to enter the Field Placement. Regular evaluation by the Field Education Coordinator will occur during the entire placement. Students may not repeat the Field Placement if they are removed from the Field Placement Agency at the request of the agency or by the Social Work program for violations of the NASW Code of Ethics, or for Field Placement Agency and/or Social Work Program policies.
Requirements
Required Courses
| EDUC 201 | Human Development | 3 |
| Or | |
| PSYC 252 | Life Span Development | 3 |
| FIN 131 | Financial Literacy | 3 |
| HIST 302 | West Virginia & the Appalachian Region | 3 |
| Or | |
| SWK 316 | Social Welfare in Appalachia | 3 |
| MATH 160 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 or 5 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 150 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SWK 200 | Introduction to Social Problems | 3 |
| SWK 201 | Ethnicity, Diversity & Cultural Awareness | 3 |
| SWK 290 | Social Work Competencies | 1 |
| SWK 300 | Social Welfare Policies & Services | 3 |
| SWK 304 | Professional Ethics | 3 |
| SWK 310 | Social Work Research Methods | 3 |
| SWK 383 | Advocacy & Social Justice | 3 |
| SWK 400 | Social Work Practice I | 3 |
| SWK 401 | Social Work Practice II | 3 |
| SWK 402 | Social Work Practice III | 3 |
| SWK 416 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment | 3 |
| SWK 470 | Professional Preparation & Development | 1 |
| SWK 480 | Social Work Field Placement | 9-11 |
| SWK 484 | Social Work Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| SOC 410 | Qualitative Methods | 3 |
Restricted Electives (12 hours)
| CJ 238 | Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| CJ 320 | Victims of Crime | 3 |
| CJ 323 | Sex Offenders | 3 |
| CJ 354 | Drugs & Society | 3 |
| GEO 307 | Environmental Issues of Appalachia | 3 |
| GEO 360 | Land Use & Community Planning | 3 |
| GEO 400 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
| HE 320 | Mental Health & Drug Use & Abuse | 3 |
| PHIL 321 | Contemporary Moral Problems | 3 |
| SOC 350 | Social Stratification | 3 |
| SWK 280 | Introduction to Addiction Studies | 3 |
| SWK 403 | Family and Child Welfare | 3 |
| SWK 409 | Trauma Informed Practice | 3 |
| SWK 441 | Mental Health Assessment & Intervention | 3 |
| SWK 479 | Special Problems in Social Work | 1-3 |