Social Work, B.A.

Social work builds on and is integrated with a liberal arts base that includes knowledge in the humanities and the social, behavioral and biological sciences. The course of study in social work at UMBC includes: technology in social work, social work practice methods, social welfare policy and services, human behavior and the social environment, statistics and social research and participation in direct services through an intensive field education placement in a community-based social service department or agency.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree Core courses:

SOWK 250 - Introduction to Social Work (3.00)
SOWK 260 - Social Welfare, Social Policy, and Social Work I (3.00)
SOWK 360 - Social Welfare, Social Policy, and Social Work II (3.00)
SOWK 388 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment (3.00)
SOWK 389 - Human Behavior II (3.00)
SOWK 397 - Social Work Methods I: Introduction to Practice (3.00)
SOWK 470 - Social Work Research (3.00) *
SOWK 480 - Field Instruction I (6.00)
SOWK 481 - Social Work Methods II: A Generalist Approach to Practice (3.00)
SOWK 482 - Field Instruction II (6.00)
SOWK 483 - Social Work Methods III: Selected Intervention Strategies, Research, and Evaluation (3.00)
SOWK Elective 300- to 400-level social work course (3.00)

Note:

* A list of approved equivalent courses is available in the program office.

Additional Requirements

The following are additional requirements for completion of the social work major:

Completion of the following courses:
- Human Biology *
- PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology
- ECON or POLI (3 credits)
- SOCY 101 - Basic Concepts in Sociology
- STAT 121 - Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences *
  
  * A list of approved equivalent courses is available in the program office.
A second area of concentration of at least 18 credit hours, such as another major, or a minor. At least six credits of the area of concentration must be upper-level.

Note: The minor in social welfare cannot be used in conjunction with the social work major.
Recommendation of the faculty to complete the required field and methods courses
Completion of the general university requirements and other degree requirements.

Field Requirement

The required field education experience is 16 hours per week and is taken throughout the senior year. It begins in the fall semester and continues during winter session and spring semester. Student participation in the field during the winter session does not require additional payment of fees or tuition. The Social Work Program does not arrange evening and weekend field placements. Field education is taken on a P/F basis. Admission to field education is at the recommendation of the faculty. To be considered for a field placement, students must have an overall GPA of at least 2.5, must have completed SOWK 260 , SOWK 388 and SOWK 397 with a grade of C or better in each course, and must have approval of the faculty. All students registering for field education must participate in a university-arranged professional liability insurance plan for which they are billed separately by the university. The cost of travel to and from the field agencies and health insurance are additional student expenses.