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.

The Social Work, B.A. is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

University Requirements

Completion of Minimum University Requirements for an Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree .

Minimum 120 credits and minimum GPA of 2.0
Completion of 45 upper-level credits, residence requirement, Writing Intensive requirement, and General Education requirement

Major Requirements

Minimum 58 credits
Minimum grade of ‘C’ in courses applied to the major
Students may pursue a maximum of one major or minor from Social Work
Students complete an additional credential of at least 18 credit hours, such as another major or a minor. A minimum of 6 credits of the area of study must be upper-level

Course Requirements

Core Courses (27-28 credits)

Complete the following:

Research

Complete one of the following:

Additional Courses (16-18 credits)

Complete the following or other approved courses:

One approved ECON or POLI course
PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology (4)
SOCY 101 - Basic Concepts in Sociology (3)

Statistics or Quantitative Methods

Complete one of the following or other approved course:

General or Human Biology

Complete one of the following or other approved course:

Field Requirement (12 credits)

Complete the following. A minimum overall GPA of 2.5 is required for field placement.

Elective Course (3 credits)

Complete an approved elective course.

Advanced Standing Master of Social Work Programs

Students with a bachelor’s degree in social work may be eligible for an advanced standing Master of Social Work program. Advanced standing is a type of graduate program designed for students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from a university with a Council of Social Work Education-accredited program. Advanced standing M.S.W. programs typically require fewer credit hours than traditional M.S.W. programs.