"Social Work" is published as several files. Use the links above to see the table of
contents for the whole chapter, or other files within the chapter.
The Advising Center in the Academic Programs and Student Services Office of the
School of Social Work seeks to assist the student in exploring social work as a
career choice, in planning an academic program suited to the student's
interests and talents, in seeking help with academic or personal problems, and
in postgraduation planning, whether for employment or for further study. The
Academic Programs and Student Services Office also provides administrative
support and student services, including maintenance of academic records,
provision of official degree audits, and graduation certification for social
work majors. Faculty and staff members are also available to assist students
with questions about scholarship programs, degree requirements, rules and
regulations, and other available campus services. Students who declare an
interest in completing the social work program are required to meet with a
social work adviser at least once each semester for academic advising. To
arrange an appointment with an adviser, students should contact the Academic
Programs and Student Services Office.
During the student's first and second academic years, the student and the
adviser discuss the student's career choice, the selection of a major, degree
requirements, and requirements for admission to the major and to upper-division
courses in social work; during the third year, the work required for the major
and the student's preparation for entry into the field practicum; and during
the fourth year, the field practicum and the student's postgraduation plans.
Social work majors are also assigned a faculty adviser, who is available to
serve as a mentor and to guide the student's professional development.
Students interested in social work as a career are encouraged to discuss this
interest at any time with a social work adviser. Advisers are available in the
school's Office of Academic Programs and Student Services to help students
explore social work practice and settings and the development of interest in
social work through academic and volunteer experiences. Students may also seek
the assistance of the school's Career Development Center.
Members of the social work faculty are also available to assist the student in
choosing a career, as are the staff and resources of the University Career
Center and Student Volunteer Services. Since the social work program requires
admission to the major and completion of 130 semester hours, students are
encouraged to discuss their interest in social work as a career early in their
studies.
The designation University Honors, awarded at the end of each long-session
semester, gives official recognition and commendation to students whose grades
for the semester indicate distinguished academic accomplishment. Both the
quality and quantity of work done are considered. Criteria for University
Honors are given in chapter 1.
Students who, upon graduation, have demonstrated outstanding academic
achievement are eligible to graduate with University Honors. Criteria for
graduation with University Honors are given in chapter 1.
Students have the right to appeal decisions regarding their progress in the
social work program, including scholastic dismissal. A student who wishes to
appeal a decision may do so, first to the coordinator of the undergraduate
social work program, then to the Undergraduate Committee, and ultimately to the
dean of the School of Social Work. If the issue involves the student's
performance in the field practicum, the appeal is made first to the coordinator
of professional practicum. Each appeal must be submitted in writing to the
appropriate person or committee within ten calendar days of receipt of the
letter of notification on the decision the student is appealing. Advisers are
available in the Office of Academic Programs and Student Services to assist
students with the appeal process.
All students must fulfill the general requirements for graduation given
in chapter 1. Students in the School of Social Work must also fulfill the
following requirements.
- All University students must have a grade point average of at least 2.00 to
graduate. In the School of Social Work, students must also have a grade point
average of at least 2.50 in required social work courses.
- To receive an undergraduate degree from the University, every student must
fulfill the requirements on coursework taken in residence that are given in chapter 1.
- All University students must complete in residence at least two
long-session semesters, or an equivalent period, and at least thirty semester
hours of coursework counted toward the degree. For the Bachelor of Social Work
degree, these thirty hours must include at least twenty-four hours in the major
and must include the required field practicum courses.
- The University requires that at least six semester hours of advanced
coursework in the major be completed in residence. The School of Social Work
further requires that twenty-four of the forty-eight hours of upper-division
coursework for the Bachelor of Social Work be completed in residence.
- An Air Force, Army, or Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps student who
elects the basic and/or advanced program in air force science, military
science, or naval science will not be approved for graduation until the
government contract is completed, unless the student is released from the
ROTC.
The Academic Programs and Student Services Office provides each student with a
computer-generated degree audit during each long-session semester. The degree
audit notifies the student of the courses he or she must take and the
requirements he or she must fulfill to receive the degree. The degree audit
normally provides an accurate statement of requirements, but the student is
responsible for knowing the exact requirements for the degree as stated in a
catalog under which he or she is entitled to graduate and for registering so as
to fulfill those requirements. The student should seek an official ruling in
the Academic Programs and Student Services Office before registering if in
doubt about any requirement.
At the time the student is admitted to the major in social work, he or she
meets with the BSW program coordinator to review the degree audit and confirm
the plan of coursework necessary to complete the degree.
In the semester or summer session in which the degree is to be conferred, the
candidate must be registered at the University and must apply for the degree in
the Academic Programs and Student Services Office. This should be done at the
time of registration for the last semester, if possible, but in no event later
than the deadline given in the official academic calendar. No degree will be
conferred unless the graduation application form has been filed on time.
A number of graduate schools of social work grant advanced standing to students
who have completed all the requirements of an accredited undergraduate social
work program. Many programs allow up to one year of credit toward the master's
degree in social work. Information about programs offering advanced standing is
available in the Academic Programs and Student Services Office.
No more than thirty-six semester hours in any one subject other than social
work may be counted toward the Bachelor of Social Work degree. No more than
fifty-four semester hours of social work may be counted toward the degree.
Physical activity courses (PED) are offered by the Department of Kinesiology
and Health Education. Six semester hours of this coursework may be counted
toward the Bachelor of Social Work degree. All physical activity courses are
counted among courses for which the student is enrolled, and the grades are
included in the grade point average.
No more than six semester hours of credit for air force science, military
science, or naval science courses may be counted toward the Bachelor of Social
Work. Such credit may be used only as lower-division electives in degree
programs that have room for such electives and only by students who have
completed the third and fourth years of the ROTC program.
Credit that a University student in residence earns simultaneously by
correspondence or extension from the University or elsewhere or in residence at
another school will not be counted toward a degree in the School of Social Work
unless specifically approved in advance by the dean. No more than 30 percent of
the semester hours required for the Bachelor of Social Work may be taken by
correspondence. For more information, consult the BSW program coordinator.
Undergraduate students who have received at least thirty semester hours of
college credit may take no more than five one-semester courses in elective
subjects outside their major area on the pass/fail basis. Students must state
their intention to register on this basis by the deadline given in the official
academic calendar; they may not change the basis of registration in a course
more than once; and they may not take more than two courses a semester on this
basis.
Music 101G may not be counted toward any degree in the School of Social Work.
Other introductory courses, such as Music 201J, 201M, and 201N, may be counted
toward degrees in the school.
No more than six semester hours of Bible courses may be counted toward the
Bachelor of Social Work degree.
Plans for a minor in psychology, sociology, or another approved area may be
developed with advising assistance from the Academic Programs and Student
Services Office. A minor requires completion of at least twelve semester hours,
six of which must be upper-division.
The requirements for the Bachelor of Social Work degree are designed to give
the student an opportunity for integrated, nonrepetitive learning. A total of
130 semester hours is required. These may include credit by examination and a
maximum of five one-semester elective courses taken on the pass/fail basis. All
students must complete the requirements for the major and must complete at
least thirty semester hours in residence at the University. These thirty hours
must include at least twenty-four semester hours in the major subject. A
completed degree program must include at least forty-eight semester hours of
upper-division coursework, of which twenty-four semester hours must have been
taken in residence. No more than fifty-four semester hours in social work may
be counted toward the degree.
Each student must complete a sequence of prescribed work; major requirements,
which include the field practicum; and special requirements, which include
electives.
The prescribed work is divided into four areas that provide the liberal arts
base for the social work curriculum. Interdepartmental courses and credit by
examination may be used to meet these requirements. Unless otherwise indicated,
a course taken to meet the requirements of one area may not also be used to
fulfill the requirements of another area; however, a single course may be used,
unless otherwise indicated, to fulfill both an area requirement and a major
requirement. No course used to fulfill area or major requirements, other than
the field practicum, may be taken on the pass/fail basis.
Area A
English
and writing: Six semester hours of English, consisting of English 306 and
316K; and a three-semester-hour course that emphasizes written communication.
The third course must be certified as having a substantial writing component.
In addition, the student must complete two courses certified as having a
substantial writing component. (These courses are identified in the Course
Schedule; two of the required courses in social work generally contain a
substantial writing component.) One of these courses must be upper-division.
Courses used to fulfill the writing requirement may be used to fulfill other
area requirements or major requirements.
Foreign language: Students must complete two semesters of college
coursework in a single foreign language. Coursework in American Sign Language
may be used to fulfill this requirement. Credit by examination may be used to
fulfill all or part of this requirement. Coursework taken on the pass/fail
basis may not be used to fulfill this requirement, but credit by examination
earned on the pass/fail basis may be used. Courses used toward fulfillment of
the foreign language requirement must be language courses;
literature-in-translation courses, for example, may not be used.
If a student did not complete two high school units in a single foreign
language, the first two semesters of coursework may not be counted toward the
130 semester hours required for the Bachelor of Social Work. However, they may
be used to fulfill the foreign language requirement.
Eighteen
semester hours, distributed among at least four of the fields of study listed
below. None of these courses may be taken on the pass/fail basis.
- Six hours in each of the following fields of study:
- American government, including Texas government
- American history
- Three hours each in any two of the following fields of study:
- Anthropology
- Economics[1]
- Geography
- Linguistics
- Psychology[2]
- Sociology[2]
Mathematics:
Three semester hours of mathematics other than Mathematics 301, 316K, and 316L.
Algebra courses at the level of Mathematics 301 or the equivalent may not be
counted toward the Area C requirement or toward the total number of hours
required for the degree. Students who enter the University with fewer than
three units of high school mathematics at the level of Algebra I or higher must
take Mathematics 301 or 304E without degree credit to remove their
deficiency.
Natural sciences: Nine additional semester hours, chosen from the fields
listed below, with at least six semester hours in one subject. These nine
semester hours may include no more than three semester hours of mathematics and
no more than three semester hours of computer sciences. In addition to courses
in the following fields, Nutrition 311 may be counted toward the Area C
requirement. Students, counselors, and advisers are urged to make careful
selection of Area C courses in order to develop a meaningful pattern and a
coherent sequence.
A course listed in two or more departments may be used as a course in only one
department in fulfilling requirements under Area C.
- Astronomy
- Biological sciences[3]
- Chemistry
- Computer sciences
- Geology
- Marine science
- Mathematics
- Physical science
- Physics
"Biological sciences" includes courses offered by the Division
of Biological Sciences and the Departments of Botany, Microbiology, and
Zoology.
Six
semester hours from the fields of study listed below. Three of these six hours
must include content in cultural diversity. A student who uses Greek or Latin
to meet the foreign language requirement may use additional coursework in the
same language to meet the Area D requirement, but only upper-division courses
may be used.
- Architecture
- Classics, including classical civilization, Greek, Latin
- Fine arts, including art history, design, ensemble, fine arts,
instruments, music, studio art, theatre and dance, and visual art studies
- Philosophy
- Approved interdisciplinary courses in such fields as African and African
American studies, American studies, Asian studies, Mexican American studies,
and women's studies.
The Bachelor of Social Work program offers basic courses designed to provide
students with concentrated and in-depth educational experience combining social
work knowledge and practice skills. No course used to fulfill major
requirements, except Social Work 640 and 641, may be taken on the pass/fail
basis. Students will be advised to take all lower-division courses in Areas A,
B, C, and D and all lower-division major requirements before taking
upper-division courses. In developing their degree plans, students must also
pay careful attention to the sequencing of social work courses to ensure that
prerequisite requirements are met.
Academic credit cannot be granted for life experience or previous work
experience, and such experience cannot be substituted for any of the courses in
the professional foundation areas or the field practicum. Students who believe
they have the qualifications to receive credit by examination for a social work
course other than the practice sequence coursework (Social Work 312, 332, 333,
and 334) and the field practicum may submit a written request to the Bachelor
of Social Work Committee. The committee will review the request and recommend
to the dean whether or not the student should be permitted to take the
examination.
- The following courses are required:
- Social welfare policy: Social Work 310, 323K.
- Research: Social Work 313, 318.
- Human behavior: Child Development 313 or Psychology 304, Social Work 325,
327.
- Practice: Social Work 312, 332, 333, 334.
- Field practicum: Social Work 640, 641, 343K, 343L.
- Students must complete a three-semester-hour introductory course in
psychology.
- Students must complete a three-semester-hour introductory course in
sociology.
- Students must complete a three-semester-hour course in human/environmental
biology: Biology 301M, 304, Zoology 312, 316K, 317, or the equivalent.
- Students must complete three semester hours in economics.
- Students must complete at least nine semester hours of upper-division
coursework in the social and behavioral sciences (anthropology, economics,
educational psychology, government, history, psychology, and sociology) in
addition to other major requirements. Three of these nine hours may be an
upper-division social work elective.
The
social work program requires that students complete 45 clock hours of
supervised volunteer experience related to social work to be admitted to the
major, to upper-division courses in social work, and to the field practicum.
These volunteer hours may be used to meet course requirements in Social Work
312. Students must also complete 480 clock hours of fieldwork as part of the
course requirements in Social Work 640 and 641. Students have the opportunity
in the field practicum to develop the professional skills needed for
entry-level social work positions as generalist practitioners. Adequate
laboratory time through the field practicum is built into this professional
program to provide students with an opportunity to test their developing skills
in a real-life environment. At the same time, faculty members evaluate the
student's professional development within the context of the educational
objectives established for the experience. The goals are for the student to
learn real-life practice, to develop skills, to relate concepts to skill
development, to remain motivated to continue to learn, and to evaluate personal
performance.
To enroll in the field practicum, students must meet the following
requirements: (1) admission to the major in social work; (2) a University grade
point average of at least 2.00; (3) completion of Area A, B, C, and D
requirements; and (4) both a grade point average of at least 2.50 for the
following group of courses and a grade of at least C in each course in
the group: Social Work 310, 312, 313, 318, 323K, 325, 327, 332, 333, and 334,
and Child Development 313 or Psychology 304.
Following the student's admission to the field practicum, his or her work is
reviewed periodically by the student, the field faculty, and the agency
supervisor. Should the student have trouble meeting the professional or
academic requirements of the program, the review process will bring the
difficulty to the student's attention and assist the student in seeking
appropriate resolution. The student may make use of counseling and advising
services at any time. If difficulties cannot be resolved, the field coordinator
may recommend to the Undergraduate Committee that the student's field placement
be terminated. If the committee decides to terminate the placement, the student
is notified in writing.
All social work students enrolling in the field practicum are required to show
evidence of professional liability insurance coverage paid for the duration of
the course. The effective date of the policy must be on or before the first
regular class period of the field practicum course for which the student is
enrolling. Failure to provide evidence of insurance may result in the student
being dropped from the field practicum.
Elective Requirements and Limitations
In
addition to the area and major requirements given, the
student must take elective coursework to complete the 130 semester hours
required for the Bachelor of Social Work. No more than five one-semester
courses taken on the pass/fail basis, thirty-six hours in any one subject other
than social work, and fifty-one hours in social work may be counted toward the
130-hour requirement.
Minimum Scholastic Requirements
- The
student must fulfill the University-wide graduation requirements given in chapter 1 and the
requirements of the School of Social Work.
- To apply for admission to the social work major, a student must have
earned a grade of at least C in each of the following courses: Social
Work 310, 312, and 313, and Child Development 313 or Psychology 304. The
student must also have a University grade point average of at least 2.00 and a
grade point average of at least 2.50 in all the courses he or she has completed
that are part of the social work major requirements. Additional requirements
are given in the section "Admission to the Major in Social Work."
- Following the student's admission to the major, the student's coursework
is reviewed periodically by the student and the faculty adviser. Students must
maintain a University grade point average of at least 2.00; they must also earn
a grade of at least C in each course listed as a social work major
requirement and must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.50 in these
courses. If the student has trouble meeting the professional or academic
requirements of the major, the review process will bring the difficulty to the
student's attention and assist the student in making appropriate resolution.
The student may make use of counseling and advising services at any time.
- If the student's grade point average in social work courses falls below
2.50, the student is placed on academic probation in social work. If the grade
point average remains below 2.50 for two consecutive semesters, including the
summer session, the student is subject to academic dismissal from the School of
Social Work.
- All students who seek to reenter the School of Social Work after having
been placed on enforced withdrawal or academic dismissal must have the approval
of the dean.
- Any student who has a grade of C or higher in a course may not
repeat the course and use the second grade to improve his or her grade point
average without special permission of the dean. If a student repeats a course,
all grades received for the course are included in the grade point
average.
A pre - social work major may fulfill the requirements for application to the
major in either two or three years, depending on the number of hours he or she
completes each semester and on whether he or she attends the summer session.
After admission to the major, students are expected to complete the required
upper-division social work courses within two years.
Suggested Schedule for Pre-Social Work Majors
First Year
Thirty-one
semester hours:
Biology 301M, Ecology, Evolution, and Society
English 306, Rhetoric and Composition
Foreign language 506 and 507, or an equivalent sequence (or
Communication Sciences and Disorders 506 and 507)
Psychology 301, Introduction to Psychology
Sociology 302, Introduction to the Study of Society
A three-hour fine arts/humanities course with a focus on cultural
diversity, to be counted toward the Area D requirement
A three-hour mathematics course to be counted toward the Area C requirement
A three-hour elective course
Second Year, or Second and Third Years
Forty-two
semester hours:
English 316K, Masterworks of Literature
Psychology 304, Introduction to Child Psychology or Child
Development 313, Child Development
Social Work 310, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare
Social Work 312, Generalist Social Work Practice: Knowledge, Values,
and Skills
Social Work 313, Social Work Research Methods
Social Work 318, Social Work Statistics
Six hours of American government, including Texas government
Six hours of American history
A three-hour fine arts/humanities course to be counted toward the Area D
requirement
A three-hour course with a substantial writing component to be counted toward
the Area A requirement
Six hours of coursework in science to be counted toward the Area C
requirement
Required Courses for Social Work Majors
Third Year
Social
Work 323K, Social Welfare Programs, Policies, and Issues
Social Work 325, Cultural Diversity and Social Work
Social Work 327, Human Behavior and Social Environment
Social Work 332, Social Work Practice with Individuals and
Families
Social Work 333, Social Work Practice with Groups
Social Work 334, Social Work Practice in Organizations and
Communities
A three-hour economics course
Six or nine semester hours of upper-division social and behavioral science
coursework
The student must also take any remaining courses needed to fulfill the Area A,
B, C, and D requirements, since this coursework is prerequisite to the field
practicum.
Fourth Year
Social
Work 640, Social Work Practicum I
Social Work 641, Social Work Practicum II
Social Work 343K, Advanced Field Seminar I
Social Work 343L, Advanced Field Seminar II
The student must also complete any remaining required coursework, including
three hours of upper-division social and behavioral science coursework if
needed and electives to provide the total of 130 semester hours required for
the degree. Normally, only one other three-hour course may be taken
concurrently with the field practicum courses.
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28 August 1996. Registrar's Web Team
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