These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Requirements for the Degree

University Requirements

  • All students are required to complete the university General Education (GenEd) curriculum.
  • All 51¶¯Âþ students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses at 51¶¯Âþ as part of the major. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are ³§³§°Â±«Ìý4196 and ³§³§°Â±«Ìý4296.

College Requirement

  • All CPH students, including SSW students, must successfully complete, with a C or better, the College Core Course, ±á¸é±Ê¸éÌý1001.

Clearance Requirements

Students attending 51¶¯Âþ College of Public Health and School of Social Work are required to submit to 51¶¯Âþ Student Health Services proof of immunizations and proof of immunity for MMR, Varicella and hepatitis B, proof of being fully vaccinated to COVID-19, TB screening, and a physical exam prior to matriculation. Annually, an influenza vaccine is required. Some affiliates may also require annual TB screening and urine drug screenings. Students who are in fully on-line programs with no in-person class or practicum experience can request a waiver for the above health requirements. Visit Student Health Services for more information on .

All students who attend programs that have a clinical / practicum / field education experience will be required to purchase access to the EXXAT - APPROVE compliance module. This module to order, store and maintain compliance documents is required for participation in a learning experience at an affiliate site.

Students who attend CPH programs that have a clinical / practicum / field education experience which are completed at affiliate sites both on and off the 51¶¯Âþ campus are required to comply with minimum standard compliance metrics which include the above health requirements in addition to a national criminal background check, Act 33/34 clearances in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and FBI fingerprinting through DHS or DoE. FBI fingerprinting is a national check, which can be performed through any of the 50 states.

The results of these requirements may limit and potentially eliminate placement options for the student, thus resulting in their inability to meet graduation requirements. Additionally, conviction of a misdemeanor, felony, or felonious or illegal act may prevent the individual from becoming credentialed and/or licensed to practice depending on the field of study.

In addition to the above, students who attend the Bachelor of Social Work program are required to show proof of health insurance annually, and background checks are required to be completed annually.

School of Social Work Requirements

  • Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 overall and in the major.
  • A grade of C or higher is required in all social work courses and ±á¸é±Ê¸éÌý1001.

BSW Program Requirements

University and College Courses
±á¸é±Ê¸éÌý1001Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play3
°ä³§±õÌý1111Introduction to Public Speaking3
±Ê³§³ÛÌý1001Introduction to Psychology3
³§°¿°äÌý1176Introduction to Sociology3
°­±õ±·³§Ìý1223Human Anatomy and Physiology I4
´Ç°ùÌýµþ±õ°¿³¢Ìý1001 Human Biology
*Any Biology course with a course number of 1000 or above will satisfy the BSW BIO requirement; however, some graduate programs may require successful completion of an undergraduate Human Biology course.
Select one of the following:3
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý1001
Introduction to the Economy
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý1101
Macroeconomic Principles
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý1102
Microeconomic Principles
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý1103
Global Economics
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý0858
The American Economy
±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1101The American Political System3
´Ç°ùÌý±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1911 Honors Introduction to American Politics
Select one of the following:3
³§°¿°äÌý1167
Social Statistics
³§°¿°äÌý1967
Honors Social Statistics
²Ñ´¡°Õ±áÌý1013
Elements of Statistics
±Ê³§³ÛÌý1003
Statistics for Psychology
*Any Statistics course with a course number of 1000 or above will satisfy the BSW STAT requirement.
Electives
Social Work Specific Elective Course3
Free Electives5
Professional Courses in Social Work
³§³§°Â±«Ìý2005Introduction to the Social Work Profession I3
³§³§°Â±«Ìý2006Introduction to the Social Work Profession II3
³§³§°Â±«Ìý2089Service Learning in Social Work: A Pathway to Civic Engagement and Generalist Practicum2
³§³§°Â±«Ìý3003History and Values of Social Welfare3
³§³§°Â±«Ìý3004Social Welfare in the US3
³§³§°Â±«Ìý3007Human Behavior in the Social Environment3
³§³§°Â±«Ìý3009Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Communities and Organizations3
³§³§°Â±«Ìý3011The Social Worker in the Group3
³§³§°Â±«Ìý38063
³§³§°Â±«Ìý41963
³§³§°Â±«Ìý42963
³§³§°Â±«Ìý4187Social Work Field Practicum I5
³§³§°Â±«Ìý4107BSW Field Seminar I2
³§³§°Â±«Ìý4287Social Work Field Practicum II5
³§³§°Â±«Ìý4207BSW Field Seminar II2
³§³§°Â±«Ìý44063
³§³§°Â±«Ìý4407Evaluating Programs and Practice in Social Work3
Total Credit Hours85

Field Work Practice

A minimum of 400 hours in supervised field settings is required. Students are overseen by an MSW (or BSW with at least two years of experience). They are directly involved in professional tasks in the agency and in the community. This component of the educational program of study facilitates the integration of classroom learning, particularly in the social work subject areas of human behavior, policy, practice and research. Students apply what they are learning and receive feedback from both classroom and field instructors on their work. Field work practice consists of 10 credits of the 55 credits of professional social work courses specified above.

Some of the fields of practice in the five-county Philadelphia area in which majors do their field work are these:

  • Aging: including adult service centers as well as assistance in a variety of public and private organizations with treatment and protective functions;
  • Children and Youth: child abuse, foster care and adoption agencies, parenting and support services;
  • Community Organization/Planning: public issues and policies, neighborhood services at settlements, Y's, community centers;
  • Correctional/Justice: probation, parole, prison, community rehabilitation organizations;
  • Developmental Disabilities: community-living arrangements, day programs, other public and private functions;
  • Education: schools and alternative education programs;
  • Family Services: material aid, crisis intervention, ongoing counseling;
  • Health/Hospitals: advising, counseling, direct service with and on behalf of patients; a variety of functions in hospitals and community health centers;
  • Legal: public agencies assisting low-income population in matters relating to law, housing, and discrimination;
  • Mental Health: small and large institutions, community-based units, public and private auspices;
  • Substance Abuse: counseling and other direct service in a variety of settings, both public and private;
  • Violence and Domestic Issues: domestic violence of all kinds, sexual assault, and child abuse, in a wide variety of settings.