2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Dec 05, 2025

2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Social Work, BA (SOCIALWR2-BA)

CIP Code: 440701

Program Description

The Bachelor of Arts program in social work prepares students for beginning employment in social work or for graduate study. Students considering social work as a career should be interested in people of widely varying ages, abilities, and backgrounds; these students must also be disciplined, emotionally stable, and intellectually creative. Social workers typically find employment in children’s services, home health care for older adults, hospitals, mental health centers, nursing homes, schools, and probation and parole boards. While most social workers perform direct practice duties, others are employed as outreach workers, community organizers, and administrators in public, voluntary, and for-profit agencies.

Program Accreditation

The baccalaureate program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Program Admission Requirements

The deadline for applications is February 1. Students should contact the department if they have questions about the application criteria and admissions requirements, and to make an appointment with an advisor.

To graduate with a social work degree, a grade of C or higher is required in all social work courses.

Successful completion of the BA in Social Work (SW) meets the educational requirements for the Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in Ohio as regulated by the https://cswmft.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/cswmft/.

Licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state. If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state to seek information and guidance regarding that state’s licensure or certification requirements.

Program Learning Objectives

Students enrolled in this program will learn to:

Program Learning Outcomes

The Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) requires all students to master the following nine competencies:

As a result of their learning experience, graduates of this program can:

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Honors Program

The School of Social Work and Human Services recognizes superior achievement by social work majors with an honors program that allows students to graduate with the designation of honors in social work. Students in the program have an opportunity to pursue original research and analysis that goes beyond the requirements of their coursework.

Junior and senior university honors students with a minimum 3.00 overall GPA and a 3.50 average in social work may apply. Students must initiate and successfully complete an honors project. The department suggests that honors students take at least one UH 400 interdisciplinary seminar before starting their honors project. For more information contact Dr. Jennifer Hughes, BASW Program Director.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

This program prepares students to be eligible to apply for a professional license to practice in the state of Ohio. Students planning to work in other states or countries should contact the relevant state licensing board in the state where you plan to work before beginning the program. SARA does not provide reciprocity for state professional licensure requirements. Academic programs and the program graduate must meet standards set by the licensing board in a state in order for the graduate to be eligible for a license in that state.

For More Information

Program Requirements

I. Wright State Core: 36 Credit Hours

As a part of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree at Wright State University, all students must complete the Wright State Core, a general education curriculum. Most programs require 36 hours in the Core, some programs may require additional hours.

Specific Core classes in some of the Elements may be required by some majors. When this occurs, the specific Core courses required will be listed below. In Elements where a specific course is not required, students can choose any course from the Wright State Core Program Requirements.

First-Year Seminar: 1 Credit Hour

All students must successfully complete a First-Year Seminar during their first year. Transfer students who transfer 24 or more credit hours (post high school graduation) are exempt from this requirement and will need to satisfy one additional credit hour in the Additional Core Courses category.

UVC 1010 - First Year Seminar Credit Hour(s): 1 to 3

Element A - English Composition: 6 Credit Hours

First-Year Writing Course (3 credit hours)

All students must successfully complete ENG 1100.  Based on Writing Placement level, some students may be required to enroll in a corequisite course (DEV 0100). 
ENG 1100 - Academic Writing and Reading Credit Hour(s): 3
Second-Year Writing Course (3 credit hours)
ENG 2100 - Research Writing and Argumentation Credit Hour(s): 3

Element B - Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic: 3 Credit Hours

Students will select one Element B course from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements list. Based on Math Placement Level, students may need additional prerequisite or corequisite coursework in mathematics prior to enrollment in the course chosen.

Element C - Arts and Humanities: 6 Credit Hours

Students will select two Arts and Humanities courses, with different course prefixes from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements. One course must fulfill the History requirement.

History Requirement (3 credit hours)

Choose 1 course from the list below:
HST 1100 - Western Civilizations to 1500 Credit Hour(s): 3
HST 1200 - The West and the World since 1500 Credit Hour(s): 3
HST 1500 - Introduction to Greek and Roman Culture Credit Hour(s): 3
Arts and Humanities Course (3 credit hours)

Choose an additional Arts and Humanities course (a different prefix from what is chosen above) from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements.

Element D - Social and Behavorial Sciences: 7 Credit Hours

Students will select two Social and Behavioral Sciences courses, with different course prefixes from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements.

Required:

PSY 1010 - Introduction to Psychology Credit Hour(s): 4
PSY 1010L - Introduction to Psychology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
SOC 2000 - Introduction to Sociology Credit Hour(s): 3

Element E - Natural Sciences: 7 Credit Hours

Students will select two Natural Science courses, from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements. At least one course must contain a laboratory.

Required:

BIO 1050 - Biology of Food Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 1070 - Health and Disease Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 1050L - Biology of Food Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
or
BIO 1070L - Health and Disease Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
Select an additional Natural Sciences courses, with a different course prefix (not BIO) from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements.

Additional Core Courses: 6 Credit Hours

Students will select up to 6 additional credit hours from Elements A-E from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements to reach the 36 minimum hours required in the Core. Unless specified by the student’s major, these are selected by the student. When a major has required courses in this area, the specific Core course(s) required will be listed below.

Required:

EC 2900 - Global Economic, Business and Social Issues Credit Hour(s): 3
Additional coursework to reach the minimum of 36 credit hours required

Additional Core Requirements

Within the 36 credit hours of the Wright State Core students must successfully complete the following:

One Global Inquiry (GI) course

Two Inclusive Excellence (IE) courses

One to two Integrated Writing (IW) courses. To meet degree requirements all students must complete a minimum of 3 IW courses by choosing either (a) 1 in the Core and 2 in the major or (b) 2 in the Core and 1 in the major. Students should check their major program requirements for courses that fulfill Integrated Writing.

Students who do not make choices within the 36 required hours of the Core to fulfill the GI, IE, and IW requirements will take additional Core hours beyond the minimum of 36.

II. Departmental Requirements: 39 Credit Hours

SW 2700 - Introduction to Social Work Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 2710 - Introduction to Social Welfare Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 3700 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Life Course Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 3750 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Society Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 3800 - Ethics and Social Work Practice I Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4700 - Social and Economic Justice Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4810 - Social Work Practice II Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4820 - Social Work Practice III Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4860 - Social Work Field Practicum I Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4870 - Social Work Field Seminar I Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4880 - Social Work Field Practicum II Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4890 - Social Work Seminar II Credit Hour(s): 3
SW 4900 - Social Work Research and Critical Thinking Credit Hour(s): 3

III. Related Requirements: 6 Credit Hours

Required:
COM 2020 - Interpersonal Communication Credit Hour(s): 3
Choose one course:
PLS 2000 - Power and Politics Credit Hour(s): 3
or
PLS 2120 - American National Government Credit Hour(s): 3

IV. Other Requirements: 9-11 Credit Hours

Foreign Language: 6-8 Credit Hours

Through 1020 level (1010, 1020) of one foreign language:

American Sign Language (ASL)*, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Latin, Spanish, or other foreign language.

*Note: all language classes above are 3 credit hours each, except for the ASL classes which are 4 credit hours each.

Methods of Inquiry: 3 Credit Hours

Choose one course below:
PHL 3000 - Critical Thinking Credit Hour(s): 3
or
SW 3000 - Research Methods in Human Services Credit Hour(s): 3

V. Program Electives: 9 Credit Hours

Choose three additional (9 credit hours) SW courses not taken above. At least two (6 credit hours) program electives must be at the 3000 level or higher.

VI. General Electives: 19-21 Credit Hours

Students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours for a baccalaureate degree. If the total number of credit hours in the WSU Core (general education program) and the major requirements do not total at least 120 credits, students will choose additional courses (general electives) to meet the minimum required 120 credit hours. Students may choose from any undergraduate course in the Academic Catalog for which they meet the course prerequisites and for which they do not already have earned credit.

Students are encouraged to consider adding a minor, certificate, or microcredential.

The following course is a required general elective for this major:
SW 2720 - Multicultural Competence in a Diverse World Credit Hour(s): 3

Total: 120 Credit Hours

Graduation Planning Strategy

A Graduation Planning Strategy (GPS), also known as a four-year guide, is an academic tool showing one example of how a program can be completed in a certain amount of time. All Wright State undergraduate majors can be completed in four years with careful planning. Some programs may require summer coursework. Time to degree is dependent on many factors including student placement in mathematics and writing courses, CCP and AP coursework, transfer coursework, and other variables.

These guides are valid for this year’s Academic Catalog only and are subject to change. These guides are a recommendation only and your actual program may vary. Students should consult with their academic advisor on a regular basis and create a personalized plan to degree completion.