SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

HISTORY AND OBJECTIVES

The School of Social Work was established in 1965, when an act of the Alabama legislature created a graduate school of social work, the first and only graduate social work program in the state. The undergraduate program began in 1970 and a doctoral program was added in 1975. The undergraduate program is the only such program in the state offered within a comprehensive school of social work.

Social work is a challenging and rewarding profession that has as its goal helping people live satisfying lives within their families and their communities. The profession's focus is on action to help people effect positive changes in their lives.

At the bachelor's and master's levels, the School of Social Work prepares social workers to plan, administer, deliver, and evaluate social services for citizens of the state, region, and nation. The bachelor of social work degree prepares the graduate to begin generalist practice in a variety of settings. The master of social work degree prepares the graduate for advanced, specialized practice. The doctor of philosophy degree prepares graduates to develop and impart knowledge to advance the profession. The faculty of the School engage in research and professional activities that are designed to enrich educational programs, improve social conditions, and meet the special needs of the state, region, and nation.

The undergraduate program leads to the bachelor of social work degree. The primary objective of the undergraduate program in social work is the preparation of students for effective practice of professional social work in beginning-level positions. The graduate is prepared as a social work generalist, with skills to assist individuals, families, groups, and communities in achieving goals, solving problems, and bringing about change where it is needed. Additionally, this program prepares students to enter graduate study in social work or related fields. It also provides interested persons with knowledge of social welfare needs and of the means of providing for those needs. These objectives, however, are secondary to the primary objective of preparation for practice.

There are five basic requirements of the B.S.W. program that prepare the student for practice as a generalist social worker: required liberal arts courses; elective courses; required social work courses; elective social work courses; and supervised social work field education.

The Profession of Social Work

Social work, unlike many other helping professions, recognizes the bachelor's degree as the first practice degree. The bachelor's-degree social worker deals directly with people to help prevent or to resolve problems. Such professionals can be found working in medical hospitals, mental-health clinics, and psychiatric hospitals. They are employed in both public and private agencies. They are heavily involved in child welfare in public welfare agencies, in schools, in adolescent and children's group homes, in child guidance, and in family counseling agencies. They work in nursing homes, helping the aged and their families, and with home health care programs. These professionals work with the physically handicapped and mentally retarded in state schools, in foster homes, in transition homes, and in clinics and rehabilitation centers. They work in juvenile and family court and in neighborhood and community centers. They also work to help make organizations and communities more responsive to the human needs of individuals.

Historically, social work has had the mission of helping the disadvantaged, those who have been excluded from participation in the ideal of a just and equitable society. The contemporary social worker is prepared to assist people of all ages, from all walks of life, with all kinds of problems, in a variety of settings.

ACCREDITATION

The undergraduate program has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1974. This accredited status makes it possible for the program's graduates to apply for social work licenses, as well as to apply for advanced standing (one-year) master's degree programs in social work.

FACILITIES

The School of Social Work is housed in Little Hall in the central area of the University campus. Classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, and a computer laboratory are located in Little Hall, with additional faculty offices in Wilson Hall. Little Hall is designed to provide access and mobility for persons with physical disabilities. The Social Work Reading Room is located in 305 Gorgas Library and is staffed to provide assistance to students and faculty.

SERVICES

The School provides continuing education programs and consultation for social work professionals and organizations. Continuing education workshops, conferences, and institutes are scheduled throughout the year. Announcements of particular offerings are circulated periodically. Individuals, groups, and agencies may request specialized training and assist in planning continuing education programs.

DEGREES OFFERED

The School of Social Work offers the degrees of bachelor of social work, master of social work, and doctor of philosophy. For information about graduate degree programs, consult the University of Alabama graduate catalog.

ADMISSION AND RETENTION REQUIREMENTS

Students entering the School of Social Work as freshmen are required to meet the admissions standards of the University set forth in the section titled "Admissions" in this catalog. The University accepts transferred credit from accredited associate of arts programs (see "Admissions" in this catalog). The School of Social Work also accepts those hours, but requires that all students meet the course requirements for the bachelor of social work degree. An evaluation of each transferred course is made by the University's Academic Records Office or the registrar of the School of Social Work. Any transfer credit of a social work course must be approved by the program chair. No academic credit, course waivers, or credit for field practicum shall be granted for life experience or for previous work experience.

Transfer credit from four-year institutions is accepted as long as the specified requirements for the B.S.W. degree are met. Credit for 400-level social work courses can be granted only for such courses taken in a CSWE-accredited social work program. Social work courses below the 400 level taken in programs without CSWE accreditation are evaluated for transfer credit on a course-by-course basis. Because of the number of social work courses required of junior- and senior-level students, it is difficult for a transfer student to enter the School of Social Work after the first semester of the junior year and complete the program within an additional two-year period, unless the general education requirements have been completed during the first two years of study. Most transfer students attend at least one summer session.

University of Alabama students who have completed 45 semester hours or more of academic work and who wish to transfer from any other UA division to the School of Social Work must have grade point averages of 2.0 or higher for all college work.

Admission to the professional program. The priority deadline for application to enter the upper division (professional program) in social work is February 1 of each year for admission in the following fall semester. Application forms are available from the School's registrar in 113 Little Hall. Each student must take a writing examination through arrangements with the B.S.W. program secretary in 117-C Little Hall.

Each applicant must have completed at least 7 semester hours of the following courses (or their equivalents if transferring from another institution): SOC 101, PY 101, and BSC 109, and be concurrently enrolled in the other prerequisite courses at the time of application. An applicant must have qualified for UA Core Curriculum-level math courses either by placement score or by having earned a "C" or higher in MATH 100. He or she must also have completed at least 45 hours toward the degree with an overall grade point average of 2.25 and have an average of at least 2.5 in all social work courses taken to be considered for admission.

Spaces for students in the upper division are limited. Two faculty readers will score each application and make tentative admission decisions to the upper division by March 1. Depending on the number of applications and spaces available, some applicants who meet minimum admissions requirements may be placed on a waiting list. Students who are tentatively admitted in March must retain overall grade point averages of at least 2.25 (and 2.5 in social work courses) through the spring semester or the tentative offer of admission will be withdrawn.

No later than June 1, the faculty will also make decisions about admissions to the upper division for students on the waiting list and for those who submitted their applications after the priority application deadline.

After the completion of approximately 60 hours toward the social work degree, with the required overall and social work grade point averages, students who have been admitted to the professional program begin taking the professional courses, which are the 400-level social work courses listed in the "Program Requirements" section that follows.

Performance and retention policies. To continue in the social work professional program, students must meet the following criteria:

• Students must earn minimum grades of "C" in all required social work courses, including two social work electives.
• Students must maintain overall grade point averages of 2.25 or higher and 2.5 or higher grade point averages in social work courses, and they must have passed the writing examination no later than the last working day of February to be eligible for field education the following fall semester and for graduation. Students on probation and/or holding grades of "I" in any social work courses may not be admitted to field education.
• Each student must notify the School's registrar of his or her intention to graduate at least one semester in advance of the expected date of graduation.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Honors at graduation. The School of Social Work recognizes high academic achievement by designating the following three classes of honors at graduation:

Summa cum laude. A student graduating with a degree designated summa cum laude shall have maintained a grade point average of 3.9 or higher for all college-level work.

Magna cum laude. A student graduating with a degree designated magna cum laude shall have maintained a grade point average of 3.7 or higher, but less than 3.9, for all college-level work.

Cum laude. A student graduating with a degree designated cum laude shall have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, but less than 3.7, for all college-level work.

The minimum averages of 3.9, 3.7, and 3.5 cannot be achieved by rounding. Averages will be calculated for performance in all courses in which the student is enrolled prior to receiving the degree.

Dean's Scholars, awards, and scholarships. Social work students are also eligible for the following honors and scholarships:

• Dean's Scholars. Seniors with overall grade point averages of 3.5 or higher based on at least 12 hours of work at The University of Alabama are recognized as Dean's Scholars.
• Distinguished Scholars. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors with overall grade point averages of 3.5 or higher are recognized as Distinguished Scholars.
• Chandler Writing Award. A cash prize is presented on Honors Day to recognize an outstanding student paper.
• Howard B. Gundy Scholarship. Established in 1985 in honor of Howard B. Gundy, this fund provides a scholarship to an outstanding entering freshman. It is renewable if academic standards for the scholarship are maintained.
• Frank R. Egan Scholarship. Established in 1987 in memory of Frank R. Egan, this fund provides a scholarship for disadvantaged students. It is renewable if satisfactory academic performance is maintained.

ORGANIZATIONS

Students elect officers and select representatives to school committees annually.

Undergraduate Social Work Organization (USWO). The Undergraduate Social Work Organization is a student organization that has as its purposes the facilitation of the educational program; the promotion of communication among students; and the provision of service to the University, the community, and the state.

National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW). The student chapter of the NABSW provides a structure through which black social work students can exchange ideas and address various issues.

National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Undergraduate students are eligible for associate membership in the professional organization. NASW associate membership entitles them to publications and NASW personnel information as well as other direct benefits. Students are encouraged to participate in Alabama chapter activities.

Phi Alpha Honor Society, Psi Chapter. A student is eligible for active membership in this social work honorary when he or she has declared social work as an undergraduate major, completed 9 semester hours in social work courses, earned an overall college grade point average of 3.00, and earned a 3.5 grade point average in social work courses.

Social Work Society. The Social Work Society was established in 1984 to support social work education in the School of Social Work by increasing understanding of and application and support for the goals, programs, and activities of the School. Membership is open to alumni, concerned citizens, faculty, students, agencies, and corporate bodies interested in strengthening the quality of programs within the School.

SPECIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS

Academic Advising

The undergraduate program views advising as essential to the student's college experience. After declaring social work as a major, each student is assigned an adviser. All social work students have opportunities to be advised individually and to attend group advising sessions, and students are expected to take an active part in the advising process.

The adviser attempts to engage the student in a process of evaluating his or her aptitude and motivation for a career in social work and assists the student in the selection of courses. Advisers can also be helpful in referring students with personal problems to appropriate resources within the University and community.

Field Education

Field education, a 10-hour credit course, is a four-day-per-week learning experience taken during the fall semester of the senior year. Students attend classes one day per week during this semester and are given opportunities, under supervision, to develop social work skills. The School of Social Work utilizes agencies in a variety of settings for field education placements. Students must make arrangements for transportation in order to complete field education requirements.

GENERAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Students are required to complete a minimum of 120 hours for the degree. Of these, 48 hours must be in social work courses. Required courses are listed in the "Program Requirements" section on this page.

Hours of study for the minor in social welfare. Although social work majors are not required to have a minor, students in certain other divisions of the University may earn minors in social welfare by completing 18 hours of social work courses. Course requirements are listed under "Minor in Social Welfare" on p. 235.

Independent study by correspondence. Independent study courses may be taken by correspondence through the Division of Independent Study of the University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies. It is preferred that the student take the regular classroom course if it is offered at a time during which he or she can attend. A student wishing to take a course by correspondence should talk with his or her adviser and obtain permission to pursue this plan. If approval is granted, the student then must complete the appropriate form in the College of Continuing Studies office.

Social work (SW) courses are not offered through independent study by correspondence.

Independent study. Independent study is usually arranged in order for the student to pursue a special area of interest in social work or social welfare that is not covered in courses regularly offered. To arrange an independent study course, the student should obtain permission from his or her adviser, work out the goals and objectives of the course with the supervising instructor, and secure a recommendation from the program chair and approval from the associate dean's office. Independent study must be approved no later than the last day of class of the semester preceding the semester of the course. Adding such courses after registration is not permitted. Such courses may be dropped according to University policy.

Course substitution. Occasionally, a student may wish to substitute another course for a required course. All such requests should first be presented to the student's adviser, who will weigh the merits of course substitution and determine if the content of the proposed course is appropriate as a substitute. Decisions on course substitutions are made by the program chairperson.

Concurrent enrollment. A student who wishes to take courses at another college or university during a summer or regular semester should, after talking with his or her adviser, check with the School of Social Work records office to determine whether or not the courses will transfer to the School of Social Work. Prior approval must be received in order for transfer credit to be accepted toward degree requirements.

Second bachelor's degree. A student with a baccalaureate degree in a major other than social work may take courses leading to a bachelor's degree in social work as a second degree. In order to qualify to enroll in social work courses as a major, the student is expected to meet all requirements for admission (i.e., 2.25 overall GPA and 2.5 GPA in social work courses, a completed application for admission, and the writing examination). The student is also expected to complete, in residence and with the required overall and social work GPAs, the specified social work courses for the B.S.W. degree. The student is also expected to take other courses common to social work majors, such as 4 hours of biological sciences. Students interested in a second degree should also refer to the University's requirements on p. 27.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The following courses are required for the B.S.W. degree and include University Core Curriculum requirements as well as the state's general education requirements. Students must complete the foreign language (FL) requirement. (See "Core Curriculum" in this catalog.)

Course	Hours
EN 101 and EN 102, or EN 101 and EN 103 (FC)	6
Fine arts (FA)	3
Literature (L)1	3
Humanities (HU) or fine arts (FA) or literature electives (L)1	6
PY 101 (SB)	3
SOC 101 (SB)	3
HY 101 or 102 Western civilization (HI)1	3
EC 111 (SB)2	3
BSC 109 with lab (N)	4
Natural science with lab (N)	4
Mathematics (MA)3	3
BER 345 or other statistics course	3
Foreign language (FL)	4-8
ANT 101, ANT 102, or ANT 103	3
PY 358	3
SOC 205 or PY 372	3
Free electives	11-15
Social work electives (two courses)	6
SW 100	3
SW 200	3
SW 351	3
SW 401 (W)	3
SW 410	3
SW 411	3
SW 420	3
SW 440 (W), SW 441, and SW 442	9
SW 443	2
SW 490	10
	--
Total: 120

¹ Students must have a two-course sequence in either HI or L.

² EC 110 is the prerequisite for EC 111.

³Note that math courses have prerequisites that must be met.

A student may choose to vary the sequence of courses outside the School of Social Work and take some electives in the freshman and sophomore years. However, EN 101 and EN 102, the freshman composition courses, must be taken in the freshman year. A student may be able to take fewer hours than the 15-16 hours per semester by going to summer session.

Suggested Course Sequence
FRESHMAN YEAR
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
EN 101	3		EN 102 or EN 103	3
Mathematics above MATH 100	3		ANT 101, ANT 102, or ANT 103	3
PY 101	3		Fine arts (FA)	3
Foreign language	3-4		Foreign language	3-4
SW 100	3		SOC 101	3
	--			--
	15-16			15-16
SOPHOMORE YEAR
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
Literature (L)	3		HI or L	3
EC 110* or elective	3		EC 111	3
SW 200	3		Social work elective	3
HY 101 or HY 102	3		SOC 205 or PY 372	3
BSC 109 with lab	4		Natural science with lab	4
	--			--
	16			16
*EC 110 is a prerequisite for EC 111.
JUNIOR YEAR
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
Statistics	3		SW 401	3
PY 358*	3		SW 411	3
SW 410	3		SW 441	3
SW 351	3		SW 442	3
SW 440	3		HU/ FA/L	3
	--			--
	15			15
SENIOR YEAR
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
SW 490	10		Social work elective	3
SW 443	2		Free elective or HU/FA course	3
SW 420	3		Free electives	5-7
	--			--
	15			11-13

*Social work majors are permitted to take PY 358 without having completed the usual 6 hours of prerequisites.

Social work electives. The courses listed below may be used to earn the required hours of social work electives. Students also may choose undergraduate social work electives offered during the Interim term.

SW 206 Growing Old in America (SB)
SW 208 Social Services for Delinquents and Their Families
SW 210 Family and Child Welfare
SW 212 Death, Dying, and Bereavement (SB)
SW 300 Selected Topics in Social Work
SW 416 Human Sexuality
SW 498 Independent Study

MINOR IN SOCIAL WELFARE

A student who is majoring in another UA college may declare a minor in social welfare, subject to the requirements of his or her college. Requirements for an undergraduate minor in social welfare are as follows: SW 100, SW 200, SW 351, and 9 additional hours of social work courses to be selected from among the courses open to non-social work majors and for which students completing the minor have successfully passed the appropriate prerequisites. One of these courses must be at the 300 or 400 level. Social welfare minors may not take social work practice courses, including SW 440, SW 441, SW 442, SW 443, and SW 490. A student who plans to declare a minor in social welfare should go to the School of Social Work records office, 113 Little Hall, to complete appropriate forms.