Social Work, Bachelor of Social Work
This program leads to a profession which requires an occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code 58.001. This requires that all applicants seeking to become licensed must undergo a criminal background check prior to licensure.
The School of Social Work at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The BSW is a professional degree built on a liberal arts foundation with supporting social and behavioral sciences coursework. Graduates of our program will qualify to take the Texas licensing examination to become a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Work (LBSW).
Note: For a PDF version of the degree requirements for this program go to the Undergraduate Programs page on the UTRGV website.
Core Curriculum - 42 Hours
Students must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements. The courses listed below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements.
Mathematics – 3 hours
Choose
| MATH 1314 | College Algebra | 3 |
| | Or | |
| MATH 1324 | Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
| | Or | |
| | higher-level mathematics | |
Social and Behavioral Sciences – 3 hours
Choose from:
Major Requirements – 39 Hours (30 advanced)
Required
Choose one:
Support Courses and Electives – 39 Hours (24 advanced)
1 – Advanced Support Courses – 12 hours (12 advanced)
Required
Choose one:
Choose one:
| PSYC 3337 | Developmental Psychology: Lifespan | 3 |
| PSYC 3332 | Developmental Psychology: Infancy Through Adolescence | 3 |
| PSYC 3333 | Psychology of Adulthood: Maturity and Old Age | 3 |
Choose one:
Advanced Restricted Electives – 12 hours (12 advanced)
Choose from any advanced CRIJ, REHS, SOCW, PSY, SOCI, POLS, or ANTH courses.
Spanish Language Electives – 6 hours
Choose one pair:
| SPAN 1311 | Beginning Spanish I | 3 |
| SPAN 1312 | Beginning Spanish II | 3 |
| | | |
| | Or | |
| | | |
| SPAN 1387 | Beginning Spanish I for Honors Students | 3 |
| SPAN 1388 | Beginning Spanish II for Honors Students | 3 |
| | | |
| | Or | |
| | | |
| SPAN 2313 | Spanish for Heritage Language Learners II | 3 |
| SPAN 2315 | Spanish for Heritage Language Learners III | 3 |
Social Science and Behavioral Science Elective – 3 hours
Choose course not completed in the General Education Core:
Free Electives – 6 hours
Complete 6 hours of free electives.
Total Credit Hours: 54
Total Credit Hours: 120
Admission, Progression, and Graduation Requirements, if applicable:
Admission Requirements
Requirements include: (1) 2.7 cumulative GPA, (2) At least 30 hours of University General Education Core Curriculum requirements, with a 2.0 GPA, (3) SOCW 2361 Introduction to the Social Work Profession, with a grade of ‘C’ or higher, (4) 6 hours of freshmen English, with a grade of ‘C’ or higher, and (5) 3 hours of college algebra or higher-level mathematics, with a grade of ‘C’ or better.
The application process includes the following:
- Application for Admission into BSW Degree Program.
- A 300-500 word essay on your interest in becoming a professional social worker.
- Copy of unofficial UTRGV transcript.
Progression Requirements
A minimum grade of ‘C’ is required for SOCW 3323 (Practice I) as a prerequisite for enrollment in SOCW 4301 (Practice II) and SOCW 4302 (Practice III). A minimum grade of ‘C’ is required in both SOCW 4301 and SOCW 4302 in order to progress to SOCW 4353 (Integrative Field Seminar) and SOCW 4619 (Field Education Block) or SOCW 4354 and SOCW 4355 (Field Education I and Field Education II).