Welcome to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BSW) at California State University, Chico! The social work profession is an exciting field of study and practice with countless career possibilities. We invite you to join our community during this critical time as we work to address complex issues such as poverty, social and economic disparities, health, mental health, housing, race, gender, and environmental justice, and the overall well-being of societies. We need professionally trained social workers to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities. A degree in social work will prepare you to address local, state, national, and global issues through healing-centered, empowerment, and justice practice approaches, among others.
The BSW program, which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), prepares you for beginning a professional generalist social work practice. A generalist approach requires that social workers have a foundation of knowledge and skills to engage, critically analyze, plan, evaluate, and support individuals and communities from diverse backgrounds in diverse settings and systems. In addition, as part of a professional undergraduate degree program, students in their senior year complete an internship in a non-profit organization or a health, education, or government institution. The program combines a comprehensive curriculum with practical experience in the community so future social workers wishing to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities have the tools needed to create positive change.
The faculty in the School of Social Work are engaged learners, practitioners, researchers, policy advocates, and activists within their communities and they bring years of experience to the classroom and a strong commitment to your learning. We look forward to supporting your academic and professional journey!
Traditional On-Campus and Distributed Learning Programs
The School of Social Work offers two social work programs with distinct formats: (1) a traditional on-campus learning format; and (2) a distributed learning (DL) format that allows students to take courses online with periodic class time on campus. Both the traditional on-campus and DL programs offer the same, fully accredited curricula.
After the social work prerequisites are met, students will apply and then enroll in the professional sequence courses in the social work major. Courses in the traditional on-campus professional sequence program are offered two days a week with an additional two days a week for seniors participating in a required internship. The traditional on-campus program is a full-time program completed over a year and a half.
The DL professional sequence program, designed for individuals committed to providing professional social work services in our NorCal service region, is a hybrid format with students attending courses on the Chico State campus two weekends per semester and attending regularly scheduled live evening class sessions through an online platform. The DL professional sequence program is completed over a year and a half, and includes a summer session.
Students who plan to apply to the traditional on-campus program should consult with the BSW Director to review their current academic standing and courses completed, as well as to discuss an academic plan. Similarly, students who plan to apply to the DL program should consult with the DL Coordinator or the DL Advisor. Major advising is mandatory each semester to ensure successful completion of the professional sequence and on-time graduation.
Professional Standards
The social work degree signifies readiness to begin professional work in positions requiring trust and high ethical standards. Students are required to meet the ethical and professional standards set by the profession and the practicum agencies.
The professional standards include the following:
Honoring the NASW Code of Ethics of the social work profession;
Receiving a satisfactory evaluation by practicum agencies;
Passing social work core and professional sequence courses with a C or higher;
Avoiding behavior that suggests potential or direct harm to others or self.
Please refer to the BSW Student Handbook for more complete information regarding these standards.
Federal Title IV-E Program
The undergraduate social work program is a participant in the Federal Title IV-E program.
Title IV-E provides stipends to traditional on-campus social work students who commit to a minimum of one year of postbaccalaureate employment in public or Tribal child welfare.
Title IV-E provides financial support to distributed learning social work students who commit to a minimum of two years of postbaccalaureate employment in public or Tribal child welfare.
Interested students should contact the BSW Director and the Title IV-E Project Coordinators in the School of Social Work.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
A grade of C or higher is required for all course work in the major and for progressing into the Professional Sequence. Progression in the Professional Sequence also depends on maintaining a cumulative and Chico State grade point average of 2.0 and completing all prior and current required courses.
Course Requirements for the Major: 52 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
Consult with a social work advisor for approved substitutions to the social work core courses.
Professional Sequence
The completion of the Social Work Core is a prerequisite for applying to the Professional Sequence.
Credit for life experience or prior work experience in lieu of coursework or the social work practicums is not permitted. Please refer to the BSW Student Handbook for more information regarding the school's transfer of credit and proficiency exam policies. All social work courses required in the Professional Sequence are restricted to social work majors.
In the event you drop, do not receive a grade of C or higher, or take an incomplete in a required course, including the Social Work Core, you may be ineligible to progress in the major. Contact the BSW Program Director immediately to develop an academic plan.
All courses must be taken in the sequence outlined. Students entering our DL Program may have a slightly different course sequence.
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
For more about honors in Social Work, please visit our website.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.
Prerequisites for Admission to the Social Work Professional Sequence
Achieved junior class standing, including transfer students with 60 transferable semester units;
Completed or have in progress 39 of the 48 required General Education units and the specific prerequisites;
Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for both the BSW traditional in-person or Distributed Learning programs;
Complete 60 hours of documented human service experience through the completion of a volunteer or paid position (i.e., volunteer, community service, service-learning, or employment). Human service-related experience might include a combination of current or past paid and/or unpaid jobs, service corps, internships, or volunteer work in various settings within your community. The completion of SWRK 170 includes 10 hours of service-learning or volunteer experience that count toward the 60 hours;
Completion of PSYC 101 and SOCI 100 with a grade of C or higher by the end of the fall semester of the applicant's junior year;
SWRK 170, SWRK 200, and SWRK 202 must be completed with a grade of C or higher by the end of the fall semester of the applicant's junior year;
BSW students need to complete their practicum education within the 18 Northern California counties of Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, or Yuba.
If you have passed the above requirements with a C or higher you are eligible to apply for the BSW Professional Sequence. Applications will be available on the social work website on August 1st. Complete and return the application electronically to the Chico State School of Social Work by the deadline indicated.
Transfer students who plan to take prerequisites at other educational institutions must consult the BSW Director, DL Coordinator, or DL Advisor to ensure they are enrolled in articulated equivalents to the prerequisite courses on the Chico campus. The BSW Director, DL Coordinator, or DL Advisor is responsible for evaluating the transferability of all social work prerequisites not listed on the articulation agreements between Chico State and other units of the California State University, the University of California, and the California Community Colleges system. Refer to the School of Social Work website for information on articulated equivalents.
We are committed to your success and we are here to support you, so feel free to reach out to the BSW Director with any questions.
