A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation from the BASW major.
Students pursuing a second major alongside their Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) are obtaining a dual degree. Achieving a dual degree necessitates a minimum of 150 credits and the successful completion of the curriculum requirements from both schools. Please note that double majoring within the School of Social Work is not an option.
Graduation Requirements for Students Admitted in Fall 2019 (2201) or later:
Complete general education requirements—36 credits*
* Some or all of the courses below may have been taken as part of the 60 credits required for admission. Courses can meet multiple requirements.
With the exception of Introduction to Social Work (SOCWRK1000), courses in the BASW Program are offered only one time per year in the following sequence. Each required course in the BASW Program is offered for 3 credits, with the exception of Practicum I and Practicum II, each of which is offered for 6 credits per term. The course schedule listed below allows students to plan accordingly in order to facilitate their completion of either the major or the minor.
Students traditionally enter the program in their junior year. The full-time study option to complete the program in two years (i.e. junior and senior years) is listed below; options for part-time study are also outlined.
Full-time Option
- Complete BASW in two years (four full time semesters)
- Download the BASW course of study.
Part-time Option
Complete BASW in three to four years.
- Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies
- Global Studies
- Human Biology & Statistics
- Religion/Spirituality
Bachelor's Qualifications
For admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program (BASW), an applicant must meet the following requirements:
Complete approximately 60 transferable liberal arts credits from an accredited undergraduate institution and/or an associate degree program. Select courses from our required General Education course categories below. Note: General Education courses are also a requirement for graduation from the BASW program.
Applicants should focus on completing at least one course in each of the following areas of the General Education Requirements. Having met the below requirements is not needed for admission, but rather to graduate from the BASW program. However, it is suggested that applicants begin the BASW program with a significant portion of the General Education Requirements already completed.
More specifically, applicants should focus on completing at least one course in each of the following areas of the General Education Requirements. Having met the below requirements is not needed for admission, but rather to graduate from the BASW program. However, it is suggested that applicants begin the BASW program with a portion of the General Education Requirements already completed.
| General Education Requirements Categories: | Credits |
|---|---|
| Africana Studies | 3 |
| Anthropology | 3 |
| English Composition | 3 |
| Economics | 3 |
| Global Studies | 3 |
| Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies | 3 |
| Human Biology | 3 |
| Political Science | 3 |
| Psychology | 3 |
| Religion/Spirituality | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 |
| Sociology | 3 |
Please note some courses may meet multiple requirements.
Students must demonstrate the capacity for successful work at the undergraduate level, with a minimum of 2.50 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Credits awarded from the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) by the College of General Studies are acceptable for inclusion in the 60 credits (see SSW Policy #15:1 – Pre-Major Requirements of Entrance into the BASW Program).
Minimum of 2.5 QPA on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with QPAs below 2.5 may be considered for admission under provisional status.
Minor in Social Work
Undergraduates throughout the university are able to complete a Social Work minor. In order to do so they must register with Emmett Mix, BASW and PhD Program Assistant, Emm459@pitt.edu, who will add the social work minor to their program of study in their official student record.
As of Fall 2021, the Social Work Minor requires the successful (grade of C- or better) completion of 15 social work credits. If you declared the minor prior to Fall 2021, you must successfully complete 12 credits. You may choose from the following list of courses:
- SOCWRK 1000: Introduction to Social Work (Required for all subsequent courses with the exception of SOCWRK 1005. This is a service-learning course and requires 45 hours of volunteer service as part of the course. Offered Fall and Spring Terms)
- SOCWRK 1005: Foundations of the Welfare State (offered in Fall Term)
- SOCWRK 1006: Policy Analysis (pre-requisites SOCWRK 1000 & SOCWRK 1005; offered in Spring Term. This is a service-learning course and requires 45 hours of volunteer service as part of the course.
- SOCWRK 1035: Global Perspectives in Social Work (offered in Spring Term)
- SOCWRK 1040 Poverty and Income Inequality: Social Responses (offered in Spring Term)
- SOCWRK 1058: Economics and Social Work (offered in Fall Term)
- SOCWRK 1059: Child and Family Advocacy (offered in Spring Term)
- SOCWRK 1063: African-American Health Issues (offered in Fall Term)
- SOCWRK 1079: Child Welfare Services (offered in both Fall and Spring Terms)