BSW Program

Social work pre-requisites (15 Credit Hours)

• POS1041: American Government: National  (C or better) - 3 credit hours
• ECO 2000: Introduction to Economics (C or better) - 3 credit hours
• BSC1005: General Biology for Non-Majors (C or better) - 3 credit hours
• SYG1000: Introductory Sociology (C or better) - 3 credit hours
• PSY2012: General Psychology (C or better) - 3 credit hours

Required Social Work Classes (120 Credit hours)

Social Work Credit Hours = 50
Additional Elective Hours (if needed) - 0-10
Total Hours: AA Degree (60 hours) + 60 from FSU = 120

TERM 5

• SOW3203 The Social Work Profession (must take first semester in program) - 3 credit hours
• SOW3350 Interviewing and Documentation (must take first semester in program) - 3 credit hours
• SOW4104 Human Behavior & the Social Environment - 3 credit hours
• SOW4620 Diversity & Social Justice - 3 credit hours

Term 6

• SOW4232 Social Welfare Policies and Programs - 3 credit hours
• SOW4341 Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families (Prerequisite: SOW3350) - 3 credit hours
• SOW4403 Introduction to Social Work Research - 3 credit hours
• SOWXXXX Social Work Elective - 3 credit hours

Term 7

• SOW4360 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations - 3 credit hours
• SOW4323 Social Work Practice with Groups Prerequisite: SOW4341) - 3 credit hours

Term 8

• SOW4510 BSW Field Education - 12 credit hours
• SOW4522 Integrative Field Seminar - 2 credit hours

Students in the social leadership track or students with an interest in social work administration should consider the following coursework and experiences to round out this educational focus. 

Sample courses

Please note that these are course suggestions, not requirements for students interested in this area. Course availability varies based on semester, program, and location. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their advisors for additional guidance about their program of study. MSW students who receive approval from the MSW Program Director may take one elective for degree credit outside the College of Social Work. These suggested courses do not necessarily contain content related to the area of interest. However, the course content may help prepare students interested in pursuing a career in the area. 

Course Name and Number

• SOW5377 Social Work Administration
• SOW5376 Budget and Finance
• SOW5334 Organizational Development
• SOW5435 Social Program Evaluation
• SOW5455 Grant Writing and Grant Management

Elective based on population.

Recommended Activities

• Join the FSU CSW Student Ambassadors program
• Complete the LEAD Certificate
• Get involved with the National Association of Social Workers legislative events
• Join the Macro Social Work Student Network

The Human Rights and Social Change interest area seeks to enhance students' understanding of human rights and to prepare them to engage in the lifelong pursuit of social change. These courses promote student self-reflection and their relation to other individuals and communities. Students will be exposed to theoretical frameworks and policies associated with culture and human rights. Emphasis is placed on enhancing respect and empathetic communication, and on advancing social and economic well-being and human rights in national and global contexts. 

Sample courses

Please note that these are course suggestions, not requirements for students interested in this area. Course availability varies based on semester, program, and location. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their advisors for additional guidance about their program of study. MSW students who receive approval from the MSW Program Director may take one elective for degree credit outside the College of Social Work. These suggested courses do not necessarily contain content related to the area of interest. However, the course content may help prepare students interested in pursuing a career in this field.

Course Name and Number

• SOW4665/5666: Theory and Practice of Social Work in Criminal Justice
• SOW4658/5659: Child Maltreatment and Child Welfare 
• SOW4615/5614: Family Violence Across the Lifespan
• SOW5334: Organizational and Community Systems Change
• SOW4646/5645: Gerontological Social Work
• SOW5282: Legislative Advocacy

Select an elective from another program on campus that meets this area of interest.

Recommended Activities

• Join the FSU CSW Student Ambassadors program

• Join the Macro Social Work Student Network.
• Get involved with the FSU Center for Leadership and Service.
• Complete the LEAD Certificate.
• Attend National Association of Social Workers legislative events.
• Become a member of the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA).
• Get involved with the National Association of Social Workers.

The Children and Families interest area is recommended to students interested in working with children and families. Courses provide students with knowledge and skills related to the theory, research, and implications of child and adolescent development and well-being.

Course content is presented within the context of social work with children and adolescents in public and private agencies and programs. Issues related to children, families, and communities are covered. Attention is also given to working with a variety of populations.

These courses explore how childhood trauma, violence, and addiction impact children and families. Students interested in clinical practice oriented towards working with children and adolescents, as well as providing interventions that address family dynamics, family systems, and family change, will find these courses instrumental. Students interested in macro practice that focuses on child support, policy, and issues that impact the well-being of families will benefit from these courses.

Sample Courses

Please note that these are course suggestions, not requirements for students interested in this area. Course availability varies based on semester, program, and location. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their advisors for additional guidance about their program of study. MSW students who receive approval from the MSW Program Director may take one elective for degree credit outside the College of Social Work. These suggested courses do not necessarily contain content related to the area of interest. However, the content within the course may help to prepare students interested in pursuing a career within the area of interest. 

Course Name and Number

• SOW4650/5656: Child Welfare Practice
• SOW4658/5659:  Child Maltreatment and Child Welfare
• SOW4702/5712: Substance Use and Misuse
• SOW4615/5614: Family Violence
• SOW4665/5666: Social Work in Criminal Justice Settings
• SOW4247/5248: Homelessness in America
• SOW4633/5635: Social Work in Public School Settings 

Recommended Activities

• Volunteer at a school, child welfare shelter, or non-profit agency serving children.
• Become a Guardian ad Litem.
• Become involved with the College of Social Work's Arts & Athletics Program.
• Volunteer at the Institute for Trauma and Resilience Studies, Florida Institute for Child Welfare, or the Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children.
• Join NASW Child Welfare and/or School Social Work Specialty Practice Sections.
• Sign up for Listservs such as the Child Welfare Information Gateway and the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare.

The criminal justice and social work interest area affords students the opportunity to explore the issues faced by and learn strategies for working with individuals and their families who are involved with the justice system. This interest area prepares students for the many opportunities to work with adults and adolescents who are incarcerated, as well as those who are re-entering society after incarceration.

Sample Courses

Please note that these are course suggestions, not requirements for students interested in this area. Course availability varies based on semester, program, and location. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their advisors for additional guidance about their program of study. MSW students who receive approval from the MSW Program Director may take one elective for degree credit outside the College of Social Work. These suggested courses do not necessarily contain content related to the area of interest. However, the course content may help prepare students interested in pursuing a career in the area. 

Course Name and Number

• SOW4665/5666: Theory and Practice of Social Work
• SOW4658/5659: Child Maltreatment and Child Welfare
• SOW4702/5712: Substance Use and Misuse
• SOW4615/5614: Fmaily Violence
• SOW4247/5248: Homelessness in America

Graduate Only:

• SOW5611: Family Counseling
• SOW5745: Seminar on Loss and Bereavement
• SOW5938: Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice

Recommended Activities

• Volunteer with justice-related organizations or reentry organizations.
• Partner with local criminal justice entities or non-profit agencies to complete class assignments.
• Become a member of Big Bend A.F.T.E.R. Reentry Coalition (membership dues can be waived) and sign up for their listserv.
• Get involved with the Institute for Justice Research and Development (IJRD). MSW students may be hired as research technicians, with the possibility of promotion to a research assistantship. IJRD is an approved practicum site for MSW students. BSW can become involved through FSU-supported research opportunities, such as UROP and InternFSU.
• Become involved with a justice-related organization identified by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

The health and wellness interest area offers courses for students interested in working in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, rehabilitation, outpatient medical facilities, veterans’ hospitals, health care advocacy and other health care-related settings. 

Sample Courses

Please note that these are course suggestions, not requirements for students interested in this area. Course availability varies based on semester, program, and location. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their advisors for additional guidance about their program of study. MSW students who receive approval from the MSW program director may take one elective for degree credit outside the College of Social Work. These suggested courses do not necessarily contain content related to the area of interest. However, the course content may help prepare students interested in pursuing a career in the area. 

Course Name and Number

• SOW4602/5603: Social Work in Health Settings
• SOW4702/5712: Substance Use and Misuse
• SOW4615/5614: Family Violence
• SOW4645/5646: Gerontological Social Work
• SOW4657/5648: Physical Aspects of Aging
• SOW4152/5153: Human Sexuality
• SOW4108/5109: Women's Issues
• SOW4247/5248: Homelessness in America

Graduate Only:

• SOW5353: Marital and Couple Counseling
• SOW5611: Family Counseling
• SOW5745: Seminar on Loss and Bereavement

Recommended Activities

• Volunteer at a hospital or hospice.
• Join the NASW Health Specialty Practice Section.

International social work encourages a crosscultural perspective with an emphasis on human rights. Students pursuing this interest area should seek opportunities to study and directly experience engagement with cultures other than their own. Attention to both universal and culturally relative values and ethics encourages an appreciation of crosscutting experiences of vulnerability and oppression. In this sense, international social work is more a frame of reference than a job description, grounded in humility and the recognition that a variety of governmental and non-governmental services are shaped by the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental conditions where social problems arise. 

Sample Courses

Please note that these are course suggestions, not requirements for students interested in this area. Course availability varies based on semester, program, and location. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their advisors for additional guidance about their program of study. MSW students who receive approval from the MSW Program Director may take one elective for degree credit outside the College of Social Work. These suggested courses do not necessarily contain content related to the area of interest. However, the content within the course may help to prepare students interested in pursuing a career within the area of interest. 

Course Name and Numbers

• SOW4784/5785: International Social Work and Social Welfare
• SOW5943/4940: International Community Engagement and related participation in the CSW Alternative Spring Break (Note: 2 Credit hours)
• SOW4510: BSW Generalist Internship , and/or SOW5535 MSW Advanced Internship; Clincial and Lead 

Courses offered as components of FSU study abroad programs (emphasis on London).
Courses offered as components of international exchange programs.
Other courses approved for completion of the FSU Global Citizenship Certificate combine academic courses, sustained experiences, and intercultural events.

Recommended Activities

• Complete SOW 4784/5785, and consider participating in a College of Social Work International Programs opportunity including Alternative Spring Break, studying abroad, international exchange, or a BSW or Advanced MSW internship abroad.
• Get involved with the FSU Center for Global Engagement (CGE).
  • Explore CGE Programs.
  • Consider completing the FSU Global Citizenship Certificate.

The military social work interest area affords students the opportunity to explore the issues faced by and learn strategies for intervening with military service members, veterans and their families. This interest area seeks to prepare students for the varied opportunities to work with military service personnel, veterans, and military families. The focus of this work is to aid military service personnel, veterans, and their families in managing the social, emotional, and psychological challenges they may face related to the unique demands of their jobs. 

Sample Courses

Please note that these are course suggestions, not requirements for students interested in this area. Course availability varies based on semester, program, and location. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their advisors for additional guidance about their program of study. MSW students who receive approval from the MSW Program Director may take one elective for degree credit outside the College of Social Work.

Course Names and Numbers

• SOW4658/5659: Child Maltreatment and Child Welfare
• SOW4702/5712: Substance Use and Misuse
• SOW4615/5614: Family Violence
• SOW4247/5248: Homelessness in America

Graduate Only:

• SOW5611: Family Counseling
• SOW5745: Seminar on Loss and Bereavement
• SOW5938: Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice

Recommended Activities

• Become involved with the FSU Veteran Student Union and the FSU Student Veterans Center.
• Join NASW Military and Veterans section.