School of Social Work

ssw.asu.edu

480/965-6081

WHALL 135

Leslie Leighninger, Director

Professors

Ashford, LeCroy, Leighninger, MacEachron, Marsiglia, Martinez-Brawley, Moroney, Segal

Associate Professors

Brzuzy, Gerdes, Gustavsson, Krysik, Montero, Napoli, Nichols, Paz, Risley-Curtiss, Robles, Steiner, Stromwall, Waller

Assistant Professors

Bacchus, Holley, Kang, Larson, Niles, Roe-Sepowitz

Senior Instructional Professional

Gonzalez-Santin

Assistant Administrative Professional

Knutson-Woods

PURPOSE

The School of Social Work prepares professional social work practitioners who are committed to the enhancement of individual, family, and group problem-solving capacities and the creation of a more nurturing, just, and humane social environment.

The mission of the School of Social Work is to train professional social workers for beginning-level generalist practice (BSW) and for advanced direct practice and planning, administrative, and community practice (MSW). The focus is on populations of the Southwest and those who are most oppressed and most in need of social services.

The school is committed to the university’s mission to be competitive with the best public research universities in the country. Faculty members have active research agendas under way that venture into a wide variety of topics, including work with children, issues of specific importance to Latino and indigenous peoples, poverty, human services planning, and many others.

ORGANIZATION

The School of Social Work is organized around three program areas:

 1. Bachelor of Social Work (BSW);

 2. Master of Social Work (MSW); and

 3. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD with a major in Social Work).

The MSW program has two areas of concentration: (1) advanced direct practice (ADP) and (2) planning, administration, and community practice (PAC).

The BSW and MSW degrees are offered at Tempe campus and at the Tucson component; the PhD degree is offered at Tempe campus.

For more information regarding the master’s and PhD programs, see the Graduate Catalog.

ADMISSION

Bachelor of Social Work

Preprofessional Status.

Students who have declared Social Work as their major or have transferred from other universities or community colleges are admitted to ASU and the School of Social Work with preprofessional status. Transfer students should follow the procedure outlined under Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Applying for Professional Program Status

Students who have completed 56 or more semester hours and have taken SWU 171 Introduction to Social Work, SWU 291 Social Service Delivery Systems, SWU 295 Foundations of Social Work Practice, SWU 301 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I, and SWU 310 Social Work Practice I are eligible to apply for professional program status.

Students may obtain an application packet at the School of Social Work, Academic Services, WHALL 135, or request that one be mailed to their home address by calling 480/965-6081.

Applications are reviewed for admission for the fall and spring semesters. Students applying must have a Certificate of Admission to the university in their files by November 1 for spring admission and March 1 for fall admission. All other application materials (i.e., application form, additional statement, and two letters of reference) must be returned to

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

ACADEMIC SERVICES

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

PO BOX 871802

TEMPE AZ 85287-1802

Materials must be received by November 1 for spring admission or March 1 for fall admission. Failure to meet these deadlines may result in the applicant having to wait for the next admissions period. Applicants are notified by mail of the committee’s decision. Those applicants who have been denied admission may request a conference with the BSW program coordinator to discuss the decision and to obtain guidance in the development of future plans.

Criteria for Professional Program Status

Admission to professional program status is based on the following criteria:

 1. A minimum of 56 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 at ASU is required.

 2. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in core social work courses (SWU 171, 291, 295, 301, and 310) and a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher in all social work courses are required.

 3. The applicant’s educational and career goals must be compatible with the educational objectives of the school.

 4. Before admission to preprofessional status, it is required that students have had human service experience for a minimum of 240 hours in social work-related settings. Personal life experience may be substituted.

 5. References are required for each applicant. One reference should be from a person who knows the applicant in a professional capacity and one from a person who knows the applicant in an academic capacity. Additionally, a third reference is later requested by the school from the applicant’s SWU 310 instructor. This reference is used in the field placement process.

 6. The College of Public Programs professional program status admissions requirements outlined under Professional Status Admission Requirements, must be fulfilled.

Leave of Absence

Occasionally, for health or personal reasons, Social Work students who have achieved professional program status find it necessary to interrupt their studies. Students considering such requests meet with an academic advisor to look at alternatives and then submit a written request to the BSW program coordinator. A student may request a leave of absence from the Social Work program for a period of one year. Failure to request a leave of absence results in removal from the professional program. (This leave applies only to the Social Work program and not to the university. No leave of absence is granted from the university.) Except when recommended by the Committee on Academic and Professional Standards, the student must be in good standing in the program at the time the request is made. Students should be aware that nonattendance at the university for one or more semesters requires reapplication to the university.

Readmission

Undergraduate students who have previously attended ASU but have not been enrolled at this institution for one or more semesters are required to apply for readmission following university procedures as outlined under Readmission to the University. Students who were previously admitted to the professional program may, in addition, be required to reapply for professional status.

Transfer Students

The university standards for evaluation of transfer credit are listed under Transfer Credit. Community college students planning to transfer at the end of their first or second year should plan their community college courses to meet the requirements of the ASU curriculum selected. Students attending Arizona community colleges are permitted to follow the degree requirements specified in the ASU catalog in effect at the time they begin their community college work, providing their college attendance is continuous. See Guidelines for Determination of Catalog Year.

Arizona students are urged to refer to the Course Applicability System for the transferability of specific courses from Arizona community colleges. Students may also access the guide through the Academic Transfer Articulation Office’s Web site at www.asu.edu/provost/articulation.

Courses transferred from community colleges are accepted as lower-division credit only. Students are urged to choose their community college courses carefully, in view of the fact that there is a minimum number of hours of work taken at the university that must be upper-division credit (see Credit Requirements).

Direct transfer of courses from other accredited institutions to the School of Social Work is subject to the existence of parallel and equal courses in the school’s curriculum. Transfer credit is not given for courses in which the student has earned a grade below “C” (2.00).

Credit for “life experience” is not given in lieu of course requirements. A minimum of 30 semester hours earned in resident credit courses at ASU is required for graduation.

ADVISING

Students are responsible for meeting the degree requirements and seeking advising regarding their program status and progress. Upon admission to the Social Work major, each student is assigned a faculty advisor who assists with career planning. The academic advisor assists students with program planning, registration, preparation of needed petitions, verification of graduation requirements, and referrals to university and/or community resources. Students must meet with an academic advisor before any registration transaction.

DEGREES

Social Work—BSW

The school’s undergraduate curriculum leads to a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. The BSW degree program is accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). The principal objective of the undergraduate curriculum is to prepare students for beginning-level generalist practice in social work. The program is also designed to prepare students for culturally sensitive practice and to provide preparation for graduate training in social work. During the freshman and sophomore years, students concentrate on obtaining a strong background in liberal arts and sciences and are classified as preprofessional until they are officially admitted to the professional program. Entrance into the Social Work professional program is not automatic (see Applying for Professional Program Status).

Junior and senior Social Work majors focus on social work courses in research, social policy and services, social work practice, human behavior in the social environment, and field instruction in community agencies. In addition, majors take elective courses in related areas.

The BSW-level practitioner is seen as a generalist. The curriculum focuses on such roles as advocacy, case management, problem-solving, and referral functions with individuals, groups, families, organizations, and the community.

Tucson Component

The Tucson Component serves students living and working in southern Arizona pursuing the BSW degree. The Tucson Component—established in 1995 as a partnership between the Arizona Department of Economic Security, the ASU School of Social Work, and the School of Extended Education—became permanent in 1999. Full- and part-time students can complete all required upper-division social work courses and electives at a centrally located site near downtown Tucson, while completing general studies and other degree requirements through area community colleges, the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University. For more information, call the Tucson Component at 520/884-5507, extension 10.

MINOR

The minor in Social Welfare is designed for students interested in analyzing complex family, individual, and societal problems in the context of societal values, cultural diversity, and other social and economic variables. Eighteen hours of graded classroom SWU course work are required, including SWU 171, 291, 332, and 374. A minimum of 12 semester hours must be resident credit at the Tempe campus, and at least 12 hours must be upper-division credit. Students must receive a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher for all courses in the minor.

EARLY INTERVENTION CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

The Early Intervention Certificate is cross-disciplinary and is certified by the Arizona Early Intervention Program within the Arizona State Department of Economic Security. Students majoring in Social Work or Family and Human Development who wish to learn more about infants and toddlers at risk for developmental delay because of a known disability or because of exposure to environmental risk factors, and students who wish to work with infants and toddlers and their families in a variety of settings would benefit from this training.

Students interested in earning a certificate in Early Intervention must make a formal application to the Early Intervention Training Program. Students must have completed 56 semester hours and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50.

The certificate requires 17 semester hours of course work:

Choose between the course combinations below 8

CDE 338 Child Development Practicum (3)

FAS 484 Internship (5)

––– or –––

SWU 412 Field Instruction I (5)

SWU 414 Field Instruction II (3)

SWU 437 Infant-Family Assessment and Observation L/SB 3
or CDE 437 Infant-Family Assessment and Observation L/SB (3)

SWU 446 Risk and Variation in Child Development 3
or CDE 444 Risk and Variation in Child Development (3)

SWU 498 Pro Seminar 3
or CDE 337 Early Childhood Intervention (3)

BIS CONCENTRATION

A concentration in social welfare is available under the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree, a program intended for the student who has academic interests that might not be satisfied with existing majors. Building on two academic concentrations (or one double concentration) and an interdisciplinary core, students in the BIS program take active roles in creating their educational plans and defining their career goals. For more information, see School of Interdisciplinary Studies.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

The faculty in the School of Social Work offer a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and a PhD degree in Social Work. For more information, see the Graduate Catalog.

UNIVERSITY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

In addition to fulfilling college and major requirements, students must meet all university graduation requirements. For more information, see University Graduation Requirements.

General Studies Requirement

All students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program must satisfy the university requirement for a minimum of 35 semester hours of approved course work in General Studies. See General Studies.

Note that all three General Studies awareness areas are required, consult an academic advisor for approved courses.

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

All students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program must satisfy School of Social Work degree requirements with additional course work chosen from among those courses that satisfy the General Studies requirement. General Studies courses are listed in the General Studies Courses, in the course descriptions, in the Schedule of Classes, and in the Summer Sessions Bulletin.

A well-planned program of study may enable students to complete many General Studies and School of Social Work degree requirements concurrently. Students are encouraged to consult with an academic advisor in planning a program to ensure that they comply with all necessary requirements. All students are required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English (a spoken language or American Sign Language). Proficiency is defined as completing the second semester, intermediate level or higher, of a language other than English. The School of Social Work faculty strongly encourages students to consider Spanish or a tribal language.

Specific courses from the following areas must be taken to fulfill the college degree requirements.

Numeracy

School of Social Work students must complete a statistical analysis course (CS).

Humanities and Fine Arts

School of Social Work students must complete PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy, PHI 105 Introduction to Ethics, or PHI 306 Applied Ethics.

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The following courses are required:

ECN 211 Macroeconomic Principles SB (3)

PGS 101 Introduction to Psychology SB (3)
or SOC 101 Introductory Sociology SB (3)
or SOC 301 Principles of Sociology SB (3)

Total 6

Natural Sciences

School of Social Work students must complete a course in either human biology or anatomy and physiology.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

The School of Social Work awards a Bachelor of Social Work degree upon the successful completion of a curriculum consisting of a minimum of 120 semester hours. This curriculum includes all university requirements (see University Graduation Requirements), the College of Public Programs requirements, including the General Studies requirements (see General Studies), as well as the School of Social Work degree requirements.

Course Load

A normal course load per semester is 15 to 16 semester hours. The maximum number of hours for which a student can register is 18 semester hours, unless an overload petition has been filed with and approved by the BSW program coordinator and the College of Public Programs dean’s office.

Overload petitions are not ordinarily granted to students who have a cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 and who do not state valid reasons for the need to register for the credits. Students who register for semester hours in excess of 18 and do not have an approved overload petition on file may have courses randomly removed through an “administrative drop” action.

Social Work Core Requirements

SWU 171 Introduction to Social Work SB, H (3)

SWU 291 Social Service Delivery Systems (3)

SWU 295 Foundations of Social Work Practice SB/C (3)

SWU 301 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I L/SB (3)

SWU 310 Social Work Practice I (3)

SWU 320 Research Methods in Social Work (3)

SWU 332 Social Policy and Services (3)

SWU 340 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II SB (3)

SWU 374 Diversity and Oppression in a Social Work Context C (3)

SWU 410 Social Work Practice II (3)

SWU 411 Social Work Practice III (3)

SWU 412 Field Instruction I (5)

SWU 413 Field Instruction Seminar (1)

SWU 414 Field Instruction II (3)

SWU 415 Integrative Field Seminar 3

SWU 442 Introduction to Practice with Children and Families in Child Welfare (3)
or SWU 444 Issues in School Social Work (3)

Total 48

SWU 412 and 414 each require 16 hours weekly per semester in the field. Students must file an application for field work before registering for the courses and must have senior standing to participate in the field work.

No credit is granted toward fulfilling major core requirements in any course in the student’s major unless the grade in that course is at least a “C” (2.00). If a grade of “D” (1.00) or “E” (0.00) is earned in a major core course, the student must see the faculty advisor to discuss continuance in the major. Most courses in the program are sequential; successful completion of each course in the sequence is required to enroll in the following course.

Field Instruction

Field instruction for the BSW program is offered concurrently with classroom study. Students are assigned to a social service agency and work under the supervision of a School of Social Work-approved social work professional. Field instruction permits testing theory in practice and provides a base of experience for class discussions. Qualified agencies in several Arizona communities are utilized for field instruction.

BSW students work in one placement for 16 hours a week, for a total of 480 hours over two semesters. In assigning the placement, the school takes into account the student’s educational needs and career goals. Generalist social workers need to be familiar with the methods of working with individuals, families, and groups, as well as in organizations and communities and with all ages and ethnic groups. Faculty are committed to helping students acquire the capabilities necessary for high-quality, social work generalist practice.

BSW field instruction agencies are located primarily in the Phoenix metropolitan area for Tempe students and throughout southern Arizona for Tucson students. Specially arranged, more distant placements may require up to a two-hour drive. Although car pools are possible, personal transportation is strongly recommended while attending school.

ELECTIVES

Each student is encouraged to consult with an academic advisor in selecting electives. Economics, education, psychology, and sociology are only a few of the academic units offering knowledge of value to the professional social work practitioner.

Undergraduate Student Enrollment in Graduate Classes

Seniors within 12 semester hours of graduation may enroll in a maximum of nine graduate semester hours in the School of Social Work, providing they have an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher at the time of enrollment and have secured the required signatures for approval. Completed courses may be eligible for use in a future graduate program on the same basis as work taken by a nondegree graduate student (see the Graduate Catalog).

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Good Standing

To remain in good academic standing, a student must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.00 or higher at the end of each semester in all courses taken at ASU.

Probationary Status

Any student who does not maintain good standing status is placed on probation. A student is placed on probation automatically when his or her GPA is less than the minimum 2.00 at the end of any semester.

Disqualification

Any student who is on probation becomes disqualified if (1) the student has not returned to good standing or (2) the student has not met the required semester GPA. See Academic Standards and Retention, for more details on academic standards.

Academic Dishonesty

The faculty of the School of Social Work follow the guidelines as specified in the University Student Academic Integrity Policy. A copy of the policy may be obtained from the School of Social Work Office of Academic Services.

Termination from the Social Work Professional Program

A student is terminated from the professional program under any one of the following circumstances:

 1. A BSW student receives an “E” (0.00) grade (failure) in field practicum.

 2. A BSW student does not accept or is not accepted by three or more field agencies if, in the judgment of faculty and field staff, the placements can provide appropriate field experiences without undue inconvenience to the student.

 3. The student does not adhere to professional expectations and standards (see the ASU Student Code of Conduct, National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, and CSWE Curriculum Policy Statement).

 4. At any time field instructors, faculty, or the faculty advisor identify problems that indicate that a student cannot perform the required functions of a social worker.

Continuous Evaluation

While students are subject to the university’s general retention policy, they are evaluated in the school on broader criteria than mere GPA. Students are reviewed for evidence of competency in social work and are continuously evaluated as they progress in the program. Prospective Social Work candidates who do not meet the established criteria are guided toward a program that is more compatible with their interests and abilities.

Reinstatement

A disqualified student who desires to be reinstated may submit an application for reinstatement. A disqualified student normally is not reinstated until at least one semester has elapsed from the date of disqualification. The burden of establishing fitness is on the disqualified student, who may be required to take aptitude tests and submit to other examinations before being readmitted.

APPEAL PROCEDURES

Appeals involving the professional standards of the discipline are decided by the School of Social Work Committee on Academic and Professional Standards only after discussing the matter with the instructor of the course, the faculty advisor, and the program coordinator.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Students are expected to support and maintain the highest professional standards as spelled out in the ASU Student Code of Conduct and the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.

Regular attendance is expected in all classes and in field education and is a critical factor in evaluation of performance.

Students’ rights are protected through appeal to the Committee on Academic and Professional Standards or through consultation with the school’s ombudsperson.

Omnibus Courses. For an explanation of courses offered but not specifically listed in this catalog, see Omnibus Courses.

Graduate-Level Courses. For information about courses numbered from 500 to 799, see the Graduate Catalog, or access www.asu.edu/catalog on the Web. In some situations, undergraduate students may be eligible to take these courses; for more information, see Graduate-Level Courses.