Social Work Major, B.S.

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the four areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements. 

• Degree and Certificate Requirements 
• General Studies Requirements 
• Multicultural Graduation Requirements 
• Senior Experience Graduation Requirements 

• A total of 120 semester hours are required for graduation. 
• A grade of C- or better is required for each SWK course in this program to count toward the bachelor’s degree. Students should note that programs differ in the minimum grade required. 
• All ancillary courses must be completed with a grade of “D-” or better.
• A minor is not required for this program. 
• The major requires 6 credits of Social Work prerequisite courses to set the foundation for coursework in the major. Students must have all prerequisite courses completed prior to entry into the major.  
• Upon approaching completion of the prerequisites, students may apply to the program (a formal application is required for acceptance into the major, see below).

Students should consult the General Studies Requirements for a list of courses that fulfill the General Studies Requirements for degree completion.  

• Written Communication (6 credits) 
  • Recommended: ENG 1010 - Composing Arguments and ENG 1020 - Research and Argument Writing are recommended for Social Work majors.  
• Oral Communication (3 credits) 
• Quantitative Literacy (3 credits) 
• Arts and Humanities (6 credits) 
• Historical (3 credits) 
• Natural and Physical Sciences (6 credits) 
  • Recommended: BIO 1000 - Human Biology for Non-Majors, BIO 1030 - General Biology for Non-Majors, or BIO 1080 - General Biology I and BIO 1090 - General Biology Laboratory I are recommended for Social Work Majors.
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits) 
  • Recommended: PSC 1010 - American National Government and PSY 1001 - Introductory Psychology are recommended for Social Work majors. One of the following courses is also recommended: SOC 1010 - People, Power, and Progress, ANT 1310 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, or ANT 2330 - Cross-Cultural Communication. 
• Global Diversity (0 or 3 credits**)

 

** Students will fulfill the global diversity requirement by taking an approved course within one of the following categories: arts and humanities; historical; natural and physical sciences; or social and behavioral sciences. 

• Students should consult the Multicultural Graduation Requirements for a list of courses that fulfill the Multicultural Requirement for degree completion.  
• Many programs include courses that meet this requirement. Students should consult with their advisor to determine what program courses may fulfill this requirement.  
  • For Social Work major students, SWK 3120 - Privilege, Oppression, and Power will meet this requirement. 

The following courses must be completed before students may apply to the BSSW Program. All ancillary courses must be completed with a grade of “D-” or better. 

The following social work courses must be completed before students may apply to the BSSW Program. All social work courses must be completed with a grade of “C-” or better.

Once a student has completed all General Studies requirements, ancillary course requirements, and social work prerequisite courses, they are eligible to apply to the BSSW program. Once admitted to the BSSW Program, students are eligible to enroll in the following required courses. Because the BSSW degree is professionally-oriented, students must pass through the curriculum in a sequential manner with lower-level courses preparing them for the work and expectations of upper-level courses. Students must adhere to the required coursework and pass all courses with a C- or better.

BSSW students are required to take 4 upper division elective courses (12 credits). An up-to-date list of approved upper division Social Work electives can be found on our departmental website, as well as the term they are guaranteed to be offered. 

General Studies Requirements	33 credits
Multicultural Requirement	0-3 credits
Required Ancillary Prerequisites	12-13 credits
Social Work Prerequisites	6 credits
Upper Division Social Work Electives	12 credits
Required Social Work Courses	36 credits
Senior Experience	6 credits
Unrestricted Electives	11-25 credits
Total for the Social Work Major, B.S.	120 credits

Required courses for the major may also count for General Studies and Multicultural requirements, so the total credits listed may be greater than the number required to complete the degree. Therefore, it is important that you work with your advisor to make sure you are meeting requirements for your degree.

Application to the Major

Students who wish to pursue the BSSW should declare Social Work as their major with the Office of Admissions when they apply to MSU Denver. Admission to the BSSW Program is not guaranteed. To be considered for the major, students must meet the admission criteria and submit a BSSW Program application to the Department of Social Work in order to determine acceptance into the major. When applying to the BSSW Program, students should have the prerequisite liberal arts perspective courses and the introductory social work courses completed or they should be enrolled with the intent to complete them before the program begins. Students must have earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 in order to be admitted without conditions into the BSSW Program. Students with a cumulative GPA of below a 2.0 should meet with an academic advisor in the Office of Social Work Student Services prior to applying to the BSSW Program and may be conditionally placed on departmental academic probation at the time of acceptance.  Students are accepted into the BSSW Program once a year. Applications are accepted during the Spring semester for a proceeding Fall start. Students will be notified of their acceptance status by email. For complete application instructions and admission process information, please visit the Department of Social Work website at www.msudenver.edu/socialwork.

Advising Appointments

The Department of Social Work’s Office of Social Work Student Services provides academic advising for social work majors from application to the program through graduation. Students who are accepted to the major will be assigned a faculty advisor for professional related advising and general academic support. For more information and to schedule an advising appointment, visit www.msudenver.edu/socialwork.

Transfer Students

Students transferring to Metropolitan State University of Denver must first apply as a transfer student through the Office of Admissions and should declare Social Work as their major at that time. Once they have been accepted into MSU Denver and have had their transcripts evaluated, they will be advised regarding remaining General Studies and other prerequisite requirements that must be fulfilled. Transfer students are also expected to meet the BSSW Program’s prerequisite requirements.

Social Work Course Transfer Policy

Incoming students who have taken Social Work courses at another college or university may have the coursework reviewed to apply for Social Work credit for the courses. To be considered, coursework must have been completed at a college or university accredited by a regional accreditation body (see MSU Denver website for additional information). In addition, certain coursework must have been completed within a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education to be considered for transfer into the BSSW Program. In order to transfer Social Work credits, students must provide documentation that includes the course description, course syllabus, and course requirements. Approval of course transfers is at the discretion of the program. To engage in this process, meet with a member of the Office of Social Work Student Services. For a full description of the transfer requirements and of the process for consideration of credit, please see the Department of Social Work website.

Fully Online Course Delivery Option

The Department of Social Work offers courses on-campus, online and a hybrid form (requiring some online and some on-campus time). Students who are interested in taking their courses completely online must indicate that intent on the BSSW Program application and be accepted into that option. Once accepted, the Office of Social Work Student Services will work closely with those students to ensure enrollment in online social work courses. Online courses may include both synchronous and asynchronous activities. Asynchronous activities are activities, readings, assignments, videos, and other tasks required in your course that you do on your own time while meeting the expected due dates and times. Synchronous activities are activities that occur with others at a scheduled time but that are accessible to you online. This means that you will use meeting software to communicate and meet with your class and instructor at a specified time. Synchronous course requirements will be specified in the University Course Schedule.

Sequential Coursework Policy

Prior to entering the program, students are required to take specified prerequisites in the liberal arts and social work. Upon entering the program, students are required to take courses in a specified order. This course sequencing is mandatory and ensures necessary preparation for students to successfully complete courses throughout the program. Please note: Students who fail to follow the required course sequencing may delay their graduation by a year or more and may be put on Departmental Academic Probation. In addition, students who take courses out of order may not receive credit for those courses and may be required to retake those courses.

A Grade of “D” or “F” in a Social Work Course

Students must receive a “C-” or better in each individual social work course. Students earning a grade of less than “C-” must meet with their social work advisor before the start of the next semester and may be on an altered academic plan of completion. Additionally, students whose GPAs fall below the minimum GPA requirements of 2.0 cumulative and 2.67 Social Work will be placed on departmental academic probation. Please see the Department of Social Work website for further information.

Minimum GPA

A student must maintain a 2.0 overall cumulative MSU Denver GPA and a 2.67 Social Work course GPA to remain in good standing in the Social Work Program. Students failing to meet the minimum GPA requirements will be placed on departmental academic probation until they achieve the grades necessary to raise their GPA. Please see the Department of Social Work website for further information.

Program Orientation

All students accepted into the BSSW Program are required to successfully complete a Program Orientation within a specified timeframe announced at the time of admission. Students who do not successfully complete the Program Orientation will be dropped from their core Social Work courses and must wait until the following academic year to take the orientation and to begin the BSSW program.

Scholarships and Stipends

The Department of Social Work has several opportunities for scholarships and stipends based on student interest. Please see the Departmental website for more information about these opportunities.

Professional Field Experience

Social Work Field Experience takes place during the fall and spring semesters of the student’s senior year. In order to integrate classroom knowledge with practice and to experience the role and requirements of a professional social worker, the student is placed in an approved social work agency for approximately 16 hours per week for 240 hours a semester (a total of 480 hours over both semesters). The student remains in the same agency for both semesters, progressing from orientation to beginning professional competence. Additional information about field experience, including eligibility, application, and securing a field site, can be found on the Department of Social Work website.

Advanced Standing in Graduate School

Students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited social work program may apply for advanced standing (where available) in Masters-level social work graduate programs. Depending upon the graduate program, advanced standing students are able to complete their MSW in an accelerated course of study. Students are urged to contact graduate programs for their policies on advanced standing.

Credit for Life Experience

No credit is given for learning gained through life experience and no life experience credit may be used toward the BSSW Major.