The undergraduate program in the School of Social Work offers a bachelor of arts in social welfare (BASW ), which is a practice degree. The BASW is offered on both of the UW's Seattle and Tacoma campuses. The program offers study abroad opportunities and mentoring from experienced professionals and social welfare faculty.

Writing in Social Work in the 21st Century, David Austin notes that “social work today is a major profession. It includes intervention models that deal with individuals and households, with communities, with organizations, and with social policy. As members of a major profession, social workers work in all types of communities, serving individuals and households from all economic levels, from all types of cultural and social backgrounds.” To prepare you for these responsibilities, the undergraduate program in social welfare combines classroom learning, community service, and 480 hours of supervised field experience.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredits the BASW program, which is structured according to the standards the CSWE has set. The social work program at the University of Washington, Tacoma is accredited by the CSWE as a BASW program option of the University of Washington in Seattle.

The University of Washington requires 180 credits for graduation that include approximately 63 credits for the BASW degree. Information provided here gives an overview of the two-year curriculum. In their freshman and sophomore years, pre-majors should fulfill as many of the College of Arts and Sciences general education requirements as possible. Those requirements consist of language skills (English composition and foreign language), reasoning and writing skills, and areas of knowledge. The completion of the general education requirements is not required for admission to the major.

Four prerequisite courses must be completed prior to beginning the major in the fall (minimum grade of 2.0 is required in each): Psychology 101; Introductory Sociology; Economics 100 or 200 or 201; and Biology 100, 118, 161 or Genomics 261 (UW course numbers). Statistics 220 (or equivalent) must be completed before the second year of the program.

We strongly encourage students to complete statistics before entering the social welfare program. Students may also complete Soc Wf 200 before applying to the BASW program. Courses in the BASW program are taken in sequence and include content on social welfare history, policy and services, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare practice, social welfare research, and cultural diversity. Students also participate in community service learning, a three-quarter sequence in the foundation year. These courses prepare students for the three-quarter practicum experience in the senior year, which involves delivering social services under the supervision of a practicum instructor approved by the School.