The UW School of Social Work offers a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare major. This practice degree prepares students for a broad range of traditional and non-traditional social work generalist practice as well as solid preparation for graduate study in social work and related fields (such as law, public health, education, and urban planning).

Our generalist curriculum encourages students to be engaged actively as world citizens who consider the effects of social constructs on individuals and their communities in their practice. This program is designed to meet the interest of those students who seek to promote social justice, multiculturalism, and human welfare for populations on a local and global context.

To prepare you for these responsibilities, the undergraduate program in social welfare combines classroom learning, community service, and 480 hours of supervisory 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. 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 and prerequisites are not required for admission to the major.  Students should plan on completing these requirements prior to the beginning of the BASW program.

The final two years (junior/senior years) of BASW study are comprised of courses taken in sequence. These courses 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 senior year’s three-quarter practicum experience, which involves delivering social services under the supervision of a practicum instructor approved by the School.

The BASW is offered on both our Seattle and Tacoma campuses.