BSW Program
Program Overview
The University of South Florida offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree in the School of Social Work within the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. This program has been developed in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Council on Social Work Education, the national accrediting body for social work education programs, and in accordance with the recommendations of the National Association of Social Workers. The BSW Program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The primary objective of the BSW program is the preparation of the graduate for beginning level practice as a social work generalist.
In preparing the BSW graduate for beginning professional practice, the curriculum base provides the student with an opportunity to develop a knowledge and skill base as a "generalist" practitioner. The student will develop an understanding of various intervention methods and skill in their application to a variety of client systems. For example, interventive methods may take the form of individual and group intervention, resource development, case management, consultation, teaching, advocacy, etc. Client systems may be individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
The student will develop an understanding of the dynamics of human behavior in individual, group and organizational contexts; the influences of the sociocultural environment upon those behaviors; the development of social welfare systems and institutions; and the social, economic, and political processes affecting policy development and program implementation.
The student will develop an understanding of the utilization of basic social research skills, particularly related to the processes of problem solving, planning, and evaluation.
BSW ADVISING
All admissions inquiries should be directed to the Academic Advisor, Amy Weisz, MSW, LCSW.
Email communication is most efficient. Send email
To schedule an appointment with the advisor click one of the links below from a desktop or laptop computer:
Advising for Current USF Students
Advising for Prospective USF Students
Program Documents
Social Work Career Competencies
Child Welfare Certificate Program
Frequently Asked Questions - BSW
In order to be eligible for admission into the BSW program you must have a minimum 2.75 GPA, satisfy the prerequisite courses and foundation courses and submit an application for admission into the program by the deadline. Completion of these steps does not guarantee the student's admission into the program. Limited access justifies limiting program enrollment where student demand exceeds available departmental resources.
Please check the state mandated prerequisite class list and foundation courses on our BSW Coursework page.
Please check the core class list on our BSW Coursework page.
Equivalent pre-requisite courses may be completed at community colleges. A review of your transfer credits will be completed during your initial appointment with a BSW advisor. You may be asked to provide a syllabus for transfer courses.
There is an application which must be completed prior to the deadline. Consideration in the admissions process is given to letters of reference from SOW foundation course instructors, essay, GPA and volunteer/paid work-related to social work. The BSW advisor distributes these applications to students in the foundation social work course (SOW 3203).
July 1
October 15
After the grades have been posted for Fall and the final Summer semester, emails and hard copy letters are sent to students letting them know their admission status. If a student is admitted, the letter indicates that permits have been issued for them to register for the courses that they need to take and the student may then register for the BSW core courses. Only students who are admitted into the program may take the core social work courses and obtain a BSW degree.