Curriculum

The Temple University BSW Program offers students an excellent educational experience. The BSW program consists of 120 credits and prepares entry level social workers to function in a variety of work settings using diverse methods.

Temple University has an innovative and compelling general education curriculum that students complete as part of the social work major. As part of the preparation of generalist practitioners, this general education content from the liberal arts and the socio-behavioral sciences is integrated with the professional foundation areas of Social Welfare Policy and Services, Social Work Practice, Human Behavior in the Social Environment and Social Research. Classroom content is applied directly through a two day a week field practicum that takes place both semesters of senior year. Professional social work courses are sequential, that is, courses need to be taken in a specified order as detailed in the BSW program of study available at the online Undergraduate Bulletin website.

Students are formally approved by their advisor as eligible to enter senior year once they have successfully completed all pre-senior courses. These are also specified in the BSW program of study.

The BSW is the first level practice degree in the profession of social work. In their courses and field practicum, students explore the additional content of social work values and ethics, diversity, populations at risk, human rights, social and economic justice, and the approaches of other countries to social issues. The BSW program integrates social work knowledge as well as knowledge from other professions such as, biology, psychology, sociology, history, economics, and political science. Students complete a set of required courses that give them a foundation for their future in the field of social work, however, they also have a choice of other courses so that they can pursue individual interests.

In addition to the standard curriculum, the BSW program offers students creative options in their study program. The Capital Semester program provides students who are accepted the chance to spend the fall semester in the state capital of Harrisburg in a government related internship (or field practicum if seniors). Students continue their program of study but at the Temple Harrisburg campus. Housing options in Harrisburg include International House so that students can have the opportunity to meet students from other countries. The program has been a great success and offers students the chance to get a direct experience of the workings of state government while maintaining their timeline for graduation.

The BSW program also offers a fall semester exchange program with Erfurt University in Germany. Courses are available in English and students have the chance to observe the approach to social welfare in Germany and to visit neighboring countries as part of their experience. Students opting for this opportunity remain on schedule to receive their BSW degree.

With regard to other international travel, faculty offer annual trips to other countries for which independent study credit is usually available. A ten day social work trip to Germany usually is offered every June and gets rave reviews from participants.

Another curricular option the University offers is the wide range of minors available for social work majors, for example, Spanish, criminal justice, sociology, or psychology. If students are interested in another area of study, this allows them to explore it.

The School of Social Work offers selected online courses that provide students with more flexibility in their scheduling of courses.

Finally, since the BSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), students can later apply to Advanced Standing status in an MSW program and, if accepted, complete an MSW in one year instead of two.