WHAT IS SOCIAL WORK?
Social work is about helping individuals, families, and community members with problems in their daily lives and advocating for those who need a voice. Social work promotes social, economic and environmental justice to enhance quality of life for all and improve human and community well-being. As a student in the UNH social work program, you’ll learn about the history, values and ethics of the social work profession and social welfare policy. You’ll gain a solid foundation in the liberal arts while also studying human behavior and social work practices. As a graduate of the program, you’ll be prepared for generalist social work practice or continued education in social work or a related field.
WHY STUDY SOCIAL WORK AT UNH?
As a student in the social work program at UNH you’ll gain valuable, hands-on experience through a 40-hour human service experience at a social service agency and a 450-hourinternship. Students also benefit from the opportunity to work with faculty on various research projects. We maintain one of the top social work programs in the country, meeting rigorous academic standards required for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. Our students benefit from a low faculty/student ratio and small classes sizes. Nearly 100%of our graduates secure meaningful employment in the field or enroll in graduate education soon after completing their degree.
POTENTIAL CAREERS
- Case manager
- Family social worker
- Housing specialist
- Juvenile court liaison
- Child welfare
- Peer support worker
- Rehabilitation specialist
- Social services administrator
- Veterans affairs field officer
- Vocational specialist
Curriculum & Requirements
The Department of Social Work's undergraduate program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and must meet rigorous academic standards to retain this accreditation.
The Department of Social Work's undergraduate program offers both a major and a minor in social work. It is a specialized degree that prepares graduates for generalist social work practice with a solid foundation in the liberal arts and in the knowledge, skills, and value base of social work. Through the mastery of core competencies, social work graduates apply their education working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. In addition, the program prepares qualified students to pursue graduate education in schools of social work and related fields.
Social work majors earn a B.S. degree in social work. Graduates are eligible for practice in a variety of social work settings throughout the United States. In preparation for graduate school, the program offers an Accelerated Masters that qualified students can consider applying for their junior year. In addition, qualified graduates are eligible to apply for advanced standing in M.S.W. programs that offer advanced standing. Depending upon the program, this can mean earning the M.S.W. in one calendar year versus two academic years.
Degree Requirements
All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.
Major Requirements
Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery Program requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of the social work major.
Students must maintain a GPA 2.0 and earn a C or better in the 13 social work major courses. In addition, students are expected to successfully complete three additional courses as part of a liberal arts foundation for the major. Students are required to complete 40 hours of advisor approved human service hours by end of first semester junior year.
To connect the theoretical and conceptual content of the classroom with the practice world, students must complete:
- 40 hours of human service related work in an approved agency/program setting by the end of the semester when they apply to the field. Twenty of the forty hours must be in the same agency/program. The remaining hours may be across multiple sites/programs. This experience may be paid or volunteer and must be pre-approved by the student's faculty adviser. The service hours must be completed post high school and by the end of the semester when to field applications are due.
- Students complete a 450-hour internship over two semesters during the senior year. This is the senior capstone experience. The field placement in the final year of the baccalaureate program is arranged between the student and the field education coordinator. In compliance with CSWE accreditation standards, the B.S. in social work program does not grant social work course credit for life or work experience.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SW 424 | Introduction to Social Work | 4 |
| SW 525 | Social Welfare Policy: History of Social and Economic Justice | 4 |
| SW 550 | Human Behavior and Social Environment I | 4 |
| SW 551 | Human Behavior and Social Environment II | 4 |
| SW 601 | Research Methods in Social Work | 4 |
| SW 622 | Social Work Practice: Interventions with Individuals and Families | 4 |
| SW 623 | Social Work Practice: Interventions with Groups, Organizations and Communities | 4 |
| SW 625 | Social Welfare Policy in a Global Context | 4 |
| SW 630 | Race Equity in Health and Human Services | 4 |
| Category I: Anthropology & Sociology | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
ANTH 411 | Global Perspectives on the Human Condition: An Introduction to Anthropology | |
ANTH 500 | Peoples and Cultures of the World | |
SOC 400 | Introductory Sociology | |
SOC 515 | Introductory Criminology | |
SOC 520 | Family | |
SOC 525 | Juvenile Crime and Delinquency | |
SOC 535 | Homicide | |
| Category II: Human Biology Requirement | ||
| Select one course from the folowing: | 4 | |
ZOOL 401 | Human Biology | |
BMS 507 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | |
BMS 508 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | |
| Category III: Diversity Requirement (1) | ||
| Select one of the following | 4 | |
ANTH #450 | Introduction to Race, Culture, and Power | |
ANTH 625 | Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspectives | |
CMN 567 | Gender, Race, and Class in the Media | |
ENGL 549 | In the Groove: African American Music as Literature | |
ENGL 550 | Introduction to the Literature and Culture of Race | |
GERO 500 | I'm Old, So What! An introduction to aging in the United States | |
HIST 440A | Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Struggle for Racial Justice | |
HIST 505 | African American History | |
HIST #506 | African American History | |
HIST 532 | Modern Latin America | |
INCO 505A | Semester in the City Becoming a Problem Solver | |
PHIL 510 | Philosophy and Feminism | |
RMP 444A | Taking the "Dis" out of Disability | |
SOC 645 | Class, Status and Power | |
SOC 745 | Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality | |
SW #650 | Exploring Social Justice and Cultural Competency Using an Experiential Learning Approach | |
SW 660 | Exploring Issues in Housing and Homelessness | |
SW 715 | Affirming Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ People | |
WS 401 | Introduction to Women's Studies | |
WS 405 | Gender, Power and Privilege | |
WS 444 | Trans/Forming Gender | |
WS 444A | Race Matters | |
WS #444C | On the Roads to Equality | |
WS 632 | Feminist Thought | |
| Senior Capstone Course Sequence | ||
| SW 740 | Social Work Field Experience | 4 |
| SW 740A | Social Work Field Experience I: Seminar | 4 |
| SW 741 | Social Work Field Experience II | 4 |
| SW 741A | Social Work Field Experience II: Seminar | 4 |
| Total Credits | 64 | |
- Student demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
- Student engages diversity and difference in practice.
- Student advances human rights and social, economic and environmental justice.
- Engage in practice informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engages in policy practice.
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Intervenes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Evaluates practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
