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SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

The School of Social Work, successor to the Division of Social Work in the Department of Sociology of the University, was founded in September 1938. The School shares with the University a commitment to the advancement of knowledge and applies that knowledge for the fulfillment of human potential through the prevention and amelioration of social problems. The School prepares social work students for competent professional practice and research seeking to maximize human development, human dignity, social justice, and social equity for diverse populations. The School is dedicated to achieving excellence in scholarship through teaching, community service, research, and the dissemination of knowledge. Consistent with the University's mission to serve the metropolitan area, the School has special concern for the social issues associated with urbanization. The School views these elements of its mission as continuing its historic commitment to the elimination of human suffering and the provision of opportunities that maximize human capabilities. The goals of the School are to:

  • develop knowledge and skills and promote values and ethics for the social work profession;
  • prepare undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students to use problem-solving interventions and to use research to respond to personal and social problems that affect people as individuals and as members of families, groups, communities, and organizational systems;
  • promote the values of social justice and social equity; promote commitment to professional service with populations who are disadvantaged, discriminated against, or economically oppressed; and promote understanding, development, and application of strategies to relieve oppression and to reduce the divisive and destructive effects of all forms of discrimination;
  • provide education at each degree level to diverse populations;
  • prepare students to participate in research and to utilize research findings to enhance professional practice and influence social policies;
  • engage in scholarly activities to develop and disseminate knowledge about human behaviors, needs, social problems, policies, and services;
  • assist and support faculty to advance and expand their knowledge, teaching, and research skills;
  • provide professional training and consultation to improve the quality and delivery of human services;
  • develop and participate in collaborative and interdisciplinary programs with other schools, departments, and programs of the University, and with social agencies, communities, organizations, government, and other universities.

The School offers a full continuum of social work educational programs on the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels (as well as a continuing education program for practicing social workers). The social worker with a bachelor's degree is trained to provide direct services to various populations who seek help from a variety of public and private social agencies and institutions. The School endeavors to individualize programs so that students may achieve their fullest potential for professional practice.

The School's bachelor's and master's programs in social work are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and graduates are eligible for full membership in the National Association of Social Workers.

CONTACT INFORMATION

School of Social Work Office of Admissions
Room 2108 Cathedral of Learning
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 624-6348
Fax: (412) 624-6323
elhattab+@pitt.edu
http://www.pitt.edu/~pittssw

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program (BASW), a student must meet the following requirements:

  • Completion of the freshman and sophomore years in an accredited undergraduate institution and/or completion of an accredited associate degree program.
  • Capacity for successful work at the undergraduate level, with a minimum of 2.50 QPA on a 4.00 scale. The review of the academic record will include a computation of the cumulative quality point average (QPA); an identification of areas of high, average, and low performance; and a notation of the range of social and/or behavioral science and other related course work.
  • Completion of a minimum of 60 credits, reflecting a liberal arts base and distributed as follows:
    1. Humanities 9 cr.
    2. Natural sciences 9 cr.
    3. Social sciences 9 cr.
    4. Other courses (preferably including a computer skills course and courses in the humanities and behavioral and social sciences) 33 cr.

    Credits awarded from the College Level Examination Program [CLEP] by the College of General Studies are acceptable for inclusion in the 60 credits.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Students may only apply for the Fall Term. Students currently enrolled within the University of Pittsburgh system should submit applications and all credentials to the School of Social Work Office of Admissions. Students applying from outside the University of Pittsburgh should send all application materials and credentials directly to the University Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (see Pittsburgh Campus Freshman Admissions for address). The application form and all application materials and credentials listed below must be received by May 15:

  • The application fee of $35 (only if applying from another institution; current University of Pittsburgh students do not have to pay this fee).
  • A complete transcript from the registrar of each college attended. If course work is still in progress at the time the application is filed, the student should request a supplemental transcript at the end of each term. Although a decision for acceptance may be made while academic work is still in progress, an up-to-date transcript must be received before the applicant can register for course work. Persons seeking a transfer to the University of Pittsburgh from another college or university must also submit a high school transcript or its equivalent.
  • A three-part typewritten statement (of no more than eight pages) discussing the following concerns in depth:

    1. The influence in the student's life experience that made her select social work as a profession.
    2. What the student believes social work education can contribute to her professional competence.
    3. What the student believes to be one of the most important contemporary social issues and why.

  • The application supplement sheet, which requests information on the student's employment background, a list of the names and addresses of the people who will be completing reference forms on the applicant's behalf, and academic credit requirement questions.
  • Five letters of reference. Required references include college advisors, an instructor at the college level, and the current (or last) employer/volunteer supervisor. The other references might include such persons as the leader or sponsor of an organization in which the applicant participated as a member or volunteer. Applicants should send the blank reference forms received with the application materials to each of the reference persons. The School of Social Work admissions office will periodically notify the applicant of the status of the application materials, and the applicant will be expected to follow through with each reference to insure receipt of the letter. Reference persons should mail the completed form directly to the School of Social Work Office of Admissions.

OTHER SUPPORTING APPLICATION MATERIALS

The School of Social Work does not require the submission of scores from an examination for admission consideration. However, applicants wishing to submit such exam scores or other materials (publications, major papers, etc.) in support of their application may do so. In no instance will an applicant not submitting these be penalized in determining acceptance for the program.

Special circumstances surrounding individual applicants may indicate the need for additional materials (references, etc.) to be submitted in support of the application. The School reserves the right to require selected additional materials as it deems appropriate.

ADMISSION INTERVIEWS

Interviews may be initiated by the admissions personnel of the School of Social Work. Applicants who feel they would like to discuss special circumstances surrounding their applications are encouraged to seek admission interviews. The interview, if requested, should be scheduled after all application materials have been received. Usually, decisions on applications for admission are made without an interview.

GRADING STANDARDS POLICY FOR THE BASW PROGRAM

This policy covers the following areas in regard to grading:

GOOD ACADEMIC STANDING

In order to remain in good academic standing and be graduated from the BASW program, all students must:

  • obtain a grade of C- or better in all courses required for the major (including Practicum I and II);
  • maintain a B average (3.00 or above QPA on a 4.00 scale) in all courses required for the major (including Practicum I and II);
  • conform to the standards of professional conduct as specified in the NASW Code of Ethics (see below);
  • maintain a minimum cumulative QPA of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale.

HONORS

The program honors those students whose academic performance (cumulative QPA) places them in the upper two percent of their graduating class. These students are considered for Honors Recognition at the Annual Honors Convocation conducted by the University in the spring of each year.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS CODE OF ETHICS

Professional ethics are at the core of social work. The profession has an obligation to articulate its basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. The NASW Code of Ethics sets forth these values, principles, and standards to guide social workers' conduct. The code is relevant to all social workers and social work students, regardless of their professional functions, the settings in which they work, or the populations they serve. The NASW Code of Ethics serves six purposes:

  1. The code identifies core values on which social work's mission is based.
  2. The code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the profession's core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide social work practice.
  3. The code is designed to help social workers identify relevant considerations when conflicting professional obligations or ethical uncertainties arise.
  4. The code provides ethical standards to which the general public can hold the social work profession accountable.
  5. The code socializes practitioners new to the field to social work's mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards.
  6. The code articulates standards that the social work profession itself can use to assess whether social workers have engaged in unethical conduct. NASW has formal procedures to adjudicate ethics complaints filed against its members. In subscribing to this code, social workers are required to cooperate in its implementation, participate in NASW adjudication proceedings, and abide by any NASW disciplinary rulings or sanctions based on it.

The code offers a set of values, principles, and standards to guide decision making and conduct when ethical issues arise. It does not provide a set of rules that prescribe how social workers should act in all situations. Specific applications of the code must take into account the context in which it is being considered and the possibility of conflicts among the code's values, principles, and standards. Ethical responsibilities flow from all human relationships, from the personal and familial to the social and professional. Social work students are required to comply with NASW Code of Ethics. Copies can be obtained from the NASW Web page at http://www.socialworkers.org.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

There is a seven-year limitation on the earning of the BASW degree with the seven-year period beginning from the date of entry into the respective program. Under the following extenuating circumstances, the advisor may recommend an extension of time to the program director and the associate dean:

  • Extended illness of the student
  • Death of a close family member or extended personal emergency
  • Academic probation in the last term of the student's program

UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING: BACHELOR OF ARTS IN SOCIAL WORK

Each student will be assigned a faculty advisor at the beginning of each academic year. Juniors will generally be assigned to those faculty who teach first-term junior courses. Seniors will be assigned to the faculty instructor for the particular section of practicum seminar and lab for which they are registered. The purposes of advising are to assist the student with the academic program and to interpret the policies of the School and the goals and objectives of the profession. In addition, the advising process offers students and faculty an opportunity to discuss and share concerns and to offer suggestions for the program.

The BASW Club provides additional information and support to students via informal support systems. The student is urged to assist in the advising procedures by reviewing completed academic work to date, defining educational and career goals, and by supplying input that might be helpful in the charting of course work for the balance of the academic experience.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The School of Social Work requires a minimum of 120 credits for graduation. The courses listed below are required of all students working toward the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work:

  • Social Work Courses: a total of 48 credits in the social work major:
    SOCWRK 1000 Introduction to Social Work* 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1005 Social Welfare I 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1006 Social Welfare II 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1008 Ethnicity and Social Welfare 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1010 Interventive Methods I 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1011 Interventive Methods II 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1012 Interventive Methods III 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1013 Interventive Methods IV 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1015 Human Behavior and the Social Environment 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1020 Introduction to Social Work Research 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1024 Practicum Seminar and Lab I 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1025 Practicum I 6 cr.
    SOCWRK 1026 Practicum Seminar and Lab II 3 cr.
    SOCWRK 1027 Practicum II 6 cr.

  • Social and Behavioral Sciences Requirements: 24 credits **
    Anthropology 3 cr.
    Economics 3 cr.
    Political Science 3 cr.
    Psychology 3 cr.
    Sociology 3 cr.
    Additional credits in one of these five areas 9 cr.

  • Other Course Requirements: 12 credits **
    English Composition 3 cr.
    Africana Studies 3 cr.
    Statistics 3 cr.
    Human Biology (or equivalent course emphasizing the biological determinants of human behavior) 3 cr.

    *Course of equivalent content may have been taken at another institution.
    ** These courses/credits (in part or in whole) may have been taken as part of the 60 credits required for admission. Any of these courses/credits not taken prior to admission must be completed prior to graduation.



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