The profession of social work is a regulated profession at the state level. This means that the title and social work roles are protected. Various levels of licensure, along with scope of practice for each, are codified in the state of Missouri and are available for reference. For additional information, refer to the Missouri Committee for Social Workers here.
The State of Missouri and many other states require a degree from an accredited social work program in order to sit for the social work licensure exam in the state. Obtaining a degree from an accredited social work program and passing the ASWB licensure exam are the first steps toward applying for a social work license in Missouri and other states.
The Social Work program at Missouri Western has met all standards and is approved by CSWE. Missouri Western’s Social Work program prepares students to move directly into employment or, on to graduate school. This means that students who complete this program, can use this degree in many geographic areas, states, with populations or provide services. The State of Missouri does offer a license for BSWs but most positions do not require it. The State of Kansas, our close neighbor, generally requires a license to work as a Bachelor’s level Social Worker. The BSW degree from Missouri Western will meet the requirement the person will need to sit for the exam to become licensed. Other states may have different requirements for licensure. Information about other states requirement for licensure can be found at
https://www.aswb.org/licenses/how-to-get-a-license/getting-licensed-in-another-state-or-province/
If you have any questions about licensure in Missouri or any other state, please feel free to discuss it with department faculty; who will be happy to assist.
Students who choose this bachelor degree program will have no more than 6 years from admission or subsequent declaration to meet the requirements listed below. If certification, accreditation or statutory requirements change and additional requirements become effective during this time, the new requirements take precedence.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Studies | ||
| 42 | ||
| Major Requirements | ||
| SOC 230 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SWK 250 | Introduction to Social Work | 4 |
| SWK 320 | Philosophy and Policy in Social Services I | 3 |
| SWK 330 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 |
| SWK 350 | Social Work Practice I | 4 |
| SWK 360 | Social Work Practice II | 3 |
| SWK 415 | Social Work Practice III | 4 |
| SWK 420 | Philosophy and Policy in Social Services II | 3 |
| SWK 430 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | 3 |
| SWK 480 | Practicum in Social Work | 10 |
| SWK 485 | Social Work Practicum Seminar | 2 |
| Applied Learning Research Requirement | ||
| GBA 210 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| or MAT 111 | Introductory Statistics | |
| or MAT 111E | Introductory Statistics | |
| or PSY 300 | Introductory Psychological Statistics | |
| CRJ 325 | Understanding Research in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| or SOC 460 | Methods of Social Research | |
| SWK 470 | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| Diversity Requirement | ||
| SOC 400 | Racial and Ethnic Relations | 3 |
| Select three credit hours from the following: | 3 | |
| Multicultural Education | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| American Women's History | ||
| African American History | ||
| Race, Science, and Medicine in American History | ||
| Psychology of Gender | ||
| Religions of the World | ||
| World of Islam: People, Cultures & Societies | ||
| The Family | ||
| Sociology of Health, Illness and Medicine | ||
| Criminology | ||
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Select nine credit hours from the following: | 9 | |
| Interpersonal Conflict Resolution | ||
| Introduction to Aging Studies | ||
| Selected Topics in Social Work | ||
| Mental Health and Social Work | ||
| Substance Use and Disorders | ||
| Death And Dying | ||
| Family and Child Welfare | ||
| Bridge to Practicum | ||
| Independent Research/Project | ||
| Advanced Research Project | ||
NOTE: Students are expected to meet the professional and academic standards of conduct.
Program Graduation Requirements
- Earn a grade of C or higher in all SWK prefix coursework in the major.
- Earn an overall GPA of at least 2.5 and a major GPA of at least 2.0.
University Graduation Requirements
- Earn a minimum of 120 credit hours (100 level and higher, maximum of 6 CED credit hours applicable).
- Earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper-division courses. Lower-division transfer courses accepted as meeting upper-division departmental course requirements cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
- Earn 30 of the last 45 credit hours at MWSU in institutional coursework (exclusive of credit by examination).
- Participate in required departmental and campus wide assessments.
- Fulfill the Missouri Constitution requirement.
- Successfully pass the Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement exam.
- Major: B.S.W. Social Work
- Pre-Major: B.S.W. Social Work