BSW Plan of Study

The BSW curriculum is offered on campus or online formats. Both options follow the same progression.

View the BSW Academic Plan of Study

Curriculum Plan & Course Descriptions

Listed below is the suggested curriculum plan for the social work major courses. This is to show that there are three required social work courses in Lower Division, along with other prerequisites and general education requirements. This list also shows the rigor of the Upper Division program, with courses planned for students in each semester. Courses are sequenced and must be taken in a certain order, and therefore are only offered in certain semesters. In order to stay on track with two years of Upper Division and graduate on time, students are strongly encouraged to complete the social work major requirements in the order given, in the semesters listed.

Lower Division (2 years*)

*The timeframe for Lower Division may look different depending on the student. For first year students at UNC Charlotte with little to no credits previously earned, Lower Division will likely take two years. Lower Division may take transfer students or students with an associate’s degree less time if they have credits earned from a previous institution. All transfer students are encouraged to check with their advisor to review their status.

  • SOWK 1511 – The Field of Social Work
  • SOWK 2182 – Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
  • SOWK 2183 – Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
  • Additional Lower Division prerequisites: BIOL ​1110,​ BIOL ​1110L, ​POLS ​1575 (or approved alternative), ​PSYC ​1101, STAT 1222,​ SOCY​ 1101
  • Additional general education requirements to complete (or transfer in)
  • Must complete at least 60 credits while in Lower Division

Upper Division BSW Courses (2 years)

First Fall Semester of Upper Division (13 credit hours)
  • SOWK 2184 – Writing for the Social Work Profession (1)
    • Course Description: An introduction to writing for the social work profession.
    • Format: Asynchronous (self-paced/no specific meeting times), 8 weeks
  • SOWK 3120 – Diversity and Populations-at-Risk (3)
    • Course Description: Analysis of issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, and ability within social work practice.
  • SOWK 3180 – Case Management (3)
    • Course Description: An introduction to effective case management skills in the profession of social work.  Students develop skills to create client-centered service plans, link clients to resources, and case documentation.  Students are required to demonstrate the core competencies of social work case management.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
  • SOWK 3199 – Professional Behaviors, Ethics, and Communication (3)
    • Course Description: Issues related to professional values, professional identity, continual learning, and best practices for social workers in a variety of practice situations.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
  • SOWK 3201 – Foundations of Social Welfare (3)
    • History of and current trends in social welfare, and values and conflicts that influence social welfare programming.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
    • General Education Requirement(s) Satisfied: Writing in the Disciplines (W)
First Spring Semester of Upper Division (12-15 credit hours)
  • SOWK 3202 – Social Welfare Policy (3)
    • Critical analysis of social welfare policy, including policy development and reform processes and outcomes.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
    • Prerequisite(s): SOWK 3201 with grade of C or above
    • General Education Requirement(s) Satisfied: Writing in the Disciplines (W)
  • SOWK 3133 – Community Engagement and Outreach (3)
    • Students engage in experiential learning in order to effectively prepare for social work practice with vulnerable populations, and specifically to enhance their ability to build relationships and facilitate access.
  • SOWK 3181 – Practice Methods I (3)
    • Course Description: Development of competencies within generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with individuals.
    • Format: Synchronous (Meetings once per week via Zoom) 
  • PSYC 2151 – Psychology Distress, Dysfunction, and Disorders (3)
  • Elective (if needed)
Second Fall Semester of Upper Division (9-15 credit hours)
  • SOWK 3182 – Practice Methods II (3)
    • Development of competencies within generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with families and groups.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
    • Prerequisite(s): SOWK 3181 with grade of C or above
  • SOWK 3482 – Social Work Practicum I (3 or 5) (O)
    • Students complete an approved supervised field experience for 16 hours per week. Students concurrently participate in a field seminar to reinforce and enhance their field experience
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
    • Prerequisite(s): SOWK 3181 with grade of C or above
    • General Education Requirement(s) Satisfied: Oral Communication (O)
  • SOWK 3900 – Social Work Research I (3)
    • Introduction to research methods and skills used in social work.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
  • Elective (if needed)
  • Population Group Course (if needed)
Second Spring Semester of Upper Division (9-15 credit hours)
  • SOWK 3184 – Practice Methods III (3)
    • Development of competencies within generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with communities and large systems.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
    • Prerequisite(s): SOWK 3181 with grade of C or above
  • SOWK 3484 – Social Work Practicum II (3 or 6) (O)
    • Students complete an approved supervised field experience for 16 hours per week.  Students concurrently participate in a field seminar to reinforce and enhance their field experiences.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
    • Prerequisite(s): SOWK 3482 with grade of C or above
    • General Education Requirement(s) Satisfied: Oral Communication (O)
  • SOWK 3988 – Social Work Research II (3)
    • Quantitative and qualitative research and the understanding of scientific and ethical approaches to building knowledge.
    • Restriction(s): Upper-Division Social Work major
    • Prerequisite(s): SOWK 3900 with grade of C or above
  • Elective (if needed)
  • Population Group Course (if needed)