School of Social Work

University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

The School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh, established in 1918, is one of the oldest and most respected social work programs in the country. From its founding, the School has been committed to advancing knowledge through education, research, and community engagement.

An academic unit within the University, the School of Social Work offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs, along with continuing education for practicing professionals. The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Board of Accreditation. Students and graduates are eligible for full membership in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Vision of the School of Social Work

Transforming our world, our future, ourselves

Mission of the School of Social Work

Prepares courageous leaders to transform social work practice, policy, research, and education in a community-engaged and inclusive environment
Develops and advances innovative approaches to understand, prevent, and ameliorate complex social problems
Builds collaborative partnerships to promote social justice

Goals of the School of Social Work

Educate professional social workers with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to engage in culturally competent practice with diverse populations and communities, to critically analyze personal, familial, and environmental factors affecting practice settings and practice techniques, and to advocate for those who confront barriers to maximizing the achievement of their fullest potential.
Engage in scholarly activities that contribute to professional knowledge about complex social problems and innovative approaches to ameliorate those problems.
Provide service to local, national, and international communities through the development of and participation in collaborations with social agencies, community-based organizations, government, and foundations.

Undergraduate Degree Options

The School of Social Work awards Bachelors of Arts in Social Work (BASW) and Bachelors of Philosophy in Social Work (BPhil) degrees and a minor in social work.

BASW Program

The BASW Program is offered as an upper-division (i.e., junior and senior years only) academic major, underscoring the program’s commitment to a strong liberal arts base. The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program has been nationally accredited since 1973, preparing students to be competent entry-level generalist social work practitioners and for graduate education. Recognizing the profession’s values of service, social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry, the program provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to advance human and community well-being.

BPhil

The BPhil creates the opportunity for undergraduate students to engage in research and scholarly work toward a more rigorous baccalaureate degree traditionally reserved for the graduate level. In combination with the David C. Frederick Honors College requirements it, “preserves an element of intellectual scope, ever the distinctive feature of American undergraduate education (A. Stewart).” This degree is offered jointly between the David C. Frederick Honors College and the School of Social Work.

BASW majors who meet the David C. Frederick Honors College (FHC) eligibility requirements and who are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in social work should make an appointment with the BASW Program Director to review criteria and process for the degree.

Social Work minor

The Social Work Minor requires the successful completion of 15 social work credits is open to undergraduate students throughout the university.

Admissions

The BASW and BPhil are upper-level degree programs, with students typically beginning their major coursework in their junior year.

All applicants to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program (BASW) must meet the following requirements:

Completion of approximately 60 transferable liberal arts credits at the University of Pittsburgh or another accredited undergraduate institution and/or completion of an accredited associate degree program. This may include credits awarded from the College Level Examination Program [CLEP] by the College of General Studies
A minimum of 2.50 GPA on a 4.00 scale.

Applicants with a Grade Point Average (GPA) below 2.50 may be asked to submit additional materials to further evaluate readiness for undergraduate social work study and may be admitted on provisional status.

Application Procedures

While most students begin in the fall term with a cohort, students may apply for the fall term or spring 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.

Applications to the School of Social Work will be evaluated and admission decisions will be released as they are received.

SEMESTER START	FALL	SPRING
INTERNAL TRANSFER (Current Pitt Students)	AUGUST 15	DECEMBER 1
EXTERNAL TRANSFER	JULY 30	DECEMBER 1

Required application materials include:

The application fee of $55 (only if applying from another institution; current University of Pittsburgh students do not have to pay this fee).
An application
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.
A personal statement
Two letters of reference. Approved references include college advisors, college instructors, and the current (or last) employer/volunteer supervisor.

The School of Social Work does not require exam scores for admissions consideration. Applicants wishing to submit their exam scores or other materials (publications, major papers, etc.) in support of their application may do so.

In most cases, decisions on applications for admission are made without an interview. Applicants with special circumstances are encouraged to schedule an interview with the admissions team.

Academic Standards

BASW Academic Standards

Embodying the standards of professional social work, the School of Social Work has established expectations for student and faculty conduct in its Academic and Professional Behavior Policy. This policy, which outlines the professional behavior standards for students and processes for addressing and resolving any violations of these standards, can be found in the BASW Student Handbook.

The School of Social Work maintains an Academic Integrity Policy that applies to all students and faculty members. The policy is designed to ensure that both students and faculty uphold the ethical standards expected of them in fulfilling their academic and professional responsibilities.

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) 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:

The code identifies core values on which social work’s mission is based.
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.
The code is designed to help social workers identify relevant considerations when conflicting professional obligations or ethical uncertainties arise.
The code provides ethical standards to which the general public can hold the social work profession accountable.
The code socializes practitioners new to the field to social work’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards.
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 the NASW Code of Ethics.

Graduating with Honors

The program honors those BASW majors whose academic performance (cumulative GPA) 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. BASW majors are also eligible for membership in Phi Alpha, the National Social Work Honor Society.

Advising

When admitted, new BASW majors are assigned an advisor by the BASW program director. Incoming BASW majors meet their assigned faculty advisor prior to enrolling in classes for the fall semester. A new advisor will be assigned to students when they enroll for Practicum Seminar I and the concurrent Practicum Seminar and Lab I.

Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor during the first three to four weeks of each term. Their advisor will clarify educational options, answer questions about the BASW Program, and discuss career opportunities. Faculty advisors should be the first point of contact for any or all of the following:

Registration including add/drop, leaves of absence, and withdrawals; Clarification of all academic policies and procedures (i.e., grading policies, graduation requirements, directed study);
Discussions regarding academic expectations and performance;
Information about other departments and/or programs in the School of Social Work or the University of Pittsburgh;
Planning of the student’s educational program in accordance with his or her career interests.

Students completing the social work minor maintain the academic advisor in their current college or school.

Special Academic Opportunities

Special Paid Practicum Placement Opportunities

Since 2001, the BASW Program has offered the Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates (CWEB) program as an educational opportunity for undergraduate social work majors interested in public child welfare services to prepare for employment in one of Pennsylvania’s 67 public child welfare agencies. Qualified students who are enrolled as social work majors may receive substantial financial support in return for a contractual obligation to accept employment in a Pennsylvania public child welfare agency following completion of their social work degree. Students interested in the program should contact the BASW Program Director. All applicants must complete the Online CWEB Application.

The Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education: A Fellowship in Gerontology is a unique educational program designed to enhance both direct practice and leadership specifically focused on the needs of older adults. Program participation enables bachelor-level students to become highly skilled, competent, job-ready generalist practitioners. The program was developed to enhance specific geriatric-focused social work competencies across various service sectors. The fellowship is offered for bachelor-level social work

students with appropriate variation in required coursework, applied competencies, and practicum experience.

Student Engagement Opportunities

The school offers several special opportunities for student learning and engagement, including New Student Orientation, student events and activities, and community lectures. Additional opportunities include:

Student Participation on School Committees

Students have opportunities to participate in the governance of the School of Social Work by volunteering to serve on school committees as full members of those committees. Information about the purposes and functions of the committees is distributed during the beginning of each fall term.

Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) Club

The BASW Club is designed to promote and enhance the development of the academic and social aims and interests of the students in the BASW Program. The BASW Club also promotes student and community interest in and interaction with the School of Social Work. The BASW Club has no dues. When students are accepted into the BASW major they are automatically members of the BASW Club. Students who are social work minors or are considering social work as a profession may attend meetings and be involved in

activities but are not considered voting members of the BASW Club.

Student Executive Council (SEC)

All degree students in the School of Social Work comprise the membership of the student organization that elects the Student Executive Council. The council focuses on student life and serves as a liaison with the administration and faculty.

The Student Executive Council relies heavily on student participation, to be of service to the student body. Activities include publication of a student newsletter, developing discussion sessions around critical social issues, providing of opportunities for social action, helping to plan for orientation, and planning a variety of social events.

ISEC members, representing the student body, are also appointed to serve in the following organizations and/or committees: Black Action Society; Student Chapter, NASW; Student Chapter, NABSW; Alumni Association (Liaison); BASW Club; and Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA).

Phi Alpha National Honor Society, Mu Omicron Chapter

Phi Alpha Honor Society was created to provide a closer bond between social work students and the profession to promote humanitarian goals and ideals. Phi Alpha Honor Society was founded in 1960 with the purpose of fostering high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work. There are more than 110 chapters nationwide.

Additional Learning Opportunities

VanKirk Career Center

The VanKirk Career Center prepares students for the social work job market by providing contemporary workshops, individual consultation, and technical support. The center’s services are constructed to develop greater self-confidence, expand awareness of career opportunities, and foster effective job search practices. All students can easily take full advantage of the professional development and career service opportunities offered by the VanKirk Career Center.

Center for Race and Social Problems

In 2002, then Dean of the School of Social Work Larry E. Davis established the Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP) at the University of Pittsburgh to help lead America further along the path to social justice by conducting race-related research, mentoring emerging scholars, and disseminating race-related research findings and scholarship. CRSP is multidisciplinary in its approach and multiracial in its focus and was the first race-related research center to be housed in a school of social work.

Buhl Social Work Collection

The Buhl Social Work Collection is located on the first floor of Hillman Library. The Buhl Library is staffed by a part-time Social Work Librarian, whose office is located in Buhl Library.