BSW Program
Coursework
Social work major cohorts will begin their BSW coursework in either the spring or fall semesters. The major coursework will take 4 semesters to complete, however there are no social work major courses offered during summer semesters. Summer semesters are reserved for students to complete any missing general education requirements, electives, prerequisites, or study abroad opportunities. For example, Intro to Social Work (SOW3203) is offered in fall, spring, and summer semesters.
The BSW Program is a full time, lock-step structured program. This means that students are expected to take the coursework as outlined in the USF Undergraduate Catalog and progress through each semester toward graduation without any alterations. Students who begin the BSW first semester courses in spring are expected to be in the second semester courses in fall and the final semester courses in the following spring. Students who begin the BSW Program first semester courses in fall are expected to be in the second semester courses in spring and in the final semester courses in the following fall. In the final semester, most students are in their field placements Monday through Thursday for 32 hours per week with class on Fridays.
Due to the full-time nature of our program, it is not recommended that students work full time while completing coursework. Currently, there is no option to complete the BSW program coursework in a part-time format. In rare and extenuating circumstances, students may apply for a split field placement in their final semester. A split field placement requires half of the field placement hours to be completed in the final scheduled semester, and the remaining half to be completed in the following semester, extending the program to 5 semesters.
For more details about the BSW coursework requirements, please visit the .
The BSW Program offers a Child Welfare Certification Pathway for those students interested in a career in child welfare and want to pursue becoming a Certified Child Welfare Case Manager. Students pursuing this pathway will complete a paid field placement at a community-based care organization with one of our partnering agencies in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota Manatee, or Pasco Counties and will also complete the Child Maltreatment course in their final semester of the program. Before graduating, students will take the Case Management Certification exam through the Florida Certification Board and upon passing will be offered a full-time case management job at one of the participating case management organizations. Please contact Chris Groeber, MSW for more information: cgroeber@usf.edu.