Social Work Major (B.A. in Social Work) [offered through Honors Tutorial College]
Program Overview
The Honors Tutorial College social work program prepares students to fulfill their potential to positively impact society including the lives of vulnerable people. This Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program offers high achieving and motivated students the chance to explore evidence-based clinical practices and social welfare issues and policies within an interdisciplinary framework.
Students complete eight tutorials between the first semester of the freshman year and the senior year. Under the tutelage of an appropriate professor, students take tutorials to complement and enrich early required courses and to allow students to focus on their academic interests. Then, their junior year, students will begin taking tutorials that lead to a completed thesis under the guidance of professors who have expertise in the students' chosen research area. The director of studies will supervise the process and ensure that the student progresses to completion of a quality thesis that meets departmental and College standards. Thesis topics investigated by our students include: strategies for addressing rural food insecurity, an assessment of child well-being in orphanages in India, outcomes for children who are raised by lesbian parents, and treatment of people who identify as transgender in shelters.
Students complete a 4-year program resulting in a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (B.A.S.W.) from the Honors Tutorial College. The B.A.S.W. degree qualifies students to take Ohio's L.S.W. licensure exam or the equivalent in other states. With this degree, students have the opportunity to be accepted into a one-year Advanced Standing program to earn a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree. The M.S.W. degree qualifies students to take the L.I.S.W. licensure exam in Ohio or the equivalent in other states. These licenses are vital keys to career opportunities in the profession.
The program provides students with:
- a core of social work practice knowledge and skills through a series of courses and tutorials;
- the requisite skills to critically analyze and address social problems from a theoretical and practical perspective;
- the opportunity to apply theory to practice in social service internships; and
- guidance through the process of conducting a research study on a topic of their choice that will lead to the completion of a thesis.
Admissions Information
Freshman/First-Year Admission
Students are selected by the director of studies of the social work program and the Honors Tutorial College based on superior academic ability and the potential for self-motivated study and research. Applicants typically are required to submit additional essays, and an interview with the director of studies is required for admission. More information, including materials and deadlines, is available at www.ohio.edu/honors/tutorial-college/apply. Supplemental requirements for application include two academic letters of reference and a writing sample that explains the applicant's goals and interest in social work.
Change of Program Policy
First-year students at Ohio University may apply to transfer into the Department of Social Work program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. Depending on program capacity, second-year students may be considered for transfer as well.
External Transfer Admission
First-year students may apply to transfer into the Department of Social Work program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. Depending on program capacity, second-year students may be considered for transfer as well.
Opportunities Upon Graduation
A bachelor's degree in social work with the L.S.W. licensure prepares graduates to pursue advanced degrees and a wide range of career opportunities including child welfare, mental health services, foster care and residential treatment, adoption services, and in nursing homes, schools, governmental agencies and medical facilities. Most of our students continue to graduate school to earn the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree and gain the L.I.S.W. licensure. Ohio University graduates have been accepted to top ranked Schools of Social Work such as University of Michigan, Ohio State University, George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, Tulane University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Many of our graduates have received generous scholarships and Graduate Assistantships.
Because social work skills are valuable in multiple settings and the discipline is inherently an interdisciplinary field, graduates have a wide range of career options. For a full explanation of career directions and experiences of social workers and current opportunities, see www.helpstartshere.org/.