BSW Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Social Work program requires 122 credit-hours of coursework, 480 clock-hours of supervised practicum internship, and 60 clock-hours of service learning in the community.
Students receive the training needed for a meaningful professional career and employment in public and private settings.

student holding longhorn sign

Degree Requirements

Foundation sequence

After completing requirements, BSW majors may apply to the practice sequence. The process can be competitive, applicants are encouraged to stay above the minimum requirements.

All BSW majors begin the program in the foundation sequence. It takes approximately two years to complete foundation required coursework in language arts, social and behavioral sciences, math, natural sciences and humanities.

Required foundation courses

  • SW 310 Intro to Social Work and Social Welfare CD
  • SW 312 Generalist Social Work Practice: Knowledge, Values & Skills
  • SW 313 Social Work Research Methods
  • SW 318 Social Work Statistics QR
  • SW 325 Foundations of Social Justice.

Practice sequence

BSW majors in the practice sequence take primarily social work courses in their third and fourth years, and complete a supervised practicum internship in the community during the last semester.

Students are expected to complete required courses in three or four long semesters. All BSW degree requirement must be completed prior to starting the practicum internship.

The Steve Hicks School considers students for admission to the practice sequence twice a year, during the fall and spring semesters. Current enrollment in courses during time of application is permitted. Grades will be checked at the end of the semester.

Minimum application requirements

  • 45 hours of coursework completed
  • UT Austin GPA of 2.0 or above
  • Social work GPA of 2.5 or above
  • A grade of “C” or higher in these courses: SW 310, SW 312, SW 313, SW 318, SW 325
  • Emotional and professional readiness to work with clients
  • A personal statement
  • Reference from SW 312 instructor

Degree Plans

See requirements to graduate, based on any active catalog that corresponds with any semester/year of your enrollment at UT Austin. Catalogs expire after six years. Speak with your academic advisor to discuss catalog options.

Degree plansSample 4-year plans
2022-2024DownloadDownload
2020-2022DownloadDownload
2018-2020DownloadDownload
2016-2018DownloadDownload

Interactive Degree Audit

An Interactive Degree Audit or IDA is a report of your progress toward your BSW degree. To create a report or view an existing one, go to the IDA website. If viewing an existing report, be sure to click “rerun audit” for the latest updates. Prospective students can generate a report using the BSW degree plan (UT EID required).