Texas Tech University

BASW Program

The mission of the BASW program is to prepare graduates to contribute to society through civic participation and generalist social work practice. As critical thinkers and self-directed learners, graduates are able to simultaneously use self-awareness and sensitivity to the plight of humankind to promote social justice within our interdependent global community. The program is designed to integrate these fundamentals with the core principles and methods of social work, recognizing the context and consequences of professional practice.

What can I do with a BA in Social Work?

With a strong foundation of social work knowledge, values, and generalist intervention skills gained through undergraduate education, our alumns go on to practice in a variety of different settings, with different populations and social problems. While the general public tends to have a very narrow vision of the profession, social workers work with people of all ages, incomes, and cultures, whether as individuals or in  larger-sized systems such as small groups, large organizations, communities, and government bodies. Social workers are employed in public and private organizations, as well as profit and non-profit agencies. Working towards prevention as well as intervention, social workers focus on many different social needs and problems, such as those related to homelessness, child protection, chronic disease, aging, family interaction, or disability. Just in the Lubbock area, graduates of our program are employed in schoools, hospitals, community organizations, detention centers, veteran-assistance prorams, and mental health agencies, among others.

Graduates of the BA in Social Work at TTU are eligible to sit for the national BSW-level exam with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) and to apply for corresponding licensure in most jurisdictions. In other words, our graduates are prepared for baccalaureate level social work practice in the community; in fact, a majority of those seeking employment have accepted a fulltime position prior to graduation. For those interested in continuing their social work education within 5 years of achieving the BASW, most of our students are eligibile for 1-year MSW programs.

For more information about the social work profession, such as fields of practice, professional roles, job opportunities, educational and licensing requirements, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Debra Lavender-Bratcher, Acting BASW Program Director, or another of the fulltime faculty members in social work. 

Accreditation

The BASW Program at Texas Tech University is accredited with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) through June of 2031. CSWE is a national organization that regulates undergraduate and graduate social work education programs in the United States. In the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), CSWE has established nine areas of competency that graduating students should demonstrate. Accredited social work programs are held responsible for ensuring they maintain the standards and engage in ongoing assessment for these competency outcomes. Social work programs participate in an extensive review process on an 8-year cycle, which corresponds to the publication of new EPAS. Through this ongoing process of accreditation and reaffirmation with CSWE, students can have reasonable assurance of the quality of social work education programs and the rest of society can have confidence in the competence of their graduates.

Program Requirements

The TTU catalog includes the overall requirements for earning the , including the recommended curriculum schedule, as well as . Major requirements include 6 hours of program adjunct hours, 3 hours of approved electives, 24 credit hours of lecture-based coursework, and 9 capstone credit hours, which include a field placement and concurrent field seminar course. In addition to these credits within the major, all students must complete the core curriculum of the niversity, the general degree requirements fo the college, and an 18-hour minor. In order to ensure that students are aware of all the degree requirements, social work majors are required to meet with the Senior Academic Advisor for social work, Adrienne Scales, at least once every long semester. Set up a meeting with the advisor through Raider Success.

Admission to Practice Course Sequence

Social work majors must apply for admission to the practice course sequence (PCS) the long semester BEFORE planned enrollment in their first practice course (either SW 3332 or SW 3333). PCS applicants should provide their references with the instruction letter from the BASW Program Director at least 2 weeks prior to the date for midterm grades, which can be found on the official academic calendar. Instructions for students and application materials can found under Handbooks and Forms on the menu toolbar above.

Field Instruction

Field placement is an essential component of social work education and required by CSWE. Every major completes a 400-hour, closely-supervised practicum during their capstone semester in the degree program. The Director of Field Education, Cara Speer, LCSW, is responsible for arranging all memorandums of agreement with field placement agency sites and meets with each potential field student for placement consideration. Student applications for field placement are due the long semester BEFORE enrollment in SW 4340/4611. The field placement manual can be found on the program website, under the handbooks and forms tab.

More information on program admission, degree requirements, and much more can be found in the TTU Social Work Program BASW Student Handbook. All majors are responsible for being familiar with the information addressed there.

Scholarships

Most semesters, there are at least three scholarships available for upper level social work students. Applications for monies for the following semester are generally accepted until the end of each long semester. Learn more about these internal scholarships here.

Are you struggling this semester to make ends meet? Check out Raider Relief.

Student Representation

While any student can bring issues to the social work faculty at any time, BASW Student Representatives act as formal advocates for issues related to program functioning. The student representatives collect student concerns and meet with the faculty. Each student representative serves for two long semesters. For more information on becoming a student representative, please refer to the student handbook. Current representatives contact information is located here, when available.

Student Representatives, 2024-2025

Madison Miller
Madison Miller
mil97286@ttu.edu
pic of Kiersta Mills
Kiersta Mills
kiemills@ttu.edu
pic of Zalanda Muniz
Zalanda Muniz
zamuniz@ttu.edu
pic of Adam Stalcup
Adam Stalcup
astalcup@ttu.edu
       

Student Organizations

group picture of SWSO executive board
[Pictured: SWSO Officers from left to right: Danielle Campbell, Michelle Arteaga, Frankie Galindo Serenity Sherrill and Layla Schuh]
Social Work Students Organization (SWSO): is open to undergraduate students who have an interest in social work or other helping professions. To join in, message through  Instagram (@ttu_swso) or sign up for the SWSO Groupme

Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society: Social Work Majors with a 3.25+ GPA in at least 9 hours of social work courses & an overall institutional GPA of 3.0+ are eligible to join the Mu Epsilon chapter of Phi Alpha. Interested students should inquire with one of the faculty advisors, Profs. Kimberli Phillips and Bonnie Anne Rudd, for more information.

Resources for Students

Be sure to bookmark this new link to The University Writing Centers. Remember, you should ALWAYS get feedback on at least one draft of EVERY writing assignment in EVERY class. Writing takes practice. Using the Writing Centers will not only likely improve your grade for a particular assignment, but it will also improve your writing skills in general. 

Feeling the pressure this semester? Follow this link to get acess to the great resources for students offered through The Learning Center, such as drop-in tutoring and help with test-taking skills.

Having trouble making ends meet this semester? Don't forget that Raider Red's Food Pantry can help you feed a rumbly tummy.

You can find all these resources and many more by following this link to Campus Life

Social Work