DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

The field experience is an important required component of both the bachelors of social work (BSW) and masters of social work (MSW) programs at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW).  Many social service agencies in Wisconsin are partnered with UWW to provide students with a high quality social work field experience.  A supervised field experience provides students with opportunities to apply learned knowledge, values, and skills to real life practice situations. Exposure to practice situations helps students grow their generalist practice skills and prepare them to successfully work a variety of client populations and systems.

BSW Field Handbook

MSW Field Handbook

Overview of Field Program & Format

Students interested in enrolling in the field program must first successfully complete all required social work courses. Students are required to apply for field placement the semester prior to taking field. You are then assigned a Faculty Field Liaison who works with you to secure a field placement. BSW Students are required to complete 480 field experience hours at a social service agency under the supervision of a bachelors level (BSW) or masters level (MSW) practicing social worker. The practicing social worker, called the Field Instructor, provides the student with broad exposure to social work roles and responsibilities.

The majority of social work students complete the field experience over the course of one semester. This format requires the student to work approximately 32 hours a week. Those students who complete their field experience over the course of two semesters will work approximately 16-20 hours per week.  Students who wish to complete their field experience over the summer, will work approximately 40 hours a week over the 12-week summer session.

* SOCWORK 493-Social Work Experience (Field Placement) is not available online as part of an online degree.  Students complete this course in-person at a social services agency.

Overview of Field Program & Format

Advanced Generalist Standing MSW Students are required to complete 500 field experience hours at a social service agency under the supervision of a masters level (MSW) practicing social worker. The practicing social worker, called the Field Instructor, provides the student with exposure to advanced generalist social work practice.The field practicum is completed over the course of one academic year. This format requires the student to work approximately 16 hours a week plus an additional 2-hour integrative seminar each week.         Non-advanced Standing MSW Students are required to complete a total of 980 field experience hours over two academic years. The first year of field experience is intended to provide students with broad exposure to social work roles and responsibilities. The final field placement, second year for non-advanced standing and first year for advanced standing, will be grounded in advanced generalist practice. All field experience will be completed at a social service agency under the supervision of a masters level (MSW) practicing social worker, called a Field Instructor.  Students enrolling in field practicum, are required to review the Department of Social Work Masters in Social Work Field Program  Manual for Field Students, Faculty, and Instructors.  You will be sent a Request for Field Application via a Qualtrics Survey and then assigned a Faculty Field Liaison who will work with you in the placement process.  Once your field placement is secured, you are sent another Qualtrics Survey (face sheet) to provide information for your Faculty Field Liaison/social work department about your field site.

Social service agencies that employ bachelors level (BSW) or masters level social workers (MSW) and that are interested in providing social work students with field placement opportunities are encouraged to contact our Field Coordinator, Dr. Katherine Drechsler at drechslk@uww.edu.

There are numerous scholarship opportunities available to students, both through the university, the College of Letters and Sciences and the Social Work Department. To make life a little easier, all of the university's scholarship applications and requirement listings are available online.

• Zastrow Scholarship
• Navarre Memorial Scholarship for Service
• Casey Garbers Knutson Scholarship
• Dorothy  Brown Memorial Social Work Scholarship

BSW Handbook

MSW Handbook

Mental Health Webpage

Previous Syllabi

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 132,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.

Wisconsin Chapter

NASW-WI is the largest organization of professional social workers in Wisconsin, and we provide a variety of products, services and opportunities. NASW’s primary functions include promoting the professional development of its members, establishing and maintaining professional standards of practice, advancing sound social policies, and providing services that protect its members and enhance their professional status. Student members receive these full benefits at a 75% savings! NASW is your best connection to the ideas, information, resources and people that will help you achieve your full potential as a student and as a future social work professional. After graduation, NASW continues to help subsidize dues for student members. If you maintain continuous membership, you will be able to take advantage of the transitional category of membership after graduation.

Why Should Students join NASW?

• Discounts on Exam Prep Courses
• NASW Scholarships
• Sign up for student liability insurance
• Take free online risk management and ethics courses
• Explore the different career paths in social work
• Learn what’s happening in multiple areas of practice
• Participate in chapter activities, such as lobby day
• Branches hold networking and continuing education events
• Networking with future employers and colleagues - It is not only what you know, but also who you know
• FREE resume and cover letter review service
• Search NASW’s social work job database
• Adding NASW-WI, a professional organization, to your resume puts you ahead of the rest
• NASW-WI has a number of committees to get involved in, another resume builder
• Read the NASW News

To read more or join, click here.

According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of social workers is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. Job prospects are expected to be excellent, particularly for applicants with relevant post-secondary education.

There are multiple career paths for social work majors. The social work major is a professional program that prepares graduates for entry-level, generalist social work practice. Students successfully find positions in a wide range of public and private agencies. A variety of employment settings for social workers include:

• Aging/Gerontology Services
• Foster care
• Child welfare
• Domestic violence
• Corrections
• Adoption
• Drug and alcohol counseling
• Mental health
• Public assistance
• Counseling
• Day care services
• Case management
• Social services
• Recreational services
• Social service/civil rights organizations
• Services for persons of color, persons with disabilities, single parents, and veterans
• Nursing homes/assisted living
• Probation and parole

Read more about Social Work careers here and here.

Below are links to career and employment opportunities from agencies that welcome applications from UWW Social Work graduates.

Children's Hopsital of Wisconsin

Columbia County

Community Action, Inc. of Rock and Walworth Counties

Covenant Family Solutions

DAIS-Domestic Abuse Intervention Services

NewBridge Madison

Rock County

Rock Valley Community Programs

Rogers Behavioral Health

RISE UP, INC. 

UCP of Greater Dane County 

Wisconsin Community Services, Inc.

Wisconsin – Department of Corrections

We also regularly share job openings on our UWW-Social Work Department Facebook page.  If you have a social work job opening you would like shared on our Facebook page and/or emailed to our current majors or alumni, please email Social Work Department.

If you are an employer with a history of hiring UW-Whitewater Social Work Alumni and would like to have a link to your website’s career opportunities page linked on this webpage, please email  Social Work Department.

Federal regulations require full disclosure of licensure requirements for professional licensure programs (34 CFR Sec. 668.43; section C). Per the new rules, institutions are required to determine the states in which a student and prospective student is located for the purpose of disclosing state-specific professional licensure information to students based on the state in which a student is located. Professional licensure requirements for the state of WI can be found here (LINK). If seeking licensure outside the state of WI, contact information for state agencies can be found on the NC SARA Professional Licensure Directory

The information below includes all of the steps necessary for licensing in the state of Wisconsin. Licensure steps for Illinois can be found here.  If you are interested in obtaining your license in another state, this interactive map allows you to click on any state to get state-specific information on how to become a social worker. This document lists the names and websites of the licensing board in each state. In Wisconsin, the process for BSW graduates to obtain CSW certification and for MSW graduates to obtain CAPSW certification are nearly identical. The only difference is which national test is taken. We've outlined the steps for certification in Wisconsin below.

Wisconsin's CSW and CAPSW Process Outline

1. Apply for Certification (fee involved)

Start your Application at the Department of Safety and Professional Services by starting a new account

https://license.wi.gov/s/login/?ec=302&startURL=%2Fs%2F

There is an online resource to help you better understand this process:

DSPS LicensE Customer Information (wi.gov)

You will upload all information required to this account including:

​3217       ​Application for Fee Reduction (If applying for a fee reduction, this form must accompany the application for the credential.)

2829       Malpractice Suits or Claims Form (if applicable)

​3085       ​Application for Predetermination (Optional-Submit ONLY if you have been convicted of any felony, misdemeanor, or other violations of federal or state law in this state or any other and you desire a review of your conviction record before applying for a credential.)​

2252       ​Convictions and Pending Charges

3071       ​Fax Payment Form

Download the “Fax Payment Form” Form 3071. Complete it, and fax it with your application and any other required documentation to 608-251-3036.

Note: If you have been convicted of a crime or have criminal charges pending against you, download the “Convictions and Pending Charges” Form 2252 and return it with your application, application fee, and an additional conviction review fee will apply.

You may check the status of your application here.

Self-Service>application status:

Wisconsin DRL - Credential Application Status

2. Verify Your Educational Degree

Download the Certificate of Professional Education Form 1978. Complete only the Applicant box at the top of Form 1978. Email, fax, or mail the completed form to:

Email: registrar@uww.edu

Fax:  262-472-1370

Drop it off in person at 2032 Roseman Hall on the UW-Whitewater campus

Mail it to UW-Whitewater, Attn: Registrar's Office, 800 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190

Once your degree posts, the Registrar's Office will complete your form and upload it to the Department of Safety and Professional Services

3. Pass the State Open-Book Exam

You will receive your exam name, password, and applicant ID which you will use as your student ID to take this test after you submit your application. The exam content is drawn from applicable state statutes and administrative code chapters specific to the profession. The purpose of the exam is to familiarize yourself with locating the statutes and administrative code that regulate the practice of the profession. The best place to look for information on this exam is by checking your application status:

Wisconsin DRL - Credential Application Status

4. Sit for the ASWB National Exam ($230.00 for Bachelors, $260.00 for Masters)

DSPS will issue approval with examination instructions when all requirements have been met. The ASWB examinations are administered year-round at specific sites within the state. After receipt of approval, contact ASWB at 1-888-579-3926 for the dates and further instructions. You can register for the exam and purchase exam materials including the ASWB Guide to the Social Work Exams ($20) and an online practice test ($85) here. The examination for CSW certification is called the ASWB Bachelors examination (formerly Basic Level exam), and the examination for CAPSW certification is called the ASWB Masters examination.

Updated 9/1/2022

UWW Social Work Student Organization (SWSO)

Phi Alpha

To find your advisor's name go to the Student Center page of your WINS account. Your advisor's name appears in a box in the lower right hand side of that page. Consult the Social Work Faculty/Staff Directory or use the UW-Whitewater Directory Search feature on the UWW homepage to find your advisor's office location, phone number, and email address. During the fall and spring semesters, their office hours are availble here. 

If you have less than 24 credits, your advisor will be in the Academic Advising & Exploration Center.

Once you have earned 24 credits, you will be assigned to an advisor in the Social Work Department. This will happen by mid-March or mid-October in the semester after you've completed 24+ credits.

All social work majors are required to meet with their academic advisor before registering for spring and fall semester courses until they are enrolled in or have completed SOCWORK 473. Advising is not required before registering for summer courses, but we suggest discussing your plans for summer courses with your advisor when you meet with her/him in the spring to plan for fall registration.

All social work majors are welcome to meet with their academic advisors outside of these required meetings to discuss career goals, learn more about graduate school, explore services and supports available to students who find themselves struggling, or explore extra-curricular opportunities to enhance your education. You are encouraged to develop a relationship with your advisor.

Your academic advisor can help you with questions about requirements for your major and degree well as questions about academic policies. Your advisor can help you select courses that meet your requirements and that are appropriate to your interests and preparation. Advisors can also answer questions about finding campus resources and joining student organizations. You can ask your advisor for guidance with academic difficulties and with problems you may have with other faculty, staff, or students. You may also ask your advisor for help with finding career advice and with finding assistance for personal problems. Academic advisors are not trained as career counselors and do not serve as psychological counselors, but UW-Whitewater employs trained professionals in these areas; your academic advisor can help you contact them.

Required academic advising begins in mid-March and mid-October each year, after the Schedule of Classes for the upcoming semester is released by the Registrar's Office but before priority registration begins. In the weeks leading up to academic advising, each social work academic advisor will email their advisees with her/his specific protocol on how to set up an advising meeting. Each faculty member does this differently, so please follow their specific instructions when they contact you. 

If you would like to meet with your advisor outside of these times, please email or call to him/her to schedule an appointment or visit during their office hours . 

Please do your best to come to your advising meeting prepared.

• Review your Academic Advising Report (AAR).
• Prepare a tentative schedule before you meet with your advisor using the Schedule of Classes provided by the Registrar's Office.
• Make note of any social work courses in which you have earned a C- or below, as you will need to retake those courses.

Once you have met with your advisor, you will be given a link to an online advising survey. On this survey, you will you will give the department feedback about your most recent academic advising meeting and your current Social Work advisor. Survey results are sent to the Department Assistant (DA), Susan Morris. Your name will not be shared with the faculty member you are evaluating. Your scores will be reported and shared with Social Work faculty in summary format only.

Upon completion of this survey, your advising hold will be removed so you can register for courses. It may take 1-2 business days for your hold to be removed, so please take this survey as soon as possible after meeting with your advisor. Do not wait until your assigned time to register to complete this survey. Doing so will delay your ability to register by 1-2 business days. Please note, this only applies to advising holds. If you have any other holds on your account, those cannot be resolved through the Department of Social Work.

Go to your Student Center home page in your WINS account and look for a box on the right hand column labeled "Enrollment Dates." Clicking on the link inside that box will take you to a menu of academic terms. Select the button next to the term for which you want to register, then click "continue" for information about when you may register for that term.

Note: You may only register at that time if you have resolved all of your registration holds.

If you have a registration hold that means there is some administrative task you must complete before you may register for courses for the upcoming semester. To find out whether you have any registration holds check the "Holds" box in the right hand column of your Student Center page in your WINS account. Clicking on a particular hold will give you more information about whom to contact about that hold, what type of hold it is, and how to get the hold removed.

A common registration hold is an advising hold placed on all* social work majors' accounts by the Registrar's Office each March and October. If you have a social work advising hold you must meet with your academic advisor and complete an advising survey. Once the meeting and advising evaluation survey are satisfactorily completed, the Social Work Administrative Assistant will remove your social work advising hold. (*Freshmen are automatically excluded because they receive advising from the AAEC in Roseman, not from Social Work advisors.)

Another common hold, abbreviated TAC,  is the Terms and Conditions for Enrollment/Credit Agreement. This document contains information for students about their responsibilities for classes for which they register, payment plan information (fall and spring terms only), and charges on student accounts. The document can be viewed and signed electronically by accessing it from the Student Center Page in WINS. A new agreement will be made available prior to the start of registration each term to allow for early completion. You can read more here.

You may also have a registration hold for a variety of other reasons, including the need to pay a balance on your financial account, addressing lost equipment or textbooks, completing financial aid forms, etc. Academic advisors can help you understand these other holds, but cannot remove the holds. Be sure to check for and take care of holds well before you are scheduled to register for the next semester.

Please email our Department Assistant (DA), Susan Morris, at sw-office@uww.edu or  morriss@uww.edu if you need special permission for a SOCIAL WORK course. You do NOT need to email the instructor of the course, your advisor, or the department chair. If you email your instructor and/or advisor, they will forward your email to our DA. She handles emails in the order they are received, so your request will be processed sooner if you email her directly. If she needs input or consent from your advisor, the instructor, or the chair, she will contact them.

Below are examples of situations where students will need permission in WINS to enroll in a course:

• If you are currently enrolled in a prerequisite for one of your social work courses, WINS will not allow you to register until you successfully complete the prerequisite. Our Department Assistant(DA), Susan Morris, can give you permission in WINS to bypass this if you have met all other requirements for the course. Email her at sw-office@uww.edu or morriss@uww.edu to explain the situation. Be sure to include your student ID number and which OPEN section of the course for which you’d like to register.
• If a class is full and you need it to stay on track for graduation, email our Department Assistant(DA), Susan Morris, at sw-office@uww.edu or morriss@uww.edu and explain the situation. Be sure to include your student ID number in the email. If we can accommodate your request, she will give you permission in WINS to override the enrollment cap for a specific section of the course. We do our best to accommodate as many students as possible, but some circumstances (like the physical size of classrooms) are out of our hands. The earlier you make your request, the better.
• All field students need permission in WINS to enroll in SOCWORK 493. Our Department Assistant(DA), Susan Morris, will email you with specific instructions for registering for this course. You do not need to request permission.

Note: It is the policy of the Social Work Department to NOT overload a full section of a course until all sections of that course are full.

Note: Our Department Assistant(DA), Susan Morris, can only give you permission in WINS to enroll in SOCIAL WORK courses. If you need assistance or special permission to register for a non-social work course, you must contact the department that offers the course.

It may be possible to change advisors.

To have your request considered, please fill out this online Request to Change Advisors form.

 Your request will be reviewed, and you will receive an email about whether or not we can accommodate your request.

When deciding between a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, consider your strengths and review the BA and BS degree requirements.  Graduate programs and employers usually don't have a preference, unless you are planning to attend a research graduate school or go into the medical field. If your future plans involve applying to a research graduate program or working in the medical field, a BS is encouraged. 

A Bachelor of Arts Degree in the College of Letters and Sciences requires 6 units of upper division course work (300/400) from the arts, humanities or social science fields. These courses may not be from the department of the student's major or minor. All 6 units may be from the same subject. Select from Anthropology, Art, Art History, Asian Studies, Communications, Economics, English, Film, Foreign Language, Geography (excluding technical or physical courses), History, Liberal Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Race and Ethnic Studies, Religious Studies, Sociology, Theatre, Women's Studies, or any UW-Whitewater 400 level travel study course. Any course from the above mentioned departments numbered 496 or 498 are evaluated by the Assistant Dean on a case by case basis. So, it is important to request that evaluation prior to enrolling in the course. Exchange and 999-numbered courses are evaluated in the same manner. Courses numbered 493 may not be used to fulfill this requirement. Courses from the following departments are NOT ALLOWED: Journalism, Criminology, Counseling, Education, Physical Education, Recreation, Safety, Social Work (except SOCWORK 380), Math, any of the Natural Sciences, and any Business courses.

To fullfil this BA requirement, first consider your interests. Which of the above areas sound interesting to you? Have you taken introductory level courses or core courses as part of your General Education requirements that piqued your interest? Once you have narrowed down your area(s) of interest, search the course listings in the undergraduate course catalog for upper division courses. Read the brief course descriptions and check that you have the prerequisites for courses that interest you. A conversation with your academic advisor might also help you make these selections.

Important note: Even if you have completed or are enrolled in all of your courses for this requirement the courses will not automatically appear in the appropriate section of your academic advising report (AAR). You must request a personalization for this to happen. Once you have taken or are at least enrolled in the courses you wish to use for this requirement you may request the personalization via the online form found here.

For more information, contact the L&S graduation examiner, Deb Connelly (connelld@uww.edu), 262-472-1620.

Students will need to fill out the Undergraduate Degree/Major/Minor Change form and follow the directions below based on the change being requested. Be sure to fill out the form completely. Please list your current degree, major(s), and minor(s), not just what your are changing. If you leave a section of the right column blank that will indicate that you want to drop the corresponding major or minor.

• Major Change - Students should complete the form. You must indicate on your form BA or BS to declare a Social Work major. See "Should I declare a BA or a BS degree?" above to help you decide. Your minor can be declared at a later date if you are undecided.
• Adding a Second Major - Students should complete the form.
• Degree Change - Students should complete the form. Social Work majors have the option of a BA or a BS degree. See "Should I declare a BA or a BS degree?" above and/or speak to your advisor to help you decide.
• Minor Change - Students should complete the form to declare a minor, drop a minor, or add a second minor. Social Work majors are required to select a minor (or a second major). This list of Approved L&S minors may be useful in deciding.

WINS will not allow you to enroll in more than 18 credits in a fall or spring semester or more than 12 credits in a summer semester; however, students can request an Overload of Credits. 

• Letters and Sciences students in good standing, can fill out an online form here to appeal for more than a full time load. Associate Dean Susan Johnson reveiws these requests.
• Students on probation may have lower maximum credit loads and must appeal to overload through the Academic Standards Office.

Note: Registering for an overload of credits will increase your tuition for any credits over 18 in spring and fall semesters or for over 12 credits in summer semester.

Yes, you can, but you must plan ahead. Please keep your UWW residency requirements (30 units at UWW-including 25% of major & 25% of minor, plus the last 15 units) in mind. If you are taking a social work course elsewhere, the university must have a CSWE accredited social work program. If you want to see what classes at other UW system schools might transfer back to UWW, you can use this tool.  If you find a class you want to take, you'll need to complete the Transfer Credit Agreement BEFORE you take the course. Once you finish the class at the other university, you'll need to have your transcripts from that school sent to UWW.

The Registrar's Office sets and publishes deadlines for adding and dropping classes, changing class grading bases and withdrawing from the university as part of the Schedule of Classes. Students must adhere to the deadlines to take advantage of tuition/fee refunds and to avoid academic consequences. Nonattendance does not exempt students from their financial and academic responsibilities. To see the deadlines for the current semester, visit this webpage, choose the current semester, and click on the 'Deadlines - Add/Drop, Withdraw, Refund' link. These dates can also be found on the UWW Calendar of Events. If it is before the deadline listed for adding or dropping a course, you can make the change in WINS yourself.

If the deadline to add or drop a course has passed, you may be able to complete a Late Add or Late Drop form. Either requires permission from the instructor of the course and the chair of the department that offers the course, as well as approval from Assistant Dean Susan Johnson if it is a L&S course. These are not gauranteed and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

In extreme situations it may be possible to medically withdraw from courses and/or the university outside of these deadlines. This process is handled through the Dean of Students Office. 

You should apply to graduate at least one full semester prior to your final term so your academic record can be checked . It is important that your entire academic record is reviewed prior to the final term of enrollment in order to identify any problems and resolve them in time for you to graduate.  Be sure you will meet the minimum GPA requirements for graduation, will have completed all of your major, minor, degree, and university requirements, and will have earned at least 120 credits at the end of the term you wish to graduate. It is possible to complete all of the graduation requirements on your AAR with less than 120 credits, but you cannot graduate with less than 120 credits.  You can apply for graduation here.