Degree & Liberal Arts Requirements

The MSW program requires that all incoming students have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree in the liberal arts from an accredited institution of higher learning.  The baccalaureate should include successful coursework in the following areas:

1. Two (2) university courses in the humanities (history, philosophy, languages, literature, or similar disciplines);
2. Two (2) university courses in the social sciences (political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, or similar disciplines) (see note below concerning human development);
3. One (1) university course in the fine arts (music, theater, art appreciation or similar disciplines);
4. One (1) university course in oral communication, or equivalent content across courses;
5. One (1) university course in written communication, or equivalent content across courses;
6. Two (2) university courses in the natural sciences and/or mathematics  (biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy or from similar disciplines; algebra, calculus, trigonometry, statistics, or similar disciplines)
7. (see note below concerning human biology and statistics);
8.  A minimum of forty-five (45) semester credits or sixty-eight (68) quarter credits which in total reflect the courses identified in the above list of liberal arts classes.  The remaining earned academic credits can be distributed in any combination of course work.

Note:  As part of the liberal arts preparation, the MSW Program has established the following three specific prerequisites to admission – prior course work in:  

•  Human biology (one course);
•  Human development over the life span (one course); and
•  Applied statistics (one course). 

The human biology and human development courses provide educational background for understanding the bio-psycho-social determinants of human behavior.  The applied statistics course provides exposure to objective knowledge development.

Applicants wishing to satisfy the above prerequisites through the University of Alaska Anchorage campuses should look for the following courses:

• To satisfy the life span human development requirement: PSY 150, Life Span Development; 
• To satisfy the applied statistics prerequisite requirement:   STAT 252, Elementary Statistics or PSY 453, Application of Statistics to the Social Sciences; 
• To satisfy the human biology prerequisite requirement:   BIOL 100, Human Biology; BIOL 102, Introductory Biology; BIOL 111 or 112, Human Anatomy and Physiology I or II; BIOL 113 or 114, Lectures in Human Anatomy and Physiology I or II; BIOL 115 or 116, Fundamentals of Biology I or II.

Other courses may also satisfy the above requirements.Please feel free to contact the School of Social Work with questions about specific courses.

Prospective applicants to the program must have already completed these prerequisite courses, or be prepared to do so before beginning MSW courses.