Skip to Main Content
About Academics Admissions Arts & Culture Athletics Campus Life Certificates Research

Department: Social Work

The undergraduate program in Social Work, which leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in Social Work, prepares students for entry-level, generalist social work practice in urban social service agencies and organizations. The program fulfills the requirements of the New York State Education Department and is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Social work courses required for the Major are offered in both day and evening sections. Some courses may also be available on the weekend.

All Social Work majors must complete the 55 credits required for the major. Social Work cannot be taken as a minor. No credit for life experience will be given for any courses required for the Social Work Major.

Career Preparation for Social Work Majors: The program in Social Work builds upon a liberal arts base and integrates knowledge from required study areas with the professional social work curriculum, specifically as it applies to an understanding of human behavior, human diversity, political and social systems, research-based practice, and the helping process. Senior students in the program complete a two-semester practicum placement in which they spend two days a week in one of many community agencies that provide services to children, adults, families, and communities. Graduates of the program will have mastered the competencies of the profession and gained the knowledge, values, and skills essential for ethical, competent, and effective practice with diverse individuals, groups, communities, and organizations in the urban environment. Students will be prepared for beginning generalist social work practice in fields such as child and family welfare, gerontology, substance abuse, health, mental health, developmental disabilities, immigration, and homelessness. 

Since the program is accredited, B.A. social work graduates interested in pursuing an M.S.W. degree may apply for advanced standing status in a graduate program in social work.

The undergraduate (B.A. social work) and graduate (M.S.W.) programs are separate, with different admissions requirements and application procedures. It is important that students applying to the undergraduate program with the intention of continuing with graduate studies in Social Work understand that acceptance into the undergraduate program in no way implies or facilitates acceptance into the Lehman College M.S.W. program. 

Admission to the Program

The Application Form to the Undergraduate Social Work Program is available online through Lehman’s Undergraduate Social Work website. The application opens on March 1st of each academic year and closes in mid-June. This application is separate from the application to Lehman College. Students’ applications for admission to the Social Work program will be considered based on the completion of the following requirements, or completed during the semester in which they are submitting their application:

  • Minimum of 54 college credits (prior to the beginning of the program).

  • Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare (SWK 237)

  • Foundations of Sociology (SOC 166)

  • Minimum cumulative index of 2.7. Note: A minimum cumulative index of 2.9 is recommended. Because admission to the program is competitive, achievement of the minimum or recommended GPA does not guarantee acceptance.

The online application link is available online via the Undergraduate Social Work website. All students are encouraged to consult the Pre- and Corequisite Guide when planning their program. To discuss eligibility for admission and to plan your program, contact the Undergraduate Social Work Program Coordinator and Advisor, in Davis Hall, Room 124 F, 718-960-6782. If interested in more information students can also fill out BA Social Work interest Form.

The following information applies to Transfer students:

  • Students must be accepted to Lehman College before submitting their application to the Social Work Program.

  • The above requirements may be completed at Lehman College, or the equivalent courses may be completed at other colleges previously attended, if the credits are transferable.

  • All transcripts from colleges previously attended must be included with the social work application; student copies of transcripts are acceptable for this purpose.

  • Transfer students with a cumulative index lower than 2.7 may apply to the Social Work Program after completing 12 credits at Lehman College and achieving a 2.7 cumulative index.

Courses in Social Work

Note: Admission into the Social Work program requires completion of 54 college credits, submission of an application to the program, completion of SWK 237 and SOC 166, and achieving a minimum cumulative college index of 2.7. A minimum cumulative index of 2.9 is recommended.

Program Retention Policies

In order to remain in the program, students are required to demonstrate professional behavior consistent with the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.

A minimum grade of "C" is required to progress in the following courses:

Students with a grade of "Incomplete" in any of these courses are not eligible to begin the continuation courses or any course for which that course is a co-requisite.

A student who does not achieve a minimum grade of at least "C" in any of the following courses: SWK 305, SWK 306, SWK 311, SWK 312, SWK 440, and SWK 470, will be dropped from the Program. Students who are dropped from the Program may reapply when they have a GPA of 2.7. If readmitted, they may repeat any of these courses only once, in accordance with Lehman College policy.