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Pre-Candidacy Status

Washington State University’s Bachelor of Social Work Program is currently in pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA).

Pre-candidacy status indicates that it submitted an application to be reviewed for candidacy and received approval of its Benchmark 1 from CSWE Accreditation Staff to move forward for a candidacy review within 1 year. A program that has attained pre-candidacy status has not yet been reviewed by the BOA nor verified to be compliant with the accreditation standards. Students that are admitted to pre-candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation.

Candidacy is typically a 3-year process, and attaining pre-candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain candidacy and initial accreditation. Pre-candidacy applies to all program options, which include locations and delivery methods. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.

Review our program’s pre-candidacy status in . For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.

Help Others in your Community as a Social Worker

Are you drawn toward a service-oriented career? Do advocacy and community well-being stand at the core of your values? Social work is a profession for those with a spark of idealism, a belief in social justice, and a natural love of working with people. At WSU-Tri-Cities, our program helps you turn that passion into purpose—through hands-on learning, experienced faculty mentorship, and deep connections with local communities. Whether you aspire to support individuals, strengthen families, or shape policy, we’ll prepare you to make a meaningful impact right where you live. Your journey toward a rewarding career in social wrok starts here.

Social Work Major Overview

As a social work student, you will graduate with the necessary training and preparation, tools, and values to seek rewarding and meaningful employment as a generalist social worker in settings that include social service offices, educational institutions, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and healthcare settings.

Additionally, graduates of the social work program will have the foundational education to enter graduate education in social work and other related social service fields.

BSW Program Outcomes

To earn a degree in social work, you must complete the major requirements. At the end of your second year (or equivalent), students apply for admission to the Social Work program, which begins in the fall of your third year (or equivalent to junior-standing). Consult with your academic advisor regarding major requirements and admission.

CSWE has adopted a competency-based education framework for its Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Competencies include the ability to demonstrate ethical and professional behavior, engage in policy practice, and assess, intervene, and evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Social Work Prerequisites

Students are formally admitted to the BSW Program beginning in their third year after completing approximately 60 credits of coursework, including lower-division UCORE requirements. The Social Work Advisor and BSW Program Director individually review coursework to determine whether requirements have been met. SOCL WRK 201 and 202 are encouraged during the first two years but are not required for admission and may be completed during the junior year. SOCL WRK 101 (Social Work as a Profession) is an optional one-credit course and is not required for admission or completion of the program. For transfer students, the Social Work Advisor and BSW Program Director review coursework to determine whether DTA degree requirements are met before formal admission.

Supporting Courses

Supporting courses are required and may be completed during the first two years of study or after admission to the BSW program.

GPA Requirement: A minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA in SOCL WRK courses is required.

Social Work Program Admission

Students will complete an application to the social work program during the application period in spring of their sophomore year at ÍøÆسԹÏ. Transfer students will apply during the spring application period once they have completed the required prerequisite courses and have been admitted as a ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï student.

Admission to the BSW Program is contingent on a number of factors that include:

Students may declare their social work major in the first two years of study. However, they will not be admitted into the social work program until they begin their junior year (3rd year equivalent) of studies.

Once a student has been admitted to the social work program, they must follow the recommended course structure. If a sophomore is admitted to the program and does not begin their 3rd year courses the following year, they can delay their admission to the social work major and begin the following year.

We urge all interested and prospective students to meet with academic advisors and faculty/staff as early as possible to explore curricular requisites, program admission requirements, and best preparatory practices.

Related Programs at ÍøÆسԹÏ

Contact the Social Work Program