An international leader in social work practice and social policy, Berkeley Social Welfare has prepared over 11,000 social work professionals and social welfare scholars for a range of leadership, research, teaching, and advanced practice roles. Since 1942 we have offered the undergraduate major in Social Welfare leading to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, under the jurisdiction of the College of Letters & Science. <br><br>The Social Welfare undergraduate major emphasizes an educational experience that is grounded in the liberal arts rather than specialized training in the profession of social work—thus its designation as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, and not the professional Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. <br><br>The Undergraduate Social Welfare major reflects Berkeley Social Welfare’s goal to provide Berkeley undergraduate students with a broad-based introduction to America’s social welfare problems and social policies within a social science context. Students gain knowledge of organized networks of public and private social services, and the basic practice methods associated with the social work profession. In doing so, students acquire the knowledge needed to understand, address, and actively participate in the amelioration of critical social problems in American society.