The bachelor's degree program prepares students to enter supervised professional social work practice and/or pursue admission to a range of graduate study programs and professional schools. This includes graduate study in social work leading to a master's in social work.<br>The bachelor's degree program in social work is a sequenced program that requires four consecutive semesters to complete. All prerequisites must be completed prior to entry into the social work program. A cohort of social work students begins the program in the fall semester of an academic year. No social work students are permitted to begin the program in the spring semester. Students majoring in social work must complete the following prerequisites, including successful application/admission, before being permitted to enroll in restricted and sequenced 100-level social work courses. Students who begin at Fresno State as freshman will enter the major after demonstrating competence and fit through success in the pre-health major.<br>The profession of social work is dedicated to meeting the diverse social service needs of special populations of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. As a practice-oriented profession, social work deals with social concerns that range from societal oppression to people's emotional/behavioral problems.<br>While the discipline of social work is deeply rooted in a rich, 100-year history of service, what social workers do is no longer traditionally defined. The role of the social worker is constantly expanding into innovative service fields wherever a compassionate response to human need is indicated. The department educates beginning (B.A. in Social Work) and advanced practice (M.S.W) who can meet complex needs, perform a multiplicity of social work roles, promote institutional change, and enhance the problem solving capacities of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.