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Social work at Whatcom

Whatcom Community College offers a bachelor of applied science (BAS) degree in social work (BASSW), with cohorts starting each fall.

Click here to see the quarter-by-quarter sequence of classes.

This degree prepares students with the competencies and knowledge for generalist practice in social work. Students focus on engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation in practice. With an emphasis on an ecological systems model, social justice, and evidence-based practice, graduates will be prepared to promote the well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a social work setting and to pursue further education in social work.

BASSW mission

Guided by a commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression, a person-in-environment framework, a global perspective, and knowledge based on scientific inquiry, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Social Work (BASSW) program at Whatcom Community College (WCC) seeks to educate and train the next generation of generalist social work practitioners who embrace the mission and core values of the social work profession including diversity, integrity, service, the dignity and worth of all people, competence, the value of human relationships, the passionate quest for social, economic, racial, and environmental justice, and the protection and advancement of human rights to positively impact the well-being of all people, both locally and globally.  

We, the BASSW Program, “acknowledge we are residing on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Lummi People. The Lummi People are the original inhabitants of Washington's northernmost coast and southern British Columbia. They lived in villages throughout this territory and continue to have an ongoing relationship with these areas. Since Time Immemorial they have celebrated life on their land, water ways and on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of their People to perpetuate their way of life. Please join us in taking a moment of silence as we honor their ancestors and as we acknowledge the past, present and future Lummi People as the original inhabitants of this land.”

Practicum education overview 

Practicum (Field) education is more than a curriculum requirement — it is an opportunity to gain professional social work experience while earning your BASSW. BASSW students complete 429 hours of practicum education for their degree in the final year of the program. 

Read more about Practicum Education here

Accreditation

Whatcom Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

The BASSW Program at WCC has achieved candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Candidacy status indicates that it has made progress toward meeting standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. A program that has attained candidacy status has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the accreditation standards but has not yet demonstrated full compliance.

 Students that are admitted to 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 candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain initial accreditation. 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 CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.

Apply now!

Students interested in the program must apply through a selective entry application. The application requirements are available on the entry information page. We will continue to accept applications after the June 5 deadline while space permits.

Program eligibility

To be eligible, students need to have an associate degree in behavioral health, human services, social services, or substance use disorder professional (SUDP), or related field with Dean's approval (minimum GPA 2.0).

The BASSW program only accepts field education and practice course transfer credits from other CSWE-accredited or candidacy social work programs.  Additionally, the BASSW program does not grant social work course credit for: 1) life experience, and 2) previous work experience.

Review the BASSW Student Handbook for detailed information on the program.  BASSW Student Handbook WCC

Interested students can prepare now by taking any or all of the following lower division general education requirements of the BAS degree. A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required for each of these courses.

*Prerequisite courses - must be completed before starting the BASSW program.

*MATH& 146 Introduction to statistics

*PSYC& 100 General psychology

*PSYC& 200 Lifespan psychology

*PSYC& 220 Psychological disorders

BIOL& 100 Survey of biology
or BIOL& 160 General biology with lab
or BIOL& 175 Human biology with lab

CMST& 101 Introduction to communication
or CMST& 210 Interpersonal communication
or CMST& 220 Public speaking
or CMST& 230 Small group communication

CMST 225 Intercultural communication

ENGL& 101 English composition I

POLS& 202 American government

Costs

Based on full-time enrollment, costs will average about $2,700 per quarter for Washington state residents, including tuition, books, fees, and supplies.

As costs and information can and will change, be sure to contact an advisor for the most current information for planning the funding of your education.

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