Academic Requirements
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.000 in the undergraduate major. All courses taken by a student that are included in the Health and Human Services- Social Gerontology curriculum will be used in calculation of the major GPA. For example, if a curriculum requires a student to select two courses from a particular section and the student completes three courses from that section, all three courses would be used to calculate a student’s major GPA.
Admission to the graduate portion of the degree is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Students need a human biology course for successful completion of the graduate program, so they are advised to take BIO 129 to meet the biological sciences requirement for the undergraduate portion of the degree. Students must also have related work experience, an extensive volunteer background, or an internship administered through an academic program to be a viable candidate for admission to the MSW portion of the degree.
For students not continuously registered at UB or who are newly admitted transfer students, courses taken more than 10 years prior to the date of admission or readmission to the University may constitute no more than 20% of the Health and Human Services-Social Gerontology major. Students who have more than 20% of course work over 10 years old will be required to complete additional courses in the major.
Transfer Credit Policy
At least 50 percent of coursework toward the undergraduate major must be completed at UB.
Curricular Plan
A Curricular Plan provides a roadmap for completing this academic program and the UB Curriculum on time. Your actual plan may vary depending on point of entry to the university, course placement and/or waivers based on standardized test scores, earned alternative credit and/or college transfer credit.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will have the ability to:
- Identify a range of health and human services professions and their characteristics; understand typical human services (HS) problems and client needs; understand the theoretical foundations of human services intervention.
- Understand the foundational principles of two social science disciplines critical to HS intervention.
- Critically evaluate social science methodologies and research; propose a research project that would answer a significant research question; utilize statistical methods to evaluate data in relation to knowledge claims.
- Recognize the importance of human values and cultural diversity in the provision of health and human services.
- Develop personal characteristics and professional skills - e.g., interview, presentation, writing - necessary for success in HS positions.
- Demonstrate understanding of the dynamic process of aging from a social, physical, and psychological perspective.
- Demonstrate knowledge of community organizations, agency structure and function; client populations and problems; health care needs and responses.
For information on the skills and competencies required for certification and acquired through completion of this joint degree please see the Graduate School of Social Work webpage.
(HEGIS: 49.03 HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCI, CIP: 45.0101 Social Sciences, General)
