For aspiring social workers at USC, finding an undergraduate major that aligns with their professional goals has not been easy: Araiza Soto, a junior who intends to go into the field, said she majored in law, history, and culture in hopes of developing relevant skills for a future social work career. 

Now, however, incoming students — or anyone with 48 units to spare — can major in the Dworak-Peck School of Social Work’s newest program, Bachelor of Social Work, next fall.

The new major will enable a cohort of 10 incoming students to gain 440 hours of supervised, hands-on training at community agencies, schools and hospitals, said Umeka Franklin, director of the new BSW. Students will also learn “psychological first aid” and take classes on wellness, cultural humility, human behavior and social policy, which Franklin said could complement a variety of majors.

“There is a lot of overlap in terms of how you engage,” Franklin said. “So if you’re [studying] business, you might want to know something about cultural humility. You might want to know something about being a change agent.” 

The new program also hopes to address California’s shortage of social workers, Vassilios Papadopoulos, interim School of Social Work dean, wrote in a statement emailed to the Daily Trojan. State and county agencies — including the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the largest child welfare agency in the country — report persistent challenges hiring and retaining staff. 

Franklin said she hopes the program can become the “gold standard” for BSW programs, and that the hands-on aspect will allow students to gain a strong understanding of the foundations of social work.

“Practicum education is really where the rubber meets the road,” Franklin said. “This is where students will be able to apply classroom or academic knowledge to actual work.” 

Franklin said the School of Social Work had created perks for incoming students, such as a mentorship program that pairs undergraduates with master’s students and Ph.D candidates.

“We’re just so excited and thrilled to have our new incoming cohort of students, and ready to teach them and …  observe their growth in social work,” Franklin said.  

Soto said the new undergraduate program was “super cool,” as was the opportunity for graduates to get their Master’s of Social Work in one year instead of two. However, Soto said she was disappointed she wouldn’t be able to participate in the program. As a junior, she doesn’t have enough credits to complete the major.

“I think [the one-year MSW] is super exciting and also a super accessible way to get your MSW, since it can be super expensive, especially at a school like USC,” Soto said. “It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to have that opportunity.