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The Distributed Learning (DL) Program in the Department of Social Work at Cal Poly Humboldt provides an opportunity for students who would not otherwise have access to higher education. We recognize that many individuals in rural communities are already invested in serving their local organizations or tribal programs, and the decision to relocate in order to obtain a degree would potentially create a hardship for the community being served.

Yes. The BA Social Work program is fully accredited, whether courses are taken on campus or online.

All of the prerequisites for the BA Social Work program are available online from various Community Colleges. It is not possible to list all the potential courses here because the names of the courses differ from Community College to Community College. The Social Work Department maintains a list of known online courses that fulfill our prerequisites. Contact socialwork@humboldt.edu for that list. You are encouraged to consult the California Virtual Campus for a comprehensive list of online courses in the state.

All BA Social Work courses are available on campus or online. Non-Social Work courses may be available online through the University, but the Department of Social Work doesn’t regulate them so interested students are encouraged to check course schedules for other departments if non-Social Work courses are required. Students in the Distributed Learning BA Program must come to campus for a mandatory orientation the first 2 days of fall semester of their Junior year in the program and once per year for a 3 day Intensive during Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend in January.

Yes.  The intensive is a crucial aspect of the online BASW and MSW programs.  It is an opportunity for students to meet faculty, other students, and learn about academic and community resources that are highly relevant to their education.  While there are no fees associated with this event for students, the average travel cost to attend this annual residency requirement is $1,250.00, depending on mode/distance of transportation and lodging choices.  Students who do not attend this orientation/intensive each year will be withdrawn from classes and their offer of admission will be rescinded.

Yes. However, this is outside the Department of Social Work’s jurisdiction. Cal Poly Humboldt is increasing the number of GE courses that are available online. California Community Colleges also have many GE courses online. 

Our Field program maintains a database of a wide variety of sites with current placement agreements. If there is not currently an existing site in your community, we will partner with you to identify potential sites and work with those organizations to explore developing an internship placement agreement. Please bear in mind that if you are applying from a community with an existing Social Work program, there may be limited availability of internships, based on their priority for those placements.