Abstract
Most early social work programs in the 1920s and 1930s mandated that their students study economics. But what is the status of economics in social work education today? Since the Council on Social Work Education’s official accreditation for BSW programs started in 1974, no nationwide study has examined to date the place of economics in BSW education. This study was conducted to address the question by reviewing the liberal arts foundation requirements among all accredited BSW programs in the United States (N=532). Contrary to the early trend, almost three quarters of the programs (n=374) do not require their students to take any economics courses. The dearth of economics in BSW curricula may undermine the profession’s ability to ameliorate extreme economic inequality and financial incapability. We recommend that BSW programs use existing economics courses at their institutions and collaborate with economists to offer a customized economics course for BSW students.
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