Questions concerning the appropriate level of, and foundation for, professional education in social work have been raised. A study was undertaken to compare the professional achievements of individuals holding master's degrees in social work (MSWs) who had different types of undergraduate education. Subjects were 719 MSW graduates of the 5 years, 1977 through 1981, from the 7 public universities in California that offer the MSW. Of these respondents, 125 had bachelor's degrees in social work (BSWs) and 594 had bachelor of arts degrees (BAs). Subjects completed questionnaires measuring 10 areas of professional achievement and provided demographic and occupational information. The findings revealed differences between BSWs and BAs. On all 10 measures of professional achievement, the MSWs with BAs, as a group, outperformed the MSWs with BSWs. These findings support the contention that a liberal arts undergraduate education is superior to a professional undergraduate education for those who go on to do graduate work. The value of a liberal arts education needs to be communicated to entering college freshmen so that they can direct their studies wisely. (NB)