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Social Work, BSW

Learn How to Help Those Who Need It Most
  • CSWE

    Accredited By the Council on Social Work Education

  • HS2SW

    Option Available to Earn Your Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Degree in Two Years

Social Work, BSW Program Overview

What Do Social Work Professionals Do?

Social Workers apply social work knowledge, values, and skills to help individuals, families, groups, and communities: access services, cope with social, emotional, and health concerns to improve lives, and advocate for a just society.

Social Workers are employed in a wide range of fields as direct and community supports, participants in legislative processes, and advocates for human rights and social, economic, and racial justice.

 

A Path for Community College Students

Are you a community college student earning your Associate of Applied Science in Human Services Technology or an Associate of Applied Science in Human Services degree from a North Carolina community college? Earn your Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree online in as few as five semesters through our unique HS2SW program. Explore more here.

Student Experience

You will engage in a curriculum that integrates social work knowledge, values, and skills by exploring human behavior and the social environment, generalist practice models, research, social policy, cultural differences including but not limited to social, ethnic and racial backgrounds, genders, socioeconomic status, abilities, age and sexual orientation and practices structured around conscious efforts and deliberate actions which are intended to create equal opportunities for all people on both an individual and system level.

You will participate in a field practicum during your senior year to demonstrate the knowledge, values and skills obtained in the program.

Additionally, you may study abroad, participate in faculty research and community work, and join student organizations and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Learn To

Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly

Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice

Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments

Engage diversity and difference in practice

Advance human rights and social and economic justice

One of the Fastest Growing Professions in U.S.

Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). There are almost 720,000 professional social workers in our nation, but that number is expected to rise to more than 800,000 by 2030.

Find your career in:

Licensed mental health professionals who specialize in helping clients develop better cognitive and emotional skills, reduce symptoms of mental illness, and cope with various life challenges to improve their lives. (Source)

Assessment and screening, individual and group counseling, crisis intervention and prevention, family support, advocacy, and classroom instruction. (Source)

Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. (Source)

Help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental health. (Source)

Protect vulnerable children and help families function more effectively. They often connect families with housing, child care, and welfare assistance. They may promote better parenting skills, coordinate adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. (Source)

Help to create programs to assist the children in expressing their needs in a healthier manner. (Source)

A student putting on headphones to listen to a history walk.

Sample Courses

A table showing a few sample courses required for the social work b.s.w. program.
SWK 235 Intro to Social Work & the Social Welfare System
SWK 240 Basic Working Relationship Skills
SWKL 240 Working Relationship Lab
SWK 320 Human Behavior & the Social Environment I
SWK 335 Social Welfare Policies
SWK 341 Generalist Social Work Practice with Individuals & Families
SWK 355 Issues in Diversity for Generalist Practice
See The Full Curriculum

What Are the Application Requirements for the Program?

  • Completion of 45 university credit hours
  • Completion of 13 hours of the following collateral courses: Four (4) credit hours in human biology taken in either of the following courses: BIO 105, 160, 201, or 240 Three (3) credit hours of SOC 105 (Introduction to Sociology) Three (3) credit hours of PSY 105 (General Psychology) Three (3) credit hours in PLS 101 (American National Government)
  • An overall UNCW GPA of at least 2.5. (Transfer students should have a GPA (cumulative) of at least a 2.5 to be considered for admission.)
  • Completion of an Application for Admission to the BSW Program by deadlines posted on the SSW website
  • This application requires inclusion of documentation of successful completion of the above courses, a personal narrative, and a social service resume
  • Consistent with the requirements for accreditation by CSWE, the School of Social Work does not offer academic credit for life experience

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