Bachelor of Social Work

The UAA Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) prepares students for professional social work practice. The mission of the BSW is to prepare generalist social workers who collaborate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Graduates enhance human well-being, engage in decolonizing and anti-oppressive practice, and promote equity and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice and equity for Alaskans across our diverse geographic and cultural communities.

The BSW has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1978.

Licensure and/or Certification

Graduates completing the Bachelor of Social Work may be eligible to pursue licensure as a baccalaureate social worker (LBSW) with the State of Alaska.

This program is designed to meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in the State of Alaska. However, the program might not meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in other states. Please see UAA’s Licensure and Certification website for more information.

• Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees

Special Considerations

Admission to the major does not guarantee admission to the professional phase of the program. 

Admission to the professional phase of the program:

Students typically apply for admission to the professional phase of the program during October of the academic year (AY) prior to the AY they intend to enter practicum and graduate. The BSW accepts applications for admission to the professional phase of the program only during the fall semester. Admission to the professional phase of the social work program is based upon the requirements listed below.

Prior to applying for admission to the professional phase of the program, students must:

• Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50
• Complete with a minimum grade of C, or be currently enrolled in, SWK A106, SWK A151 or SWK A243
• Meet with a Social Work Faculty Advisor
• Review and demonstrate understanding of program competencies, practice behaviors, and policies as outlined in the BSW Student Handbook
• Demonstrate commitment to social work values and ethics as established in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics

Admission to the professional phase of the social work program is based on the following criteria:

• Meeting the above requirements
• Demonstrating beginning competence in client-centered communication and interviewing skills
• Demonstrating ethical and professional behaviors and interactions with peers, faculty, staff, and community partners
• The professional judgment of the social work faculty

Some students will not have all required courses completed at the time of application to the professional phase of the major. In this event, the student may be admitted with the understanding that they must complete all junior-level and below social work courses with a minimum grade of C prior to the fall semester in which they plan to enter their practicum placement, or their admission to the professional phase of the program will be denied. Other conditions may be added on a case-by-case basis.

Students may be denied admission to the professional phase of the program for failure to 1) meet application requirements; 2) demonstrate beginning competence in client-centered communication and interviewing skills in their application written statement and/or classroom assignments as determined by the professional judgment of the Social Work faculty, and/or 3) demonstrate ethical and professional behaviors and interactions as determined by the professional judgment of the Social Work faculty. The School of Social Work uses the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and the School’s Standards for Academic and Professional Behavior to determine ethical and professional behaviors. The standards are outlined in the BSW Handbook, which is available on the Social Work website and posted in all Social Work course Blackboard shells. In addition, students who cannot obtain a minimum grade of C in two (2) attempts for any given Social Work course will be denied admission.

Students must submit the following application materials to the School of Social Work by the last Friday in October prior to intended entry into fieldwork:

• A signed School of Social Work Application for Admission to the professional phase of the BSW and practicum for fall enrollment
• Written admissions statement
• Student practicum interest sheet

The admission committee reserves the right to request additional information if necessary. On occasion, applicants may be invited to an interview. The School of Social Work will notify applicants of their admission to the professional phase of the program after fall semester final grades are completed and prior to December 31st. Students who are not accepted into the professional phase of the program will be contacted by their advisor to discuss their options.  

Only students who are admitted to the professional phase of the program may complete Spring junior and Fall and Spring senior courses. Students who are admitted into the professional phase of the program but fail to enroll in senior courses must reapply to the program. 

Social work credits earned through other social work programs accredited through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) may be transferred to UAA and applied toward the BSW. Approval from the UAA School of Social Work is required for acceptance of social work transfer credits.

Adherence to the Code of Ethics established by the National Association of Social Workers is required in all Social Work courses and throughout the program.

Practicum

Students are eligible for practicum placement after they are accepted into the professional phase of the program. Practicum placements may become competitive if the number of applicants exceeds the number of practicum slots. The BSW and practicum agencies reserve the right to refuse and/or terminate students who do not meet a minimum standard of performance. Thus, while the School of Social Work makes every effort to find appropriate practicum placements for students, admittance to the BSW does not guarantee acceptance by cooperating social services agencies. The program does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.

Prior to entering practicum, students must have completed the following:

• PSY A150 and (BIOL A102 or BIOL A100 or BIOL A108 or (BIOL A111 & BIOL A111L) or (BIOL A112 & BIOL A112L)) with a minimum grade of C
• The following social work courses with a minimum grade of C:

Graduation Requirements

• Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
• Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
• All graduating BSW students are required to complete program assessment activities as detailed in the current BSW Assessment Plan. There are no minimum scores required for graduation.
• Complete PSY A150 and (BIOL A102 or BIOL A100 or BIOL A108 or (BIOL A111 & BIOL A111L) or (BIOL A112 & BIOL A112L)) with a minimum grade of C.
• Complete all required Social Work courses with a minimum grade of C.
• Complete the following major requirements:

A minimum of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 must be upper-division.

Honors in Social Work

The Bachelor of Social Work recognizes distinguished achievement by conferring programmatic honors in social work. In order to receive honors in social work, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Submit an intent to graduate with honors application to the BSW program coordinator during the spring of the junior year;
• Complete all requirements for the BSW. A minimum of 30 credits applicable to the BSW must be completed at UAA;
• Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.75 in upper-division (300- and 400-level) social work courses.

Successful completion of programmatic honors in social work in the UAA BSW earns the right to waive a regular review of an admission packet to the foundation curriculum of the UAA Master of Social Work (MSW). Students are responsible for completing a UAA Graduate Application for Admission and a program application for admission to the MSW. The application packet should be submitted to the MSW Admissions Committee by the application deadline, with a request to waive the regular review process. Admission to the full program will be granted if the applicant meets all of the requirements for programmatic honors. Students interested in waiving the foundation curriculum must apply for advanced standing with a full review.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Social Work will be able to:

• Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior.
• Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
• Engage anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
• Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
• Engage in policy practice.
• Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Integrate Alaska’s unique opportunities and needs into professional practice, policy, and/or research. 

Sample Plan

The academic plan below is one pathway through the degree/certificate. It includes all requirements, taking into account recommendations from program faculty. Each student’s plan may vary according to their initial course placement, intended course load, additional majors and/or minors, and their placement into required prerequisite courses. Any change in the plan below can have an unforeseen impact on the rest of the plan. Therefore, it is very important to meet with your academic advisor to verify your personal academic plan.

Please review the following terms, definitions, and resources associated with the sample academic plan below.

• Each course in the far left column links to a pop-up bubble with a course description, prerequisite requirements, and associations with university requirements. For example, if a course fulfills a general education requirement, you will see that in the pop-up bubble.
• GER: indicates a General Education Requirement. GERs that also count toward degree/certificate requirements appear as a specific course in the plan. For these courses, "GER" is not indicated explicitly in the table, but if you click on the course, you will see the course's GER status in the pop-up bubble.
• Program Elective: indicates a specific course selection determined by program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Elective: indicates an open selection of 100-400 level university courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate.
• Upper Division Program Elective: indicates a specific 300-400 level course selection determined by the program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Upper Division Elective: indicates an open selection of 300-400 level courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate. These courses must be upper division in order to meet General University Requirements for the particular degree/certificate type.