Prepare for a Rewarding Career Improving the Lives of Others

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Whether you’re looking to begin or advance your career, Walden’s CSWE-accredited social work bachelor’s degree program places you at a distinct advantage when it’s time to define your professional path. Earning your degree from a CSWE-accredited program signals to employers that you graduated from a program that meets high standards in preparing you for the social work field. In addition, it gives you the opportunity to choose the advanced-standing option in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. And in most states, an MSW is required in order to obtain state licensure.

The Bachelor of Social Work online program is ideal for working professionals who want to channel their passion for social justice into a rewarding career serving those in need. The convenient online format is matched with opportunities for face-to-face learning to prepare students for practice in the field.

Why Earn Your Bachelor of Social Work at Walden?

  • Earn your bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program that meets high standards in preparing you for the social work field.
  • Prepare to sit for licensure exams.
  • Gain critical skills and knowledge with the Social Work Skills Lab, where you will have face-to-face interaction and guided instruction from academic practitioners and experts in the field.
  • Learn from a curriculum focused on in-demand career skills, including case management, treatment planning, and crisis intervention.
  • Customize your bachelor's degree in social work to your scope of interest or career goals with five optional focus areas.
  • Develop practical skills through documentary-style video case studies portraying true-to-life scenarios experienced by BSW-level social workers.
  • Position yourself to fast track your Master of Social Work with the advanced standing option, available to BSW graduates with a 3.0 GPA.

Lifelong Learning Ladder

With more than 45 years of experience in distance education, Walden offers a lifelong learning ladder that includes our Master of Social Work (CSWE-accredited), PhD in Social Work, and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programs. BSW graduates with a 3.0 GPA or better at graduation are eligible to enter our MSW program in the advanced standing option, which may reduce the credits required for completion of the program. This allows you to earn your MSW faster and at a lower overall cost.

Mission Statement

The BSW program’s mission is to cultivate the development of generalist social work scholar-practitioners who are able to provide ethical, evidence-based services to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. With the BSW degree, social workers are prepared to use critical-thinking skills and evidence-based practice to engage in generalist social work.

Learning Outcomes

  • Develop a professional orientation and identity as a social worker.
  • Apply legal and ethical standards in the administration of social work.
  • Demonstrate skills in applying principles of advocacy toward promoting cultural understanding and positive social change in individuals, communities, and society.
  • Use evidence-based research and critical thinking skills to inform practice in meeting the needs of diverse clientele.
  • Synthesize and apply theories of human growth and development to develop culturally responsive social work practices.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and skills in the areas of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Career Impact

Get Ahead With a Career-Focused Degree

As a graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work online program, you can look forward to moving into a field where the job outlook is growing at a rate of 16% from 2016 to 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.1

Prepare for a variety of roles, including:

  • Child life specialist
  • Discharge planner
  • Family services worker
  • Geriatric social worker
  • Hospital social worker
  • Mental health case manager
  • Military/veteran social worker
  • Residential counselor
  • Program coordinator
  • School social worker
  • Substance abuse counselor

Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this program.

Learn more about the career outlook for graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work.

Read our Bachelor of Social Work Program Outcome Report.

Meet Our Students and Faculty

A Social Worker’s Charge

Adrien Green
PhD in Social Work student Adrian Green shares her insight on struggles and opportunities within child protective services.
Learn more

Practicing with Purpose

Renata Hedrington-Jones
Social work is often described as challenging and frustrating, but it's also rewarding to see the difference social workers make in people's lives and communities.
Learn more

A Passion for Special Needs Kids

Kailee Bauman
MSW student Kailee Bauman hopes to advocate for and raise awareness of special-needs kids.
Learn more

Testimonials

Elizabeth Wallmann-Filley

Elizabeth Wallmann-Filley

MSW Student
The advising experience at Walden is absolutely wonderful. From enrollment to academics and financial planning, I was treated with the utmost courtesy and respect.
I chose Walden because of the convenience it provided. I could be in school online while working or vacationing in different states or countries.
Qualified social work professionals are in demand across a number of industries today. By combining rigorous coursework, hands-on field experience, and an array of support services, Walden’s BSW program prepares students to be effective mentors, advocates, and leaders who can make a real difference for individuals as well as entire communities.
Christopher Terrell Taylor B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate
Christopher Terrell Taylor
Dionne Little BS in Psychology Graduate and MS in Mental Health Counseling Graduate
Dionne Little
Lisa Moon BSW Academic Program Director
Lisa Moon

Accreditation
Walden University's Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is responsible for developing standards that define competent preparation for professional social workers and ensuring that social work programs meet these standards.

Note on Licensure
Walden University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program meets the academic requirements to obtain the required credential to practice as a bachelors-level social worker in many states.

State licensing boards are responsible for regulating the practice of social work, and each state has its own academic, licensure, and certification requirements for practice as a social worker at the bachelor’s degree level. Walden recommends that students consult the appropriate social work licensing board in the state in which they plan to practice to determine the specific academic requirements for licensure or other credentials. Walden enrollment specialists can provide information relating to the state-by-state requirements for licensure. However, it remains the individual’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all licensing requirements for the state in which he or she intends to practice. Walden makes no representations or guarantee that completion of its coursework or programs will permit an individual to achieve state licensure, authorization, endorsement, or other state credential as a social worker.

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Questions about our Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)?
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