bachelor of social work

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Successfully offering social work education since 1978, the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) UAA program provides structure, support, instruction, and advising to prepare you for an entry-level professional social work career or graduate school opportunities. Social work is a profession committed to assisting individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their quality of life through the improvement of social problems, equitable distribution of social resources, and client empowerment. The UAA BSW program prepares graduates for beginning professional social work practice, building on a broad-based liberal arts education accomplished through the completion of General Education and major degree requirements. Our student-centered faculty engage students in carefully planned experiences to achieve the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for beginning professional practice, which take place in the classroom, laboratory, volunteer experience, small seminars, and selected field work practicum placements. We also offer a minor in Social Welfare Studies.

Within an overall emphasis on consumer-centered planned change, the BSW degree program at UAA is guided by the following principles:

1. Social work practice is based on the intentional use of knowledge in collaborative planned change efforts with human systems and social problems.
2. Social workers recognize human diversity as a strength and anti-oppression and social justice as a responsibility.
3. Social work practice is based on:
• professional values and ethics;
• professional relationships; 
• reciprocal role performance; and 
• a strengths perspective.

BSW alumni work with people across the lifespan in a wide variety of service delivery systems, including:

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WHY CHOOSE bachelor of social work AT UAA?

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