bachelor of social work
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:
BSW alumni work with people across the lifespan in a wide variety of service delivery systems, including:
Catalog: Bachelor of Social Work*
Catalog: Minor in Social Welfare Studies
*The Bachelor of Social Work program is designed to meet the educational requirements
for professional licensure or certification in Alaska. However, the program might
not meet the educational requirements for other states' professional licensure or
certification. Please see UAA’s Licensure and Certificate website for more information.
WHY CHOOSE bachelor of social work AT UAA?
About 90% of UAA School of Social Work alumni are either employed or accepted into a Master of Social Work program by the time they graduate.
The UAA Bachelor of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and prepares you for positions leading to advancement and leadership roles in many areas and settings.
Our faculty have experience and expertise across multiple areas of practice, including behavioral health, child welfare, disabilities, criminal justice, veterans, schools, health care, homelessness, food insecurity, community development, senior services, organizational leadership, and more!
Get involved with groups and activities that match your professional and personal interests, such as the Social Work Student Coalition, the National Association of Social Workers, or the Epsilon Chi chapter of Phi Alpha.
NEWS & Stories
Human Services alumna Billie Slaikeu knows a thing or two about what it means to start over. A retired certified nursing assistant, Billie returned to school in her sixties after being inspired by her daughter’s experience with mental illness. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2025.
A College of Health alumna and current employee of the Alaska Justice Information Center, Rus’sel Sampson has had a rich educational and professional journey. Her story exemplifies how a sense of curiosity in higher education can open unexpected doors that lead to meaningful careers.
School of Nursing alumna Kristen Alcorn turned clinical expertise into entrepreneurial success. In this spotlight, Kristen shares a few of the experiences that shaped her journey in nursing, the things she loves about her job, and how her education at UAA helped her achieve her goals.
Dacia Davis, a clinical assistant professor in the School of Social Work and a graduate of UAA's MSW program, finds inspiration in teaching and community.
Amanda Beery, MD, is not only providing care for women of all ages; she’s also shaping the next generation of physicians. A full-time OB/GYN and managing partner at Alaska Women’s Health, she is equally proud to call herself an Alaska WWAMI alum and medical educator.
Message from the program chair
Thank you for your interest in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program at UAA! Our accredited BSW Program offers full- and part-time course plans delivered face-to-face on the Anchorage campus. Graduates of the BSW Program gain generalist practice skills and complete a practicum experience in one of the many fields of social work practice. Additionally, graduates of the BSW Program are eligible to complete the accelerated Master of Social Work (MSW) through the advanced standing program following a 4+1 program plan. As the BSW Program Chair, it is my responsibility to support all UAA students who engage with the BSW Program. I look forward to meeting you.
— Tracey Burke, Ph.D., MSW tkburke@alaska.edu
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Contact Us
Phone: (907) 786-6900
Email: uaa_socialwork@alaska.edu
UAA School of Social Work
UAA Professional Studies Building
2533 Providence Dr, Suite 234
Anchorage, AK 99508
Mailing Address
UAA School of Social Work
3211 Providence Dr, PSB 234
Anchorage, AK 99508
