Social Work, Bachelor of Social Work

Are you passionate about social justice and social change? Do you want a rewarding career working with the disenfranchised, vulnerable, and oppressed? Are you interested in providing assistance and support to diverse individuals, groups, and communities? A social work degree will help you accomplish these academic and professional goals.

The social work degree will provide you with opportunities to learn the professional knowledge, values, and skills needed to help people experiencing overwhelming life challenges such as substance abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, homelessness, and death, as well as mental, behavioral, and physical illness or disability. Social workers approach their work with people from the strengths perspective, while also looking at the individual within their environment.

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is accredited
by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE),
which enables you to become a licensed generalist social worker in many states.
The NAU BSW program has been accredited since 1988.

Bachelor of Social Work Program Overview

Bachelor of Social Work Program Admission Requirements

Requirements:

• successful admission to NAU and enrolled in classes
• Declared Social Work as major
• at least 24 units, including SW 220, with a grade of B or better
• a minimum grade point average of 2.25
• sophomore status or higher

Application process:

• Complete the social work online application. Which will include:
  1. Name & email addresses for 2 references. References must be professional or academic references, such as university/college faculty or staff, volunteer supervisors, work supervisors, coaches, youth leaders, or residence life staff.
  2. Answer essay questions demonstrating your understanding of the social work profession. Your responses will be used to assess your written communication skills and to evaluate your knowledge of your career choice, your commitment to the social work profession, and your understanding of and commitment to the mission of the NAU BSW Social Work program. Acceptable essay answers will consist of about two paragraphs per essay question.
• Once your application has been submitted, if you find you need to update your application in anyway (wrong reference email, update contact info etc.)
  1. Contact the Department of Social Work: (928)-523-9970 and socialwork@nau.edu
  2. The department will open your application
  3. Make any necessary updates
  4. Make sure to resubmit

Application deadlines for Flagstaff Mountain and Online campus:

• To start in January application is due October 1
• To start in May or August application is due February 15

Application deadline for Yuma campus:

• To start in August application is due October 1 and June 1
• Yuma BSW program

Graduation requirements:

All of the following, in addition to any university requirements for graduation:

• at least 75 units of major requirements
• elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units
• up to 9 units of liberal studies can count as social work credits
• Mathematics through MAT 114
• 450 hours of fieldwork experience

For more information in regards to the Bachelor of Social Work program: BSW Handbook

Please note that you may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your academic advisor for details.

Child Welfare Training Project

General facts about Child Welfare Training Project:

• A competitive field placement for students pursuing a Master or Bachelor of Social Work.
• You should apply if you want a career protecting children and families.
• Those who are an accepted BSW student or BSW applicant, with a GPA of 2.5 or better, or accepted MSW student or MSW applicant, with a GPA of 3.0 or better, attending NAU’s Flagstaff Mountain Campus.
• Successful applicants are awarded up to two years of in-state tuition, and any required program/course fees
• In addition MSW students receiving a monthly stipend of $500 in addition.
• On successful completion, CWTP graduates receive immediate, full-time, professional placement with Arizona Department of Child Safety, as Child Safety Specialists. In exchange for tuition support, students commit to work for DCS.
• Application deadlines are October 1 and February 1

Field Education

Supported professional experience for NAU students earning degrees in Social Work

Social Work Field Education is your opportunity to gain real-world experience in a supported environment and build your resume working with local organizations. You will apply what you learn in the classroom and move one step closer to a career in social work. This firsthand experience will help you discover, develop, and enhance your social work skills. The Social Work Field Education experience and training involves participating in the life of the agency, attending regularly scheduled meetings, and other activities involving or sponsored by the field placement site.

To learn more about the requirements visit Field Education.

Interested in pursuing your MSW after your BSW is complete?

Click here to learn more about our MSW Program!