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 Requirements

Requirements:

• at least 24 units, including SW 220, with a grade of B or better
• a minimum grade point average of 2.25
• or special permission from the admission committee

Application process:

• Complete the social work online application.  Which will include:
  1. Email addresses for 2 references. Referees 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 questions pertaining to your experience and understanding of social work. 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.

Application deadlines:

• To start in January applications are due October 1
• To start in May or August applications are due February 1
• To start in August applications are due June 1

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

The Child Welfare Training Project at Northern Arizona University is a competitive field placement for students pursuing a Master or Bachelor of Social Work. Successful applicants are awarded up to two years of in-state tuition, and any required program/course fees, with 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.

Who should apply?

• Those who 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.
• Those who meet all eligibility requirements.

Field Education (Internship)

The Social Work Field Education Program 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 big step closer to a career in social work. This firsthand experience will help you discover, develop, and enhance your social work skills.

The Department of Social Work’s Field Education Office takes pride in our ability to place students with suitable organizations. Our Field Education Office works one-on-one with students to ensure they are prepared and ready professionally for their field placement.

Every BSW student must complete 450 hours of field placement with an approved organization in order to complete the Social Work degree.

NAU students pursue field training with agencies from diverse sectors, such as federal, state, tribal, voluntary, private. We offer two different models for meeting this requirement:

Concurrent field placement:

Students gain an intense field experience at an organization while taking courses. Devote 18 hours a week at the organization for a minimum of 225 hours per semester and earn 6 credit hours. This option is spread over two concurrent, back-to-back, semesters reaching the total of 450 required hours in an organization setting.

Block field placement:

Students are placed at an organization full-time and gain an intense field experience without concurrent classwork. You must intern a minimum of 30 hours per week for fifteen weeks, and will earn 12 credit hours in one semester. This option is for students who have completed all of the core social work courses. Summer block is 12 weeks at 35 hours a week. Both options require a minimum of 450 hours.

Do you meet the eligibility requirements for NAU’s BSW Social Work Field Education program?

Field Education is an important part of the Social Work learning experience, and it is vital that students are fully prepared to make the most of the opportunity.  Our Field Education faculty help match qualifying students with the best placements for them.

To be eligible to apply for Field Placement, you must:

• Have an overall GPA of 2.25
• Information regarding background clearance for all students and instructions for Arizona students to obtain their Level One Fingerprint Clearance card can be found here Social Work Student Background Check and AZ Fingerprint Clearance Card Instructions
• Have formally applied and been accepted as a social work major
• Have attained senior status and have completed SW 321 with a grade of B or better. In addition, for block placement, you will have completed all required core courses
• Follow the procedures for applying for field placement

To complete the Field Placement requirement, you must:

• Participate in the field seminar
• Complete the required SW 408 assignments
• Complete a minimum of 450 hours
• For students who are interested in completing their field placement at their current place of employment, there is an additional approval process and application that is required. Consult with the NAU Social Work Field Education Office.

Apply to NAU’s Field Education Program

• Application for Flagstaff Campus Field Education
• Application for Online Field Education
• Application for BSW Employment-Based Field Placement

BSW Field Placement Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester Start – February 1
• Spring Semester Start – April 1
• Summer Semester Start – November 1

BSW Advising