Home > Online Programs > Online Bachelor of Social Work
CSWE-Accredited
Program meets the highest quality of standards
Online Coursework
100% online courses with no required campus visits
Transfer Credit
Transfer up to 80 credits into the program
About Our Program
Online Bachelor of Social Work Program Overview
Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program helps students develop the core skills necessary to improve relationships, develop solutions and connect with clients on a deeper, more spiritual level.
- Prepare to become a competent, confident, engaged and ethical social worker committed to social and economic justice.
- Work with a faculty site instructor to secure the social work internship site that best fits your personal and professional goals.
- Learn from a faculty member who will become your online bsw program mentor, who will pull from their real-world experience.
- Enjoy small class sizes of no more than 20-25 students.
- Receive 1:1 support from a student success advisor throughout the program.
Make a difference as a confident, ethical social worker with a BSW degree
Develop your professional practice as a social worker through Spring Arbor’s online BSW program, while focusing on the values of service, social and economic justice, dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
With an online social work degree, you’ll learn to provide social work services to individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities that promotes and advocates for anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of life.
Online BSW: Fast Facts
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The online social work degree contains:
- 36 core credit hour major
- 120 hours total (transfer in up to 80 credit hours)
- As few as 20 months; program length varies depending on the number of transfer hours
- Fully online coursework with no required campus visits
- 400 internship hours at internship sites in your area
- Six start dates per year
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The online social work degree contains:
- 36 core credit hour major
- 120 hours total (transfer in up to 80 credit hours)
- As few as 20 months; program length varies depending on the number of transfer hours
- Fully online coursework with no required campus visits
- 400 internship hours at internship sites in your area
- Six start dates per year
Examines cultures and experiences of minority ethnic groups in the U.S., and the impact of prejudice, discrimination and racism on these minority groups and on white society. Cross-listed SWK 311. Minimum grade of "C" for social work majors.
Covers theoretical foundations of generalist social work practice with individuals and families. Theories of Human Behavior and Social Environment (HBSE) will be applied to practice of assessment, goal-setting, intervention, termination and practice evaluation. Special attention given to intervention with diverse and vulnerable populations. Problem-solving process is learned that will also be applied to practice with groups, organizations and communities. May be taken concurrently with SWK 335 Interviewing. Minimum grade of "C" for social work majors.
Prerequisite: SWK 305 Human Behavior in the Social Environment, or permission.
Provides a review of the historical development and philosophical basis of social work’s response to those in need and of social welfare policy. Examines the current welfare system to enable students to develop beginning practice skills in the construction, analysis and implementation of social welfare policy at local, state and national levels. Prepares students to effectively utilize social policy as a generalist social worker. Minimum grade of "C" for social work majors.
Prerequisites: SWK 281 Introduction to Social Work, POL 213 American National Government or POL 214 State and Local Government, and an introductory, microeconomics or macroeconomics course.
Credit-hour child welfare endorsement option
Internship hours required
Learn More
Ready to earn your social work degree online? Contact us to gain access to full course descriptions, program details and tuition information.
SAU’s online BSW program can be completed in as few as 20 months.
The online social work degree contains small class sizes of no more than 20-25 students.
- High school diploma or GED test score above 500
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA in completed college coursework
- Online Application
- Brief writing sample
Social Work Degree with a Christian Focus
As an inclusive, Christ-centered university, we at Spring Arbor University Online believe Jesus Christ to be the very first social worker. While there was no name for social work at the time, Jesus organized his mission around the human issues of love, charity, aiding the suffering and elevating the downtrodden. It’s a message we can all learn from and follow as we aspire to help the diverse range of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities at risk of social and economic injustices and discrimination.
Online BSW Program Careers & Outcomes
The demand for social workers is expected to grow 12% between 2020 and 2030, which is faster than average according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics. That translates to about 78,000 job openings a year and about 89,000 additional jobs added in addition to the current workforce during that time.
Earning your online social work degree will prepare you to work in settings such as:
- Developmental disabilities services
- Child welfare
- Domestic violence centers
- Criminal justice agencies
- Substance abuse programs
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Churches and related agencies
- Schools (elementary and secondary)
An online BSW degree can also be a perfect stepping stone for entering a master’s in social work program as well. Students who have earned an online BSW degree may qualify for advanced standing in the MSW program, allowing them to complete the MSW in just one year.
As a CSWE-accredited online BSW program, we monitor and report on students’ mastery of the nine core competencies for social workers. Read about our online BSW learning outcomes.
