Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) (CSWE Accredited)

Start shaping your professional path with Walden’s CSWE-accredited online BSW program.

CSWE

Choosing where to earn your bachelor’s degree is no easy decision. Walden makes the choice simpler by providing a high-quality, engaging Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program built from the ground up for adult learners.

Our online BSW is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), showing employers you graduated from a program that meets the highest standards in the field. As a BSW student at Walden, you also benefit from:

  • Easy transfer of credit: Save on time and tuition by transferring prior credits from community college, military service, or another accredited BSW program.

  • Expert faculty: Learn from dedicated, doctoral-level faculty, many of whom are active practitioners in the social work field.

  • Hands-on learning: Refine your skills in a safe yet realistic environment through a virtual BSW Skills Lab, video case studies, and supervised field experience.

  • Licensure preparation: Build confidence to sit for your state exam with our free licensure preparation module featuring robust study tools and other resources.

  • Enhanced support: First-time adult college student? The Walden Undergraduate Academy™ helps you build a solid academic foundation before starting your program.

Fast Facts

Next Start Date: January 8, 2024

Transfer Credits: Up to 135 credits

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Academic Interests
Contact Information

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Curriculum

Course Content

Walden’s online BSW program helps you build the practical skills and knowledge needed to be a confident and capable practitioner. You’ll engage in 400 hours of field experience and invaluable face-to-face interactions that prepare you to work effectively with diverse populations. Course topics include:

  • Policy and advocacy
  • Diversity and multiculturalism
  • Human behavior in the social environment

Lifelong Learning Ladder

Walden offers a lifelong learning ladder that includes our CSWE-accredited online Master of Social Work (MSW), PhD in Social Work, and Doctor of Social Work programs. BSW graduates with a 3.0 GPA or better at graduation are eligible to enter our MSW program in the Advanced Standing option, which may reduce the credits required for completion of the program. This allows you to earn your MSW faster and at a lower overall cost.

More about our BSW program

As a graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work online program, you can look forward to moving into a field where the job outlook is growing at a rate of 16% from 2016 to 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.*

With Walden’s Bachelor of Social Work degree, you can effect social change in your community through a career as a:†*

  • Case manager
  • Child life specialist
  • Discharge planner
  • Family services worker
  • Geriatric social worker
  • Hospital social worker
  • Mental health case manager
  • Military/veteran social worker
  • Residential counselor
  • Program coordinator
  • School social worker
  • Substance abuse counselor

*Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm. National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

†*Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this program.

TEMPO LEARNING

NEXT START DATE: December 04, 2023

NEW BELIEVE & ACHIEVE SCHOLARSHIP™

Receive five BSW tuition-free credits for every three paid courses you successfully complete. Up to $16,485 in savings.**

ONGOING MILITARY OFFER

New students who are service members, veterans of the U.S. armed forces, or employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs are recognized in many programs with our Believe and Achieve Scholarship, which helps students reach their goals, plus an exclusive additional 10% savings. For other programs, these students are recognized with a 15% tuition discount for the life of their program.***

Request Information
Walden’s Enrollment Specialists are committed to helping you identify and leverage opportunities to save money on your education. Get in touch with an Enrollment Specialist today at 888-968-5331 to learn more.
Our Enrollment Specialists are ready to answer any questions you may have regarding this program. Fill out the form on this page to be contacted or call 855-203-5779.

"What surprised me most about my Walden experience was the ease of completing my degree while working full time."

Jimmy Watson | MHA student, BS in Health Studies graduate

**Walden's Believe & Achieve Scholarship™ is available for new students starting on February 6, 2023, and later. For a full list of eligible programs and details on award amounts and eligibility visit www.waldenu.edu/financial-aid/grants-and-scholarships-details. Tuition-free coursework must be applied to the final courses in the program of enrollment prior to graduation.

Find additional detailed information for this program.

Enrollment Restrictions by State

Walden currently cannot enroll residents of the following states/districts into the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program: Washington.

Accreditation

Walden University's Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is responsible for developing standards that define competent preparation for professional social workers and ensuring that social work programs meet these standards.

Note on Licensure

Walden University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program meets the academic requirements to obtain the required credential to practice as a bachelors-level social worker in many states.

State licensing boards are responsible for regulating the practice of social work, and each state has its own academic, licensure, and certification requirements for practice as a social worker at the bachelor’s degree level. Walden recommends that students consult the appropriate social work licensing board in the state in which they plan to practice to determine the specific academic requirements for licensure or other credentials. Walden enrollment specialists can provide information relating to the state-by-state requirements for licensure. However, it remains the individual’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all licensing requirements for the state in which he or she intends to practice. Walden makes no representations or guarantee that completion of its coursework or programs will permit an individual to achieve state licensure, authorization, endorsement, or other state credential as a social worker.

 

ONGOING MILITARY OFFER:

A 15% tuition reduction for servicemembers, veterans of the U.S. armed forces, employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and their spouses.*

*A 15% tuition reduction is available to new students who are servicemembers, veterans of the U.S. armed forces, or employees of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This tuition reduction is also available if you are a spouse of a servicemember, veteran, or employee of the VA. This tuition reduction cannot be retroactively applied. Tuition reductions are applicable to tuition only and do not apply toward books, materials, and other supplies or fees needed for a course.

Walden may change the tuition reduction offered hereunder at any time, but such change will not affect the tuition reduction for students who are currently enrolled at Walden and using the existing tuition reduction. All tuition reductions, grants, or scholarships are subject to specific eligibility requirements. Contact a Walden University Enrollment Specialist for details.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, https://www.hlcommission.org/.