Earning your BSW is an important step if you'd like to pursue a career in social work.
Pursuing a career in social work often requires a graduate education, but earning your Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is an important first step. Social work 鈥減romotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people,鈥 according to the International Federation of Social Workers []. This often means working with various groups to identify problems and develop strategies to manage or solve them.
A BSW is often a requirement for entry-level administrative roles. And, if you鈥檙e interested in more advanced roles, it can lay the foundation for earning your Master of Social Work (MSW) degree鈥攁 requirement for clinical social worker roles.
This article will cover the BSW degree, including how long it takes to earn, the courses you鈥檒l most likely take, and the paths you can follow after graduation.
A BSW degree is an undergraduate degree that tends to take a generalist approach to social work so that you can gain a broad understanding of the profession and pursue any number of different paths after graduation.
Some college majors require that you declare your intent to study them, but social work falls under the type of major that typically requires an additional application to a special program, department, or school within your institution.
Majoring in social work means completing a specific group of courses from the social work department. Usually, you major in a subject during your undergraduate studies, which determines what degree you ultimately earn. Majoring in social work prepares you for a job working to help make life better for people in roles like hospital social workers, community social workers, child social workers, or school social workers.听
As with other bachelor鈥檚 degrees, a Bachelor of Social Work takes around four or five years of full-time study to complete. In addition to the general education requirements you鈥檒l fulfill as part of your degree, you can expect to complete at least half of the 120 minimum credits it takes to graduate in your social work major.
A bachelor鈥檚 degree costs an average annual total of $39,200 for a public four-year institution and $72,800 for a private four-year institution, according to the National Center for Education Statistics [].
You鈥檒l be expected to complete several required major courses to graduate with a BSW. Your social work coursework may include topics like:
Human behavior
Diversity or multicultural social work
Social work policy聽
Social work research methods
Child welfare
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According to the Council on Social Work Education, you鈥檒l also need to complete a field internship before graduating, fulfilling at least 400 hours []. Your internship will likely occur during your program's final year or last semester and can take many forms, such as working with an agency or organization. The purpose is to help you develop practical experience to augment what you鈥檝e learned in your courses.
With a BSW degree, you can enter the workforce or continue to graduate school. Let鈥檚 look more closely at each of those paths.
After earning your BSW, you can pursue entry-level administrative roles in the social work field. You can also apply for many entry-level social services jobs, including:聽
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Child and family advocate聽
Community outreach worker
Human services specialist聽
Probation officer聽
Social services aide聽
Youth worker
Many social services jobs in the United States are government jobs. Depending on your state, you can find job listings through a central government hub like or through various counties鈥 websites.
If you鈥檙e interested in more advanced roles, you may want to explore a Master of Social Work (MSW). With a BSW, you may qualify for accelerated dual degree programs, which reduce the amount of coursework you need to complete your bachelor's and master's.
With your master's degree, you can become a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, or other state-certified social work professional. Here are some common roles that MSW graduates go on to do:
Licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)
Behavior analyst聽
Child welfare worker聽
Medical social worker
Addiction counselor
No. If you鈥檙e interested in achieving a graduate-level degree in social work, many related majors will help provide a useful foundation, including:
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology聽
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology聽
Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Services
Many combination programs, such as BA/MSW or BSW/MSW, are designed to significantly reduce your time earning both degrees. When you enroll in a combined degree program in social work, oftentimes, you may only need to spend one additional year鈥攊nstead of two or three鈥攅arning your master鈥檚.
As an important credential to begin a career in social work, a Bachelor of Social Work has several benefits.
As a profession, social workers in the United States earn a median salary of $58,380 per year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) []. That鈥檚 higher than the average median salary for all occupations. And social work as a profession is set to grow by 7 percent over the next ten years, which is faster than average.
At its core, social work is about helping others. The National Association of Social Workers states, 鈥淭he primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty鈥 []. Many people enter the profession because of the potential impact they can have and the meaning that may create within their careers.
The best BSW degree program is the one that helps you achieve your goals, be they personal, professional, or educational. As you research potential programs, here are four additional factors to consider:
Your long-term education or career goals can help determine which BSW degree program is best for you. If you鈥檇 like to pursue an MSW, it may help to find a BSW/MSW (or BA/MSW) program, where you can earn your Master of Social Work in an additional year. However, if you are more interested in working after graduation, a standard BSW degree program may be the best choice.
Accreditation, or the verification that a social work program meets certain quality standards, is important when selecting the best BSW degree program for you. Only the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in the United States can provide accreditation for social work programs. As you research potential programs, make sure to verify their accreditation status鈥攐r you can check the for a list of accredited bachelor鈥檚 programs.
The types of internships you鈥檒l find may depend on location and even the connections a program has established with external professional organizations. As you look at various BSW degree programs, take time to find out where many students intern鈥攐r reach out to an admissions counselor for more information. Given the professional experience you鈥檒l gain from an internship, it鈥檚 important to make sure it aligns with your larger goals.
How you want to study鈥攁nd the flexibility you鈥檒l need to do so鈥攊s another important consideration when determining the best BSW degree program for you. There are several online BSW degree options you can explore. If you鈥檇 like to work while attending school or prefer learning from home (or anywhere with an internet connection) rather than attending in-person classes, then an online BSW program may be worth exploring.
Opportunities exist to earn a social work degree online at every level, from associate to PhD. Online and in-person learning environments each come with their own set of challenges and benefits.
International Federation of Social Workers. 鈥, https://www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work/." Accessed February 4, 2025.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). 鈥, https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76". Accessed February 4, 2025.
Council on Social Work Education. 鈥, https://www.cswe.org/students/prepare-for-your-education/social-work-at-a-glance/." Accessed February 4, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 鈥, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm."聽Accessed February 4, 2025.
National Association of Social Workers. 鈥, https://www.socialworkers.org/Careers/NASW-Career-Center/Explore-Social-Work/Why-Choose-the-Social-Work-Profession." Accessed February 4, 2025.
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.