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Bachelor of Social Work

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Make helping people your profession with a bachelor’s degree in social work, 100% online.

Multiple classes are offered throughout the year. Apply today to be ready for the next class!

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Online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

The program can be taken 100% online (with the exception of in-person practicum experiences), giving students the ability to fit it into their already busy schedules. Students graduate well-equipped to pursue social work licensure and, if desired, graduate-level education.

A cohort format with opportunities to connect on Zoom helps build connections with other students and allows for greater interaction with your instructors. Courses are primarily asynchronous, giving you the flexibility to review course material and submit assignments around a full-time career and other obligations. All students will also complete an in-person field assignment to fulfill state licensing requirements.

Transferring a human services or social work associates degree from another institution?
See how your credits will transfer toward a BSW from MVNU!

CSWE logoThis program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master's social work program by the BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Accreditation applies to all program options, which includes locations and delivery methods. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. Review our program's accredited status in CSWE's Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE's Department of Social Work Accreditation.

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Department Mission Statement

The Mount Vernon Nazarene University Bachelors of Social Work Program is dedicated to equipping competent generalist social work practitioners who are culturally humble, uphold the values and ethics of the social work profession, engage in on-going scientific inquiry in order to serve all levels of need, seek to empower those they serve and promote human rights and justice at the local, national, and global level.

Online Degree in Social Work Highlights

A degree in social work can help you seek to serve anywhere people are lonely, hurting, and in need of professional support. Our accelerated online program can be completed anytime, anywhere.

Group 7002 (2)

Tuition & Cost

$350 per credit hour**

Group 6999

Program Length

27 months*

Group 7002

Total Credit Hours

46*

*30 credit hours of the program must be completed at MVNU. Other restrictions may apply. Please contact our Enrollment Team for additional information.

Social Work Curriculum

SWKR 3113

Social Justice and Advocacy

A study of the relationship between social problems, social policies, and social programs within historical, philosophical, and institutional contexts with an emphasis on social and economic justice and human rights.

SWKR 4033

Analysis of Social Work Policy

A study of the integration of federal, state, and local social policy and generalist social work practice. Special emphasis is given to frameworks for influencing, formulating, analyzing, and implementing social policy, especially as social policy impacts populations-at-risk.

SWKR 4013

Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities

A study of empirically-based knowledge, values, ethics, and skills of generalist social work practice with organizations and communities.

Curriculum stats/highlights

The BSW program—which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education—is designed for students who have an associate degree in human services or social work. However, students who have earned a minimum of 56 transferable semester hours (84 quarter hours) from an accredited university and have completed the necessary social work foundation and cognate requirements are also eligible to apply to the BSW program. Students who have not completed the minimum credit requirement or foundation/cognate courses have the option to enroll in the Associate of Arts in General Studies program at MVNU to complete their remaining credit requirements necessary to begin the BSW program.

MVNU’s Bachelor’s degree in Social Work curriculum is guided by a Christian worldview and grounded in the 6 core values of social work: service, competence, integrity, the importance and centrality of human relationships, social justice, and the dignity and worth of the person. Students enrolled in either the on-campus or online BSW degree program have the opportunity to learn a multitude of subjects in addition to the required social work courses, including English composition, Natural Science, and a number of Liberal Arts electives of their choosing.

Courses

Core Courses
Credit Hours
Student Success Strategies 1
Foundations of Generalist Social Work Practice 3
Social Justice and Advocacy 3
Introduction to Statistics 3
Social Science Research Methods 3
Human Behavior and the Social Environment I 3
Social Work Practice with Individuals 3
Human Behavior and the Social Environment II 3
Social Work Practice with Groups 3
Social Work Practice with Families 2
Preparation for Field Education 1
Social Work Practice with Organization and Communities 3
Analysis of Social Policy 3
Integrated Social Work Seminar 2
Social Work Practicum 10
Introduction to Mathematical Systems 3
Health and Wellness 3
Personal Finance 3
American Politics and Government 3
Social Problems 3
Human Biology 4
Total Program Hours 46

How much will it all cost?

Group 7002 (2)

Tuition

$15,820

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Credit Hours

46

Group 7002

Financial Aid

Apply for scholarships, loans, grants, and tuition reimbursement.

Get the Facts

$50,390

Median Annual Salary

+9%

Job Growth

74,700

New Job Openings Per Year

Careers in Social Work

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that social work is one of the fastest-growing career fields in the United States, and data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that professional social workers are the nation's largest group of mental health service providers. Social work is a dynamic profession with a dual focus on empowerment and social change within individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities and society as a whole.

Explore more careers in social work.

  • Case Managers
  • Mental Health Counselors
  • Child Welfare
  • Addiction Specialists
  • Shelter Supervisors
  • Nonprofit Leaders
  • Geriatric Care Specialists
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