Bachelor of Social Work
Tarleton’s Bachelor of Social Work degree program is committed to strengthening marginalized and oppressed populations. We respond to the various needs of multicultural communities. Our classrooms expand into the community as our faculty engage students in research and community-based projects, providing real-life experience and know-how in conjunction with an excellent curriculum.
With a holistic approach to problem solving, we prepare you to earn your social work license while adhering to the profession’s core values of service, dignity and worth of the person, social justice, integrity, competence and recognizing the importance of human relationships.
What is Social Work?
Social work helps hurting people across the lifespan overcome difficult challenges and improve their social functioning. As advocates for change, social workers build relationships with people in the context of their environment, meeting them where they are, helping them plan a course of action and connecting them with available resources.
How to Become a Social Worker
Earn your BSW and pass the licensing exam for social work. The professional license is required in order to call yourself a social worker, and only graduates with a BSW from an accredited school can take the exam. Our accredited social work bachelor’s degree program helps you achieve both.
What Can You Do With Your Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work?
With a bachelor’s degree in social work from Tarleton, you will develop social work skills in nine competency areas, including assessment, intervention and evaluation, as well as advancing human rights and engaging in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
After graduation, you will be able to practice in a variety of areas related to social service, such as health care, education and law. Settings for social work careers include:
- Hospitals and clinics, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, mental health centers, veterans, service agencies, substance abuse programs, home care agencies, vocational rehabilitation centers, residential treatment programs
- Schools, early childhood programs, adoption agencies
- Protective services, prisons, victim’s advocacy programs, police departments, court systems
Many graduates pursue additional social work schooling, such as the Master of Social Work program at Tarleton.
Estimated Completion
120 Credit Hours (4 years)
Application Process
Cost
Locations Available
1Admission to some outreach locations, excluding select programs in Fort Worth, requires a minimum of 24 transferable credit hours, a 2.0 GPA and that a student be TSI complete.
College
Careers in Social Work
Social work jobs are expected to increase 11% for an additional 81,000 jobs between 2018 and 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How Much Do Social Work Graduates Make?
The median annual salary of social workers was nearly $50,000 in May 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Why Major in Social Work?
At Tarleton, our social work major offers a specialized undergraduate degree that prepares you for professional licensure, graduate studies and generalist social work practice at multiple levels.
What Classes Will You Take as a Social Work Major?
The BSW program at Tarleton blends a liberal arts curriculum with a professional social work foundation, culminating in the 450-hour practicum experience at a community-based agency.
You’ll also explore topics in human behavior, crisis intervention, client case management, interviewing strategies, race and ethnic relations, cultural anthropology and more. The service-oriented coursework, including a Service Learning research project and an additional 450-hour internship, is integrated with technology and community needs.
View all required classes for the social work bachelor’s degree.
Accreditations
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
How Do You Get Started on Your Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work?
Take the next step toward earning your bachelor’s degree in social work. We have the resources to help you get started.