Program Overview
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree prepares students for the general practice of social work with diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities. Building on a person-in-environment perspective, the curriculum is designed to develop knowledge of human behavior and social problems as well as critical thinking, assessment, problem solving, and evaluative skills.
The 120-hour online program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Please note: This program is only available to Arkansas residents.
Program Details
Admission Requirements
- Enrollment Term: Fall Semester
- BSW Application Deadline: February 1st
- This program is only available to Arkansas residents. To be fully admitted into this program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be formally admitted to UA Little Rock. Undergraduate admission requirements for the university can be found in our “Become a Student” section.
- Complete academic advising by LaShonda Norfolk in the CEHP Advising & Support Center.
- Completion of PSYC 2300, SOCI 2300, and SOWK 1301 and have at least a 2.5 GPA in these 3 courses.
- Submit a completed BSW Application by the application deadline.
- Students my apply to enroll in UA Little Rock to obtain sophomore status and complete the program prerequisite courses during any term. The BSW program begins Fall semester each year.
Graduation Requirements
In addition to the admission and university core requirements, students admitted to the BSW program are required to take:
• 35 credits of core courses.
• 50 credits of BSW courses.
• 3 credits of upper level RHET courses as approved by your adviser.
• 3 credits of Abnormal Psychology.
• SPCH 1300.
• 12 credits of electives (all of which must be upper level courses in a related field).
- Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 in all social work courses and a cumulative UA Little Rock GPA of 2.5.
- Students must also successfully complete an internship during their senior year that consists of approximately 16 hours per week for both the fall and spring semesters.
- Students may be dismissed from the program if they violate the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, the University’s rules and regulations on academic integrity and discipline, state or federal laws, and/or the Standards of Conduct explicated in the UA Little Rock BSW Handbook.
Learn more about the online BSW degree requirements on the Social Work website.
Program Advisor
May Atkins | BSW Program Coordinator
501.569.3053 | socialwork@ualr.edu | School of Social Work website
To declare your major as Social Work and for pre-admit advising, please contact the CEHP Advising Center.
Accreditation
The BSW program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
UA Little Rock is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, affiliated with the Electronic Campus of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and designated as “doctoral/research intensive” by the Carnegie Foundation.
Disabilities
UA Little Rock makes every effort to meet special accommodation and access needs. For information on specific accommodations for individuals with disabilities, you may contact the department sponsoring the class you wish to attend, call eLearning at 501.569.3003, or the Office of Disability Support Services at 501.569.3143. The Disability Support Services website provides information about the accommodation process and online forms to apply for services.
University Standard Core Courses (18-21 hours)
Please note: Developmental courses are only available through the main campus and must be completed prior to declaring an online program.
First Year Experience (Choose 3 hours)
College of Business students may take BSAD 1100 for equivalent.
PEAW 1300 First Year Colloquium (3 credit hours)
Communication – Written (Choose 3 - 6 hours)
(Select 1 set)
RHET 1311 AND RHET 1312
OR
RHET 1320 Honors Composition
RHET 1311 Composition I (3 credit hours)
RHET 1312 Composition II (3 credit hours)
RHET 1320 Honors Composition (3 credit hours)
Fine Arts (Choose 3 hours)
(select 1)
ARHA 2305 Introduction to Visual Art (3 credit hours)
MUHL 2305 Introduction to Music (3 credit hours)
THEA 2305 Introduction to Theatre and Dance (3 credit hours)
MCOM 2306 Introduction to Motion Pictures (3 credit hours)
Humanities (Choose 3 hours)
(select 1)
ENGL 2337 World Literature (3 credit hours)
ENGL 2339 Mythology (3 credit hours)
PHIL 2320 Ethics and Society (3 credit hours)
RELS 2305 World Religions (3 credit hours)
Social Sciences (Choose 3 hours)
(select 1)
PSYC 2300 is recommended for College of Business students.
ANTH 2316 Cultural Anthropology (3 credit hours)
CRJU 2300 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credit hours)
ECON 2301 Survey of Economics (3 credit hours)
ECON 2322 Principles of Microeconomics (3 credit hours)
GEOG 2312 Introduction to Cultural Geography (3 credit hours)
GNST 2300 Introduction to Gender Studies (3 credit hours)
POLS 2301 Introduction to Political Science (3 credit hours)
PSYC 2300 Psychology and the Human Experience (3 credit hours)
SOCI 2300 Introduction to Sociology (3 credit hours)
History of Civilization (Choose 3 hours)
(select 1)
HIST 1311 History of Civilization I (3 credit hours)
HIST 1312 History of Civilization II (3 credit hours)
U.S. History or Government (Choose 3 hours)
(select 1)
HIST 2311 US History to 1877 (3 credit hours)
HIST 2312 US History since 1877 (3 credit hours)
College Core Courses (14 hours)
Science (Choose 8 hours)
ANTH 1415 Physical Anthropology (3 credit hours)
ASTR 1301/1101 Introduction to Astronomy and Lab (4 credit hours)
BIOL 1400 Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (3 credit hours)
BIOL 1401 Science of Biology (3 credit hours)
BIOL 2401 Microbiology (3 credit hours)
ERSC 1302/1102 Physical Geology and Lab (4 credit hours)
ERSC 1303/1103 Historical Geology and Lab (4 credit hours)
ERSC 1304/1104 Earth and the Environment and Lab (4 credit hours)
Mathematics (Choose 3 hours)
MATH 1302 College Algebra (3 credit hours)
MATH 1303 Trigonometry (3 credit hours)
MATH 1311 Applied Calculus I (3 credit hours)
MATH 1321 Quantitative and Mathematical Reasoning (3 credit hours)
MATH 1342 Business Calculus (3 credit hours)
MATH 1401 Pre-calculus (3 credit hours)
MATH 1451 Calculus I (3 credit hours)
STAT 2350 Introduction to Statistical Methods (3 credit hours)
Flex (Choose 3 hours)
Any additional Humanities from the Standard Core Humanities list
or
Any additional Social Sciences from the Standard Core Humanities list
ACOM 1300 Intro to Communication (3 credit hours)
Required Courses (68 hours)
Program Prerequisites (Choose 9 hours)
Please note: Prior to admission to the program, students must take PSYC 2300 Psychology and the Human Experience, SOCI 2300 Introduction to Sociology, and SOWK 1301 Introduction to Social Work and have at least a 2.5 GPA in these 3 courses.
Social Work Foundations Courses (Choose 33 hours)
SOWK 3302 Social Work and Diversity (3 credit hours)
SOWK 3303 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I (3 credit hours)
SOWK 3313 Social Welfare Policy (3 credit hours)
SOWK 3304 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II (3 credit hours)
SOWK 3314 Social Welfare Policy II (3 credit hours)
SOWK 3331 Social Work Practice I (3 credit hours)
SOWK 3381 Statistics for Social Workers (3 credit hours)
SOWK 3322 Methods of Social Work Research (3 credit hours)
SOWK 4332 Social Work Practice II (3 credit hours)
SOWK 4316 Addictions in Social Work (3 credit hours)
SOWK 4333 Social Work Practice III (3 credit hours)
Social Work Field Courses (Choose 14 hours)
SOWK 4212 Field Seminar I (2 credit hours)
SOWK 4541 Field Experience I (5 credit hours)
SOWK 4213 Field Seminar II (2 credit hours)
SOWK 4542 Field Experience II (5 credit hours)
Non-BSW Required Courses (Choose 6 hours)
In addition to PSYC 3360 Abnormal Psychology, students must choose one of the following upper-level rhetoric courses.
RHET 3301 Editing for Usage, Style and Clarity (3 credit hours)
RHET 3315 Persuasive Writing (3 credit hours)
RHET 3326 Technical Writing (3 credit hours)
Upper Level Related Field Electives (Choose 12 hours)
These courses include, but are not limited to, 3000 or 4000 level courses in Gerontology, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Human Services Administration, Health Sciences, & Public Administration.
