2024-2025 Academic Catalog and Student Handbook
Bachelor of Social Work
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Return to: Academic Programs Offered at Pacific Oaks College
Total Credit Hours Required
120 credits
Maximum Allowable Transfer Credits
87 credits
Program Admissions Requirements
Admissions Requirements can be found here: Admissions Policies
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and Fees for the College and individual programs can be found here: Tuition and Fees
Number of Admit Terms per Year
Online: 3
- Fall Semester
- Spring Semester
- Summer Semester
Program Overview
The Pacific Oaks College Bachelor of Social Work Program (BSW) draws upon its unique context as an institution grounded in its social justice heritage with access to urban, rural, and international practice opportunities, with a purpose to prepare entry-level social work generalists who are capable of providing culturally appropriate practices across diverse populations. The purpose of such preparation to educate and train social work generalist professionals who will effectively promote social justice and who can ethically integrate the holistic competencies and dimensions as established by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in a beginning level social work practice. This foundation will foster the growth of practice wisdom and scientific inquiry with an overarching purpose of enhancing the quality of life in their diverse communities, as culturally intelligent agents of change. The BSW program seeks to promote well-being, empower and invigorate communities, while supporting a community and family centric models of service and learning. As a strengths-based program, it aims to enhance protective factors designed to support recovery and resilience in individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. Grounded in social justice and equity frameworks, students learn how to engage effectively as they advocate for change in traditionally underserved communities. As with most of our other bachelor’s degree programs, Field Education is an integral part of the BSW degree program. Field placements within the professional curriculum provide students multiple opportunities to develop and apply social work knowledge and skills, which lead directly to the mastery of professional competencies.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
- PLO/CSWE Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- PLO/CSWE Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- PLO/CSWE Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- PLO/CSWE Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
- PLO/CSWE Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
- PLO/CSWE Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- PLO/CSWE Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- PLO/CSWE Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- PLO/CSWE Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Program Specific Requirements
This is a 120-credit degree program. It includes 46 credits of general education courses, 35 credits of lower and upper division general electives and 39 credits of upper division Social Work major core courses.
The BSW program is housed in Pacific Oaks College’s School of Cultural & Family Psychology, alongside our 20+ year old CA Board of Behavioral Sciences accredited Master of Arts in Marriage Family Therapy programs, the Master of Arts in Cultural & Family Studies, and the Bachelor of Arts in Community Psychology program. See CSWE Accreditation Statement below.
BSW in Social Work Credit Requirements
46 General Education Credits
35 General Elective Credits
39 Upper Division Human Development Program Credits
120 Credits Total
Fieldwork Requirements
The primary goal of the BSW Field Education Program is the development of competent, beginning generalist BSW social workers who demonstrate a reflective and self-evaluative practice guided by professional values of human dignity and social justice.
Field Education is the signature pedagogy of social work training and is often referred to as the “heart of social work education.” The purpose of the BSW Field Education Program is to enable students to receive structured preparation in the discipline of social work practice. By placing BSW students in actual settings under the experienced guidance of CSWE-approved Field Instructors, students have the opportunity to develop essential social work competencies as they incorporate a solid academic foundation that is seated within rigorous social justice values, and skills.
Research demonstrates that students consistently remember their field experience as the most important aspect of their social work education and a meaningful relationship with their field supervisor is essential for their growth as social workers.
BSW students will complete a total of 420 hours of supervised experience and will work with the Field Education Department to complete their field education by completing required field seminar and practicum courses that support the applied learning and integration of knowledge and skills within a theoretical base for social work practice.
Course Length
Please refer to the program course and delivery section found here: Academic Calendar
Delivery Format
Online
Areas of Concentration
Management Concentration
This concentration requires 15 credits
Certification
None
Career Outcomes
“Social work practice can take place at the micro, mezzo, or macro level. Micro social work is practice that concentrates on the individual and family levels. Macro social work is focused on driving change in community systems, institutions, and larger group units, commonly through government or other non-profit agencies. Mezzo social work is focused on groups that fall between the individual and the community, such as neighborhoods, task forces, and support groups. These levels refer to the scale of the systems being analyzed in each type of practice and are complementary to one another; as a result, there can be considerable overlap between the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice (socialworkguide.org).”
A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is one of the most useful and flexible degrees one can obtain in the human services sector. With this degree, BSW graduates may pursue positions with the following titles: (humanservicesedu.org):
- Behavioral Management Aide
- Case Manager (social services, health/mental health, housing, legal settings, etc.)
- Community Outreach Worker
- Early Intervention / Home Visitation Worker
- Residential Counselor
- Human Services Worker
- Parent Educator
- Probation Officer
- Juvenile Court Liaison
- Rehabilitation Case Worker
- Social Services Eligibility Worker
Prospective Student
The Pacific Oaks College BSW program operates in an accelerated online modality, therefore prospective students should be willing to engage in online coursework, have internet access and a computer. Students looking to complete their bachelor’s degree or transferring from a community college are also ideal candidates. Individuals seeking to pursue a generalist macro (i.e., policy change and program implementation) or micro (case management, care coordinator, healthcare/discharge social work) curriculum may be attracted to the benefits in acquiring this generalist Social Work degree.
Accreditation Statement
Pacific Oaks Bachelor of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This accreditation serves as a testament to our commitment to providing a high-quality education in the field of social work. Our CSWE accreditation represents our BSW program’s dedication to preparing our BSW students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the social work profession and is a symbol of our program’s excellence and adherence to the highest standards of education and practice.
An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Accreditation applies to all program options, which include 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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