2026-2027 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
Bachelor of Social Work Admissions Requirement Updated
- Completion of Pacific Oaks College Transfer Credit Evaluation (PO Transfer Specialist)
- Updated Resume
- Official Transcript(s)
- BSW Program Admissions Personal Statement Questions: As part of your application to the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at Pacific Oaks College, you must submit a personal statement that is well-organized, clearly written, and 3 to 5 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins). This statement helps the Admissions Committee understand your motivation, readiness, and alignment with the core values of the social work profession.
Please answer thoughtfully all of the following questions:
Motivation for Social Work
- What inspired you to pursue a career in social work?
- When did you first become interested in this field, and why?
Life and Learning Experiences
- Share any personal, academic, or professional experiences that shaped your desire to become a social worker.
- How have these experiences prepared you for work in diverse communities?
Understanding of Social Work Values and Ethics
- Describe your understanding of the social work profession’s values and ethical principles.
- How do these values align with your own?
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Discuss your perspective on working with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.
- How have you demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in your personal or professional life?
Career Goals
- What are your short- and long-term social work goals?
- How will a BSW from Pacific Oaks College help you achieve these goals?
Challenges and Resilience
- Reflect on any obstacles or hardships you have faced.
- How have you overcome these challenges, and how have they influenced your path to social work?
Writing Quality
- Please ensure your personal statement uses proper grammar, structure, and clarity. Proofread your work carefully before submitting.
Interview with a member of the BSW Program Admissions Committee upon request.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and Fees for the College and individual programs can be found here: Financial Aid and Student Accounts Policies
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 the purpose of preparing entry-level social work generalists who can provide culturally appropriate practices across diverse populations. The purpose of such preparation is 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 the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in a beginning- level social work practice. This foundation will foster the growth of practical 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 strength-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 with 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: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- PLO/CSWE Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
- 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. Students must demonstrate that they have successfully completed the program with a grade of “C” or better in all core/elective specialization courses.
Prior to enrolling in the Social Work core courses, students must successfully complete PSY 103 Developmental Psychology, STATS 235 Integrated Statistics, and RESM 235 Research Methods for Social Sciences with a grade of C or better (grades of C- or below will not be accepted). Students must also earn a grade of C or better in all BSW core courses. A grade of C- or below will not satisfy program requirements, and the course must be retaken before the student may progress in the program.
The BSW program is housed in Pacific Oaks College’s Department of Social Work alongside our Council on Social Work Education accredited Master of Social Work program. See CSWE Accreditation Statement below.
BSW in Social Work Credit Requirements
46 General Education Credits
35 General Elective Credits
39 Upper-Division core 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 minimum of 400 hours of supervised experience at an approved in-person field education placement. BSW Students are required to participate in online weekly field seminars and practicum courses. The BSW Field Education Director and Field Education Professors support the applied learning and integration of knowledge and skills within a theoretical base for students.
Course Length
Please refer to the program course and delivery section found here: Academic Calendar
Delivery Format
Online
Certification
None
Career Outcomes
Career outcomes aligned with social work are directly tied to the type of level a practitioner chooses to focus on including: “Social work practice can take place at the micro, mezzo, or macro level. Micro social work is a practice that concentrates on the individual and family levels as clients. Mezzo social work connects clients or groups that fall between the individual and the community, such as neighborhoods, task forces, and support groups in creating additional partnerships. Macro’s 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 (Karls & O’Keefe, 2008)(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
- Human Resources
- Parent Educator
- Probation Officer
- Juvenile Court Liaison
- Rehabilitation Case Worker
- Social Services Eligibility Worker
- School Social Work
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. Prospective students benefit from preparing for their participation in Field Education. Preparation involves creating a schedule for how you will incorporate Field Education, comprised of earning either 96 field education hours for course SW120, and 112 field education hours for courses SW450, SW470 and SW480 per course, into your schedule.
Accreditation Statement
Pacific Oaks Bachelor of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This accreditation is a testament to our commitment to providing a high-quality education in 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 demonstrate compliance with all sections of the 2022 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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