Social Work
Enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities with a bachelor's degree in social work (BSW). Known for producing exceptional graduates, our reputable program will help shape you into an ethical, competent, and evidence-informed professional, ready for the field or graduate school.
Make an Impact in Your Community
Rooted in high-impact, experiential learning, our social work major will provide you with opportunities to gain relevant experience. One of the best ways we do this is through our comprehensive field placement program, completed by all majors in their fourth year.
Many social work students also choose to take their education a step further by studying abroad, joining a cultural immersion program, or participating in the National Student Exchange program. Each of these opportunities opens doors to new experiences, additional career paths and a deeper awareness of social justice and change.
Social work professionals are tasked with empowering others, while simultaneously working to better the community. Community service and collaborative research projects will round out your skillset and provide you with even more opportunities to make positive change.
Program Details
Accreditation Information
The Department of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
Licensure Information
The requirements of this program meet licensure in the following states or territories:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, Virginia, Wisconsin
The requirements of this program do not meet licensure in the following states or territories because an MSW degree is required:
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, Vermont
The requirements of this program do not meet licensure in the following states because they have additional requirements beyond the BSW:
Illinois (requires a completion of 3 years of supervised professional experience before licensure), Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Utah (all require additional mandatory training prior to application), Montana, Wyoming (both require a supervision plan or agreement as part of application process), and Puerto Rico (must have residency to apply).
These territories do not currently license social workers:
American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau
All social work students complete a professional field placement during their fourth year of the program. Field placements cover a variety of fields, including adoption, foster care, gerontology, child and family welfare, domestic violence, sexual assault, health care, mental health, school social work, and justice and corrections. Local partnerships and access to more than 100 internship sites will ensure you find the right fit.
Not every undergraduate social work program can boast about the quality research experiences their students get to be a part of. Here, all of our students have the opportunity to work alongside faculty and engage in fascinating research focused on bettering society. Many students choose to present their findings at local and international research conferences, allowing for even more personal and professional growth.
Blugold Stories
I didn't even know what research really was. I've done research papers where I would look up articles and then read them and implement them into my writing. But I never thought that I would actually be going out into the field, analyzing and taking notes on human behavior.
Internships allow you to gain valuable applied experience, make connections in professional fields you're considering as a career path, and give employers the chance build and evaluate talent.
Just
the
facts
Where can the social work program lead me after graduation?
Graduates of our social work program leave prepared and ready to make a difference. Because of the broad nature of the program, you will be qualified to work in a variety of fields, including mental health, alcohol or drug abuse, gerontology, and child welfare.
Example Careers
- Adoption specialist
- Probation officer
- Marriage and family therapist
- Substance abuse counselor
- Academic advisor
- Guidance counselor
- Gerontologist
- Victim crisis manager
- Behavior therapist
Recent Graduates
School Social Worker
Wisconsin
Director of Human Services
Colorado
Youth Advocate
Minnesota
Work Readiness Specialist
Wisconsin
Veteran Affairs Mental Health Social Worker
Minnesota
Aging and Disability Resource Center Executive Director
Wisconsin
Taught by supportive, knowledgeable professors, coursework in our social work degree program will help you explore and understand the many facets of social work. All social work majors also have access to lab spaces and related facilities, where you can practice engaging and intervening with individuals, families, and groups, and receive constructive feedback.
Here are a few courses in Social Work at UW-Eau Claire.
SW 383
Social Welfare Policies and Programs
Structure and content of social welfare policies; models of policy analysis; policy development; ethics. Emphasis on oppression, discrimination, and the social values of adequacy, equity, and social and economic justice, especially for oppressed and at-risk populations.
SW 335
Human Behavior and the Social Environment
Interactions between persons and their social environments. Impact of functioning of communities, groups, families, and individuals on each other. Emphasis on dynamics of discrimination and oppression, and effects of race and racism, poverty, gender, sexual orientation.
SW 471
Generalist Social Work Practice with Families/Groups
Knowledge, skills, values, and ethics related to social work practice with diverse, oppressed, and at-risk families and treatment groups. Applied laboratory dimension focuses on professional communication and assessment skills with families and groups.
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