Social Work

Preparing Social Workers to Lead, Serve, and Transform

If you're passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives, a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from ��ϲ�� is your next step. Our immersive, hands-on program prepares you to serve individuals, families, and communities with compassion, professionalism, and purpose.

Through a broad-based curriculum, you’ll explore critical social issues—locally and globally—and gain practical experience that empowers you to advocate for justice, equity, and wellbeing. From conducting research to supporting underserved populations, you’ll develop the tools to respond to real needs with real solutions.

Whether you want to work in schools, healthcare, mental health, or community agencies, your BSW from ��ϲ�� equips you to lead with heart and serve with impact. One life at a time. One community at a time.

Your community needs more than help—it needs hope. And that starts with you.

Anchor: Stats

By the Numbers

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Students Make Dean’s List

Anchor: Programs & Requirements

Programs & Requirements

* The credit hours listed on this page only reference the specific program requirements and is not reflective of the total hours necessary to receive your degree. ��ϲ�� requires all students obtain a minimum of 60 hours for an associate’s degree and a total of 120 hours for a bachelor’s in social work degree. Transfer and prior learning credits may be counted toward those totals.

To learn more about our General Education Requirements, please visit the page referenced below or explore our Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

If you want a social work program with classes specifically designed to align with the profession’s purpose and values, with a special emphasis on preparing you to be an ethical professional and leader, then ��ϲ�� has the Bachelor's of Social Work program you need. With a bachelor’s degree in social work from ��ϲ��, you will be equipped to advocate for social justice for all people groups at local, national, and global levels.

Trained in generalist, evidence-based social work practices, you will work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Knowledgeable faculty will use the person-in-environment framework in courses to train you to promote human and social wellbeing and enhance quality of life for all persons. Throughout the program, you will be taught to serve diverse populations through a multi-cultural and global perspective. With attention on advocacy, you will have the skillset to prevent conditions that limit human rights and to eliminate poverty.

Completion of the bachelor’s degree in social work fully prepares the student for social work practice. Social work practice and field practice classes are not available to minors.

Course Requirements

Social Work Minor (21 hours)

Field education teaches future social workers “to think, to perform, and to act ethically and with integrity” (CSWE, 2015, p. 12). The ��ϲ�� Social Work Program field education courses are set up to be a two (2) semester sequence of courses in which the student applies conceptual knowledge gained in a classroom to practice with clients in a social work agency.
Students are required to complete a professional skills course before field placements begin that will build professional skills and prepare them for future placements. Supervision for students is provided by practitioners with either a BSW or MSW and who have two years of field experience in the area they will be supervising.
Students complete 150 clock hours of work in SOWK 460 and 250 hours in SOWK 461, for a total of 400 clock hours of field instruction. The educational competencies and policies of field instruction conform to the 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standard (2015 EPAS) of CSWE.

Child Welfare Prepare, Retain, Engage, and Partner (CW PREP)

The CW PREP Program is a collaborative partnership between the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and undergraduate social work programs across the state, including the ��ϲ��. This initiative is designed to prepare future child welfare professionals to serve Kentucky’s children and families with competence, compassion, and commitment.

The program’s goal is to ensure that graduates enter the workforce ready to provide high-quality, evidence-based services to vulnerable populations across the Commonwealth.

Anchor: Mission & Goals

Program Mission & Goals

Mission:
The mission of the UC Bachelor of Social Work Program is to prepare all social work students to become ethical professionals and leaders through generalist, evidence-based practice grounded in liberal arts education. Bachelor’s degree in social work students will receive evidence-based teaching of social work values, knowledge, and practice skills and will identify with the profession of social work through self-reflection using these components. Students will strengthen critical thinking skills through scientific inquiry of the latest research methods and technologies and be prepared to continue using these skills as lifelong learners.

Through rigorous learning and assessment of knowledge and practice skills, students will serve as ethical leaders and agents of change to advocate for social justice, dignity and worth of the person, and the importance of human relationships. Students will demonstrate the ability to value competence, integrity, and a global perspective that seeks to eliminate poverty and prevent conditions that limit human rights. Students will be prepared to be culturally engaged in practice with diverse individuals, groups, communities, and organizations through a person-in-environment framework that promotes human and social well-being and enhances quality of life for all persons. A multicultural perspective on cultural competence will enable culturally sensitive practice. This includes a range of prevention and intervention methods such as strengths-based perspective, risk and protective factors of human development, and practice skills.

The ��ϲ�� Bachelor of Social Work Program will guide students to enhance critical thinking skills, professional preparedness, and commitment to human rights and social justice for all at a local, national, and global levels.

Program Goals:

The Bachelor's of Social Work program will facilitate an appreciation of self-awareness and the diversity of humanity, especially as this relates to the variety of social work careers.
The program will provide students with a core knowledge base in human behavior theory, research methods, and social welfare policy in preparation for a career and/or graduate study.
The program will promote understanding of the social work perspective related to individuals,groups, and communities.
The program will integrate healthy professional boundaries and best ethical practices within the social work capacity.
The program will assist students to demonstrate professional helping skills within the classroom and apply the skills within a professional environment.

Students walk to class near the Grace Crum Rollins Center

Program Assessment Outcomes

Anchor: Career Outcomes

Social Work Careers & Outcomes

Social Worker: $50,390

Social workers help people prevent and cope with problems in their everyday lives.

Case Manager: $74,000

Social and community service managers coordinate and supervise programs and organizations that support public well-being.

Childcare Worker: $27,490

Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development.

Community Health Worker: $48,860

Health education specialists develop programs to teach people about conditions affecting well-being. Community health workers promote wellness by helping people adopt healthy behaviors.

Social Science Research Assistant: $50,470

Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research. May help prepare findings for publication and assist in laboratory analysis, quality control, or data management.

Paralegal: $56,230

Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers.

Anchor: FAQs

Common Questions

Departmental Events

Event

Social Work Info Session - November 3

Nov 3

7 PM - 8 PM Virtual

Event

Sodas and Success Stories

Nov 10

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Hutton School of Business (HSB)

Anchor: Accreditation

Bachelor of Social Work Accreditation Information

��ϲ�� is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Accreditation applies to all program options, which includes 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.��ϲ�� is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Accreditation applies to all program options, which includes 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

Advising

Our academic advising team will support you throughout your academic journey. Our advisors are committed to the student’s success and are available to discuss class schedules, professional advising, and career-driven goals.

Anchor: Faculty

Faculty Experts in Social Work

Dr. Jennifer Knuckles

Department Chair/Associate Professor

Human Services

Social Work

Dr. Jennifer Knuckles

Contact Information

606-539-4075

Jennifer.Knuckles [at] ucumberlands.edu

Library Basement #006

Elissa Price

Field Education Coordinator/Assistant Professor

Human Services

Social Work

Elissa Price

Contact Information

Elissa.Price [at] ucumberlands.edu

Library Basement #007

Dr. Gina Bowlin

Director of Behavioral Health | Adjunct Professor

Counseling Center

Dr. Gina Bowlin

Contact Information

606.539.3553

Gina.Bowlin [at] ucumberlands.edu

Browning Annex

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Social Work

Types

Location

Credits

Cost

Preparing Social Workers to Lead, Serve, and Transform

By the Numbers

1 in 5

Programs & Requirements

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

Course Requirements

Required Courses (60 hours)

Social Work Minor (21 hours)

CW PREP Benefits

Program Requirements

Eligibility Criteria

Application Process

Take the Next Step

Program Mission & Goals

Program Assessment Outcomes