Social Work
B.A. Degree
We educate generalist social work practitioners to promote the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities, emphasizing the diversity and uniqueness of rural Alaska.
We create a community of critical thinkers dedicated to becoming competent, culturally sensitive professionals engaged in lifelong learning. We prepare students for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities; to integrate the values and ethics of the social work profession into generalist practice; to apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments; to engage diversity in generalist practice to advance human rights and advocate for social and economic justice; and to understand bio-psycho-social, spiritual, and cultural functioning and apply it to all client systems.
Graduates in social work qualify for beginning practice positions in child welfare, mental health, services for the aged, family agencies, youth programs, health services, Native corporations and other social agencies. Social work applies knowledge in the behavioral sciences to deal with the emotional and social problems of individuals, families and communities.
The curriculum includes a liberal arts base, foundation requirements in the behavioral sciences, and sequences in social policy and services, practice methods and field instruction. A major emphasis is the preparation of the student for beginning social work practice with rural and Alaska Native populations.
Students learn to engage people on a personal level and are placed in a social service agency as part of their course work during the senior year. Students must apply to participate in a senior field placement and are required to complete a minimum of 400 hours over the course of two semesters in a social service agency practicing the skills learned in the program.
The UAF baccalaureate social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. This degree program is delivered collaboratively within the UA system.
Minimum Requirements for Social Work Bachelor's Degree: 120 credits
Learn more about the bachelor’s degree in social work, including an overview of the program, career opportunities and more.
College of Liberal Arts
Department of Social Work
907-474-7240
