Social Work

Successful social workers are problem-solvers who like working with people and who are flexible, resourceful and tenacious. The helping process is rarely linear. Social workers must be willing to change their ideas to accommodate clients' experiences, aspirations, and goals. They need to understand the community where they are employed in order to make the best use of available resources. 

Social workers are employed in both the public and private social service sectors. Social workers work in community-based agencies that provide resources to meet basic human needs. They work with people facing difficult life situations, such as homelessness and domestic violence in shelters. They provide counseling and case management services for people with mental health problems in community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, corrections,and family service agencies. They work with people experiencing disability and health problems in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and agencies established to promote community living. They provide support to children and their families in schools and agencies serving youth. In the child welfare field, they are employed by adoption, foster care and family preservation agencies, and protective service agencies dealing with neglect and abuse of children. Other social workers work on policy and program development in government agencies. They may advocate on behalf of causes and communities in a variety of voluntary agencies. 

• The University of Cincinnati has online enrollment services advisors (ESAs) available to help learners complete their application and get started in the Online Bachelor of Social Work program.  If you have not already, please use the request information form above to be connected to an ESA today! 

• Upon starting the program, a dedicated student success coordinator (SSC) will be assigned to all learners to help them achieve their academic goals. You will be introduced to your SSC as your first semester approaches, and they will be your primary liaison to the university all the way through graduation. 

• The Online BSW program is ideal for students who have previous coursework in pre-social work or a similar major. Students can be admitted to the program during any semester (fall, spring, or summer).   

• The Online BSW program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The UC BSW degree will be recognized by every master's in social work (MSW) graduate programs in the United States. Students can receive advanced standing credit toward the MSW degree in programs that offer this option.   

• Graduates of the online BSW program are qualified to sit for the Bachelor’s examination offered by the Association of Social Work Boards and to apply for licensing in states which offer social work licenses to BSW graduates. Licensing requirements are state specific and applicants should check with their state licensing board for specific requirements. 

Through a partnership with the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services at the University of Cincinnati, students in the Online BSW program can gain additional credentials in Substance Abuse Counseling. Through special electives, students will fulfill the educational requirements for the Ohio Chemical Dependency Counseling Assistant Phase 1 (CDCA Phase 1) Exam or a similar exam in their home state. Students should check with their home state’s addictions counseling credentialing board for specific requirements. 

Certification for graduation requires an overall university GPA of 2.5 and a 2.5 GPA in all social work courses.

In order to apply to University of Cincinnati as a transfer student, learners must submit a transfer application form and have official transcripts sent directly to UC from all prior institutions they’ve attended. 

• To request these transcripts, please contact your previous institution’s registrar and ask them to send the official transcript to the University of Cincinnati via an approved electronic method such as Parchment, eScrip-Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, or similar services. This is the preferred method. If electronic submission isn’t available, transcripts may be mailed to the Office of Admissions at: 

• University of Cincinnati 

• Office of Admissions 

• PO Box 210091 

• Cincinnati, OH 45221 

• Learners who are currently enrolled at University of Cincinnati can apply to enter the online BSW program by following the major change instructions found on the Office of the Registrar’s website. 

• Past UC students who have not attended any other institutions since their departure can apply to be readmitted to the university and enter the online BSW program by following the readmission instructions found on the Office of the Registrar’s website. 

• Both of these applications are subject to the same admissions criteria listed above. 

• Due to this program’s field work requirement, students are not eligible to complete the program while located outside of the United States. 

• Applicants with college coursework completed outside the United States are required to provide a course-by-course foreign credential evaluation for each college or university you attended outside the United States. This evaluation must be obtained from a service listed on the NACES member website. 

The BSW and MSW programs are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.