Social Work (BSW)

At Aurora University, our bachelor's degree in social work is recognized among the best in the region. AU has been training social workers since the 1970s. Our social work roots stretch back to a small human services college in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood founded during the Great Depression.

In AU’s Bachelor of Social Work program, you will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to effect change in your community. Our Social Work program begins with a solid academic core in the liberal arts, where you will hone your organizational and communications skills and lay the foundation for success. Starting in your junior year, you will be immersed in the professional and clinical side of social work, exploring social welfare and social justice issues, as well as strategies for working with diverse populations in need.

You have the option to participate in the following curriculum tracks:

• Child Welfare, which focuses on protecting the health and well-being of children; or
• Addictions, which will let you help people overcome substance abuse issues.

AU also offers coursework to prepare you for the following certifications:

• Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). Upon completion of curriculum track courses and a 500-hour field placement, you will gain 500 to 600 hours of experience working in an approved substance use disorder treatment setting.
• Co-Occuring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorder Professional (CODP I). AU is the only university that teaches students all they need to know for the CODP I Board Registration. As an added bonus, the Illinois Certification Board will let you count the program as 500 hours of required work experience.
• Child Welfare Employee License (CWEL). Upon graduation, social work majors following the child welfare track receive Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) certification and Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocal (CERAP). You will also be eligible to obtain your CWEL upon employment at a child welfare agency.

You can also expand your career opportunities with a double major in Political Science and Public Policy or in Psychology. Even with a second major, you will still be able to graduate in four years.

Upon graduation with you Bachelor of Social Work degree, you can pursue a job in case management in nonprofit organizations, hospitals, or social service agencies. Graduates with the BSW degree are eligible to take the Illinois State Social Work license exam after completing two years of work experience. You can also apply for advanced standing in AU’s Master of Social Work degree program, which will allow you take on more supervisory and clinical roles.

The Bachelor of Social Work program requires a special application, which you can complete online. The program takes place on the main campus in Aurora, and there is a social work bachelor's program online available to transfer students. AU also offers an undergraduate degree completion program in the child welfare track for students at the University Center at McHenry County College in Woodstock.

Program Locations

• Main campus in Aurora
• AU Online
• University Center at McHenry County College
  • More details coming soon. For more information, contact Ashley Hueber at ahueber@aurora.edu or 630-844-4926.

The BSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation.

Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the Board of Accreditation has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.

Accreditation applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.

This accreditation enables students to apply for the state licensure exam in Illinois and to apply for “Advanced Standing” consideration for graduate studies.

In Our Own Words

In Our Own Words: Dean of the College of Education and Social Work Brenda Barnwell on why demand for social workers is soaring

Corporations, school districts, and other organizations are finding ways to help alleviate higher levels of stress and anxiety by hiring social workers to make a difference. At AU, your professors will help you choose the track that is right for you so you are ready to start work when you graduate.