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Bachelor of Social Work

Welcome to the BSW Program

The Southern Adventist University social work program offers students a Bachelor of Social Work degree (a major in social work) as professional preparation for social work employment. On the undergraduate level, social work prepares students for beginning professional social work practice. Based on a broad liberal arts foundation, the social work major is a combination of academic and experiential courses leading to a bachelor of social work degree.

Reach out to us with your general inquiries or questions about the BSW program.

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BSW Handbook

For even more information about the BSW program, please visit our BSW Handbook.

Upcoming BSW Events

08/24/2026

Welcome Back Party

Daniells Hall Front Lawn

06:00 PM-

09/15/2026

Chattanooga Providers Resource Fair

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10/29/2026

Purple Thursday

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Admission Into the Social Work Program

Admission into the BSW program consists of three steps

Admission to Southern Adventist University does not automatically enroll the student in the social work program. During the second semester of the sophomore year, the student must fill out a formal application to the social work program. Once you have been accepted by Southern Adventist University, you may access the BSW program application by clicking here.

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Student and Field Instructor at Pinning CeremonyField Education

Students are involved in field opportunities as early as their sophomore year, gaining hands-on experience in real-world settings that help build practical skills, professional confidence, and connections within the social work field.

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Students on SWIP trip Study Tour

There are many out-of-class educational experiences, such as the New York Study Tour, European Study Tour (as available) and the Social Work Issues and Policies trip to Washington, D.C. Students involved in these experiences may be eligible to receive course credit.

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BSW studentsTransfer Students

Students transferring to Southern Adventist University’s social work program must complete the standard application process. Transcripts are reviewed by a social work adviser and Records and Advisement. Credit is granted for comparable courses with a grade of C or higher.

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Program Assessment

Bachelor's of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Accreditation of a 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 accreditation standards. Accreditation applies to all program options, which include 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 CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.

Southern Adventist University’s BSW program utilizes multiple measures to assess student competency in generalist social work practice. Below reports the last several years of assessment outcome data for BSW graduates.

Latest Program Outcomes