SKIP navigation
School of Social Work
School of Social Work

Bachelor of Science in Social Work

The Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) Program has received continuous accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education since 1975. The BSSW program prepares graduates for beginning social work practice within a variety of social service settings. This degree qualifies graduates to receive the Certified Social Worker credential (CSW) in the state of Nebraska. Other states with licensure and certification of BSSW level social workers will also recognize this degree for licensure or certification. It also prepares students for advanced graduate social work education (the MSW degree).

The curriculum for the degree is divided into two segments – the pre-professional social work curriculum and the BSSW Program.  An undergraduate student who selects a social work major takes the following courses during their freshman and sophomore years:

Pre-professional courses 58 credits
SOWK 1000 Introduction to Social Work 3 credits
SOWK 1500 Social Work and Civic Engagement
(30 hours of volunteer work required)		 3 credits
ENGL 1150 English Composition I 3 credits
ENGL 1160 English Composition II 3 credits
SPEECH 1110 Public Speaking Fundamentals 3 credits
PSYCH 1010 Introduction to Psychology 3 credits
PSYCH 3000 or 4000 level course 3 credits
SOC 1010 Introduction to Sociology 3 credits
SOC 3000 or 4000 level course 3 credits
PSCI 1100 Introduction to American National Government 3 credits
ECON 1200 Introduction to the U.S. Economy 3 credits
HIST 1120 American History since 1865 3 credits
BIO 1020 Principles of Biology 5 credits
  Another Natural or Physical Science Course 3 credits
MATH 1310 Intermediate Algebra 3 credits
CJUS 3000 Applied Statistics 3 credits
Humanities Courses may be chosen from Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, History, Humanities, Literature, Philosophy, and Religion 8 credits

Advisement Worksheets are available to assist you in developing your plan of study by clicking the link below.  This two-sided form lists all the required courses needed to obtain the BSSW degree.  The first side identifies the pre-requisite courses to the program, while the second side lists the required social work courses taken your junior and senior years as well as general electives.  Transfer students can transfer in most of the core requirements from other colleges.

University of Nebraska at Omaha
Metropolitan Community College
Iowa Western Community College
Southeast Community College
Northeast Community College
Central Community College

UNO pre-professional social work students are required to meet with an advisor prior to registering for classes for the following semester.  Students can contact Ellen Rice, the pre-social work student advisor at erice@unomaha.edu or 402-554-4928 to schedule an appointment.

Admission to the School of Social Work

Social work majors who desire to pursue the professional Bachelor of Science degree in social work must apply for acceptance during the second semester of the sophomore year or after the student has earned approximately 50 credit hours. The deadline for application is March 1st for admission for the following fall semester (the start of your junior year).  Admission to the BSSW Program is competitive, based on a combination of the following criteria:

  • Completion of most pre-requisite courses with a cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.50 or higher (the average GPA of admitted students is 3.4).
  • Successful performance in the two pre-professional social work courses (SOWK 1000 and SOWK 1500) with a grade of B or better.
  • Positive references and a well written personal statement evidencing potential for successful practice in the field of Social Work.
Required Social Work courses (after formal admission to SOWK) 47 credits
SOWK 3010 Human Behavior and Social Environment I 3 credits
SOWK 3320 Practice I 3 credits
SOWK 3890 Writing 3 credits
SOWK 4120 Institutional Oppression 3 credits
SOWK 3020 HBSE II 3 credits
SOWK 3350 Practice II 3 credits
SOWK 3110 Policy I 3 credits
SOWK 4360 Practice III 3 credits
SOWK 4400 Research 3 credits
SOWK 4410 Practicum I 5 credits
SOWK 4420 Practicum II 5 credits
SOWK 4450 Senior Seminar 1 credit
Students also choose one of the following four minority content courses:
SOWK 4010 Social Work with American Indians 3 credits
SOWK 4020 Social Work with African American Families 3 credits
SOWK 4030 Social Work with Latinos 3 credits
SOWK 4040 Working with Minority Elderly 3 credits
In addition, two* of the following electives are required:
SOWK 4640 Social Work in Child Welfare 3 credits
SOWK 4650 Social Work in Mental Health with Intellectural Disabilities 3 credits
SOWK 4800 Social Work and the Law 3 credits
SOWK 4810 Spirituality and Social Work Practice 3 credits
SOWK 4850 Hospice for Patient/Family 3 credits
SOWK 4890 Special Studies 1-4 credits
* or one of the SOWK electives and an upper level course from the CPACS
Along with the 58 pre-requisite credits and the 47 credits required for the social work major, students will need to take an additional 15 credits of general electives to complete 120 credits hours in order to graduate.

To find out more about the BSSW program view the following documents:
Admissions Information and BSSW Application
Program Goals and Objectives

Certificate in Gerontology

The Certificate in Gerontology represents a specialization at the undergraduate but is not a degree. Students may complete the requirements for the certificate within their social work program. To obtain a Certificate in Gerontology, students must complete 15 credit hours of course work in gerontology, and 6 credit hours of practicum.

Learn more about the Gerontology Certificate.

Students also have an option to minor in Gerontology. Click here for more information.

Please note students must complete the application form and pay a $45 application fee.