Social Work Degrees Online

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Online Format

Affordable Degrees

CSWE Accreditation

Welcoming Community

Begin or Advance Your Social Work Career

Classes in Aurora University’s online social work programs are offered in convenient eight-week modules, allowing you to complete your coursework in a flexible learning environment while managing work and family.

After completing the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program, graduates can seek entry-level roles and apply for advanced standing in the Aurora University Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Students in the MSW program can choose tracks in Addictions, Child Welfare, Forensics, Gerontology, Health Care, Leadership Administration, Military and Veteran Social Work, or School Social Work. You also have the option to pursue a dual degree combining the MSW with an MBA or Master of Public Administration (MPA).

  • More than 85% of Aurora University Online’s faculty hold the highest degree in their fields.
  • You can receive personal support from enrollment through graduation.
  • Social work employment is projected to grow by 9% from 2021 to 20311.

Online Social Work Programs

Find the degree or certificate program that positions you to advance your social work career.

Establish a broad social work background in courses taught by experienced faculty. You will also complete an internship to apply your knowledge and skills in real-life situations. After graduation, you will have qualifications for beginning social work practice to support vulnerable families and individuals in your community.

Establish a foundation for moving into generalist clinical social work practice bolstered by a specialized study of topics. The program offers field instruction and opportunities to customize your coursework through multiple tracks. As a signal of this program’s quality, it is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Through this dual program, you can gain a mix of social work expertise and business acumen. Students can acquire a deep understanding of social service and business knowledge to make a difference in their community as a leader in the nonprofit or private sectors.

This dual degree offers social work and public administration courses to prepare students for leadership roles with nonprofits and other organizations. Aurora University designed this program to include streamlined coursework so that you can acquire two graduate credentials faster. The MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Gain the knowledge to support individuals and families experiencing substance abuse disorders. Upon graduation, you’ll have qualifications for taking the Illinois Alcohol and other Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC) examination for addiction specialty certification in Illinois. Additionally, you can complete additional credits to prepare for the Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders certificate.

Learn from expert educators as you prepare to safeguard children from abuse and neglect, help reunite families, and seek placements for children who cannot safely return to their homes. After finishing the program, you will be eligible to take the Illinois Child Welfare Licensing Exam and advance into the child welfare field in Illinois.

Develop important expertise organizations need by learning to apply social work principles in legal settings. You can gain an understanding of forensic social work practice and theory, developing clinical skills for supporting vulnerable populations.

Get personalized attention from educators who help you prepare to enable older adults to lead productive lives. This program explores gerontology and imparts the knowledge and skills needed to become a social work practitioner specializing in offering support in assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, hospice care settings, and other locations.

With this track, you can prepare to impact the rapidly growing medical field by assisting and advocating for clients in hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical settings. While completing the program, you can learn to collaborate with doctors, nurses, administrators, and other medical staff to help clients receive the care and services their treatment requires.

Offered in partnership with the Aurora University Dunham School of Business, this track imparts qualifications for working in the business management and administration sides of social work and human services. Prepare to oversee social work teams and processes on behalf of nonprofits, public health organizations, and other social work employers. Students can tailor the courses to their goals by selecting MBA-level electives in management and leadership.

Develop qualifications for serving active-duty and veteran military members, making a positive impact on their lives. Through this track, you will complete nine credits of specialized courses exploring methods for engaging in clinical social work practice with military and veteran populations. The courses also delve into military culture, customs, and other topics relevant to social work practice in this field.

Prepare to become a social work practitioner who can support students in private and public schools. You will learn about social work policy, educating exceptional children, and other topics. Plus, gain hands-on experience through field instruction. Aurora University School of Education programs are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Aurora University designed this program for students who have earned a Master of Social Work degree and plan to specialize their skills in a school setting. The coursework explores key topics in social work policy, exceptional children, and reading content, and the program includes field instruction.

Aurora University Online has a strong tradition of serving students with a quality education rooted in the foundational principles of academic excellence. AU Online strives to make college affordable for students while designing degree programs around quality curricula to foster career success.

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Your Education Is More Flexible and Affordable

Higher education is now more accessible with Aurora University Online. As a student, you will utilize a convenient learning platform that puts the path to a degree at your fingertips.

Engaging Curriculum. Dedicated Support.

In all of AU Online’s social work programs, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from field experiences in your community that align with your career interests, along with multiple entry points throughout the year. All faculty members are practitioners with expertise in their fields, which include addictions, child welfare, forensics, gerontology, health care, leadership administration, military and veteran, and school social work. You’ll also have access to a dedicated academic advisor who will support you along the way.

Succeed in a Growing Career Field

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employers will need 772,100 social workers by 2031.1 With Aurora University Online’s social work programs, you can prepare for social work careers in many specialized areas. Moreover, students can select dual degrees and MSW tracks to gain the expertise needed to make a difference while working with military veterans or by joining organizations in the public administration, healthcare, and child welfare fields.

Social Work Career Paths

  • Addictions treatment counselor
  • Behavioral management aide
  • Child, family, and school social worker
  • Clinical social worker
  • Healthcare social worker
  • Mental health and substance abuse social worker
  • Nonprofit leadership
  • Policy advocate
  • Rehabilitation caseworker
  • Urban and regional planners

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Accreditation

Aurora University is a participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements initiative.

Aurora University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to grant bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

The Aurora University baccalaureate social work and master of social work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Sources

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Social Workers.” Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.bls.gov/.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a national association representing social work education in the United States. CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories.

These programs are also offered on the Aurora and Woodstock, Illinois campuses.