University of New England launches Bachelor of Social Work program

Director of the UNE School of Social Work Shelley Cohen Konrad
Director of the UNE School of Social Work Shelley Cohen Konrad

The University of New England School of Social Work, housed in the Westbrook College of Health Professions, has launched a new undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW).  Through this program, undergraduate students benefit from UNE’s 25 years of innovative graduate-level social work education. BSW students have the opportunity to seamlessly move into the MSW program with the ability to complete their graduate degree in one year.

The BSW program prepares students for a wide range of career options in social service, health, mental health and community-based settings. They will graduate with the knowledge and skills needed to put their passion for helping others in motion.

In the fall of 2016, the first students to enroll in the program began their studies at UNE. In the spring of 2018, they will take their first social work course, which will be available to all UNE undergraduates. As the program develops, the School of Social Work will collaborate with other undergraduate programs in the Westbrook College of Health Professions and the College of Arts and Sciences. They have already forged a partnership and received a grant to develop simulation experiences with the Education and Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies undergraduate programs. These types of experiences are a priority and clinical simulation, interprofessional education and service learning opportunities for BSW students serve as cornerstones of the program.

“We designed this program to prepare undergraduates for work in the community as well as graduate school,” said Director of the School of Social Work Shelley Cohen Konrad, Ph.D., LCSW, FNAP. “With the help of our passionate and experienced faculty, undergraduate Social Work students will build a foundation that will support them in their future studies and careers.”

To learn more about the University of New England’s Westbrook College of Health Professions visit www.une.edu/wchp

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.