About the School of Social Work
The School of Social Work prides itself on an impeccable academic and professional reputation as well as dedication and strong commitment to supporting the student population. Social work is a profession committed to assisting individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities and society as a whole in the improvement of the quality of life through the amelioration of social problems, equitable distribution of social resources, and client empowerment.
The School of Social Work is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). At UAA, you will receive a solid professional education in our BSW and MSW programs and will also experience a tremendous sense of collegial and student support.
The mission of the UAA BSW Program is to prepare generalist social workers who enhance human well-being and promote social and economic justice for people of all backgrounds, particularly those in Alaska. The purpose of the Bachelor of Social Work program at the University of Alaska Anchorage is to prepare graduates for beginning professional social work practice. Preparation for professional practice builds on a broad based liberal arts education accomplished through completion of General Education and major degree requirements.
The mission of the UAA MSW Program is to prepare advanced generalist social workers who enhance human well-being and promote social and economic justice for people of all backgrounds, particularly those in Alaska. Alaska's unique and rich multicultural populations, geographic remoteness, and frontier status allow the real potential for skilled social work professionals to make a profound impact on social and economic injustice in our state.
Accreditation
The UAA School of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation.
Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’ Commission on 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 Commission on 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.
History of the School of Social Work
The University of Alaska Anchorage is part of the State of Alaska's University system. The School of Social Work is an academic unit within the College of Health. The School administers the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs.
The Social Work Program at UAA began in 1973 within the Department of Sociology. By 1976, the course work for a BSW was in place and the Board of Regents approved the BSW degree. UAA then sought national accreditation for its social work program from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Accreditation of the BSW program was granted in 1978 and has continued since. Re-affirmation of the accreditation was last granted in June 2010.
In February 1994, the University Board of Regents approved the Master of Social Work degree curriculum. In June 1995, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation granted Candidacy Status to the MSW Program. The first MSW cohort was admitted in August 1995 with the first graduating class in 1997. In June 1999, the MSW Program was granted Initial Accreditation, retroactive to all graduating classes of the MSW Program.
Both the MSW Program and the BSW Program were granted full accreditation for eight years in June 2010 and are now accredited through 2018.
Like overall University accreditation, CSWE accreditation assures the student of a quality education which meets nationally accepted professional standards in social work.
The School's eleven faculty are jointly committed to the BSW and MSW Programs. Faculty are not assigned to a specific program, teaching across programs based upon their prior academic experience, content expertise, and readiness to teach graduate social work courses. The BSW and MSW Field Practicum and BSW and MSW Program Coordinators work with the Director to establish teaching assignments, insuring fair and equitable distribution of faculty resources in the two programs.