New Social Work pathway offers students a more efficient path to earning a bachelor’s degree
Concordia University Wisconsin has received approval from the Higher Learning Commission to offer a reduced-credit bachelor’s degree program in Social Work, creating a new pathway for students to complete their degrees in less time and at a lower overall cost.
The new structure is part of Concordia’s efforts to make earning a college degree more accessible and affordable while preparing graduates to serve in their professions and communities. The Bachelor of Social Work program will now offer a program that requires only 92 credits, in addition to the current 120-credit option.
More opportunities, fewer barriers
CUW already offers students choice through two Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited BSW formats: an in-person program on our Mequon campus and a fully online program designed to provide flexibility for working adults and students across a wide geographic area.
“What excites me most about offering Social Work as a reduced-credit bachelor’s degree is the opportunity to make a BSW more accessible to students who may not otherwise see a four-year degree as attainable,” said Nichole Ostrowski, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program director and assistant professor.
“Educational equity and accessibility have been guiding values throughout the design of this proposal. By creating a more affordable and faster pathway to a BSW, we hope to reach more students who have the passion and potential to become caring, skilled social workers but may face financial, family, or work-related responsibilities, including first-generation, veteran, low-income, and nontraditional learners.”
Expanding access to a mission-driven education
The new program reflects Concordia’s commitment to finding innovative approaches to higher education that meet the needs of today’s students while supporting its mission to develop students in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.
Classes within this new program begin in fall of 2027. The 92-credit BSW is one of the first programs of its kind in Wisconsin.
While the number of credits differs, the professional preparation does not. Both 92-credit and 120-credit BSW students complete the same rigorous upper-division social work courses, assignments, field education, and competency-based learning outcomes consistent with the Council on Social Work Education standards.
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Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.