Bachelor of Social Services


A Bachelor of Social Work or Bachelor of Social Services is a degree in social welfare at the baccalaureate level.

United States

The Bachelor of Social Work degree is a four-year undergraduate degree. Usually the first two years consist of liberal arts courses and the last two years focus on social work classes in human development, policy/law, research, and practice. Programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education require BSW students to complete a minimum of 400 field education or internship hours. Accredited BSW programs often allow students who are interested in obtaining a Master of Social Work degree to complete the degree in a shorter amount of time or waive courses.

Latin America

In Latin America this is a four to five-year degree that can replace liberal arts subjects into health sciences, resulting in social work as a type of community psychology and socioeconomic studies, focused in hospitals, prisons or pedagogy, among others.

Nordic countries

Bachelor of Social Services is a degree in social welfare from Nordic universities. At the core it is based on the competences needed to work in social services. Courses in sociology, human rights, gerontology, community services, psychology, social security and entrepreneurship are part of the degree. Service orientation and client work is seen through a social pedagogical framework. The studies take 3 to 5 years. Degree holders are usually hired for services in Scandinavian welfare systems. NGO oriented services take place with families and people of all ages in areas such as: child protection, early childhood education, community work, substance abuse prevention or promotion of mental health.
In Norway, a Bachelor of Social Work takes 3 years to complete, and a Masters in Social Work takes 5 years.
In Sweden, the training was originally given in social work than in social services, training's were given in specialized social work colleges, which were integrated into the regular Swedish university system in 1977, through department of social work at an existing university or university college.

Job titles

Bachelors of Social Services graduates find jobs in a wide range of roles in the social services. Some may be in the public, private or the third sector.