UConn has announced that it would be adding a Bachelor’s of Social Work degree to its School of Social work. It will be available in Fall 2018. (Archived Photo/The Daily Campus)
A few weeks ago, UConn announced it would be adding a Bachelor’s of Social Work degree to its School of Social Work in the fall of 2018. The School of Social Work currently offers a master’s and doctoral degree in the subject. The creation of this program is a great addition to the UConn catalog of majors and is evidence of how UConn continues to work for the students’ benefit.
On Sep. 27, 2017, the board of trustees voted to add the degree to UConn, making the university the only public school in the state to offer a degree at all three education levels. Back in May, UConn moved the School of Social Work from the West Hartford campus to the newly built downtown Hartford campus. That move was entirely intentional. According to UConn, there has been a rise in need for social workers in the Greater Hartford area and the school hopes to fill that gap. While studying in Hartford, students will have the opportunity to travel to nearby locations to pursue internships and field-studies. Through the master’s program, students already work within Hartford Public Schools. Efforts are currently underway to integrate more programs at the undergraduate level for students.
The bachelor’s degree will give many students the opportunity to figure out exactly what they want to do. Being exposed to the field at an earlier time, students can see what opportunities there are out there and how exactly they can pursue them. Students can also adapt their plans of study to include courses from the Neag School of Education if they want to pursue something in schools. Alternatively, if they want to work in a hospital/healthcare setting, students can adopt coursework from Allied Health Sciences, a division of the College of Agricultural, Health and Natural Resources.
Connecticut is currently at a turning point and UConn’s future is fairly unknown. The beginning of the Bachelor of Social Work program shows that there is still hope for the future, and that UConn is still committed to make the state great.