UT San Antonio Social Work Programs

Do you want to create meaningful change in your community? UT San Antonio Social Work Programs give you a clear path to turn that vision into reality. The bachelor’s and master’s degree options help you develop skills to support positive social change.

The University of Texas San Antonio social work curriculum connects you with local organizations across San Antonio. The UTSA social work program stands out from other social work programs in San Antonio, TX because community participation blends into every part of your social work education.

Your learning combines hands-on experiences, internships, and community projects that bring classroom knowledge to life. These real-life applications give you the tools to make real changes in people’s lives. UTSA’s social work education prepares you for more than just a degree—it launches you into a rewarding career that serves your community.

Social Work Degrees Offered at UTSA

UTSA offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in social work. These programs prepare you to practice professionally in a variety of settings.

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program gives you the skills needed to start your professional practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students learn culturally competent, transformative practices that promote equity and social justice in both local and global contexts. The BSW program has a substantial 450-hour practicum where you’ll serve community agencies in San Antonio and surrounding areas.

You must meet these requirements to enter the BSW Upper-Level Practice Sequence:

• Complete at least 42 semester credit hours with most of the Texas Core Curriculum
• Keep a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Pass SWK 1013 and SWK 2013 with a “C-” or better
• Pass the required statistics course with a “C-” or better

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program earned full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education in 2008. The program received reaffirmations in 2012 and 2021, which secured accreditation through 2028. Students can choose between two tracks:

• 36-hour program: This track suits applicants with a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program or those who completed 24+ graduate credits in a CSWE-accredited MSW program
• 60-hour program: This track works best if you have a bachelor’s degree in other fields

The MSW program’s schedule is flexible. Classes happen mostly in the evening, with some daytime options available. Evening classes meet once a week during fall, spring, and 10-week summer sessions. Students also complete two 450-clock-hour field practicums. This involves working 12-15 hours weekly in agency settings over four semesters.

UTSA’s Downtown Campus hosts both programs, making them ideal if you need flexible scheduling options. After completing either program, you’ll be ready to help diverse populations and tackle ground challenges in social service settings of all types.

Specializations

UTSA’s social work program has targeted specializations that set you up for various career paths in the field. The Master of Social Work degree lets you focus on clinical practice, community development, and administration, so you can shape your education around your career goals.

The MSW curriculum requires 18 semester credit hours in Specialized Culturally Competent Practice. These specialized courses have essential methods that focus on working with individuals, groups, communities, and families. The specialized methods courses give you the advanced skills in:

• Individual practice – you’ll develop autonomous culturally competent practice knowledge and skills
• Group work – you’ll learn to select and apply practice strategies with different groups
• Community practice – you’ll engage with organizations in community settings
• Children and families – you’ll apply modern practice approaches in various contexts

The MSW program also has selective courses like Multidimensional Assessment and Transformational Leadership in Social Work. These courses boost your expertise in specific practice areas.

Field practicums are a vital part of your specialization experience. MSW students complete two 225-clock-hour specialized field practicums that build on their earlier experiences. These supervised sessions at assigned locations come with weekly integrative seminars that emphasize specialized culturally competent practice.

After graduation, you’ll find many specialization paths in social work. Job projections between 2022 and 2032 show promising growth in several areas:

• Healthcare social workers: 10% growth
• Mental health and substance abuse social workers: 11% growth
• Child, family, and school social workers: 5% growth

The specialized training from the University of Texas San Antonio social work programs matches these growing market needs. Texas ranks among the top employers of healthcare social workers as of May 2022, which makes social work programs in San Antonio TX a great choice for students interested in healthcare specializations.

Online and Hybrid Options

Students pursuing social work degrees need flexible education options today. The University of Texas San Antonio social work program values hands-on experience, and students can choose from several digital learning options that fit their schedule and priorities.

UTSA’s Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) department has not-for-credit programs, courses, and boot camps that add to traditional learning paths. These options are a great way to get professional development without committing to a full degree program.

UTSA’s online learning system stands out by making microcredentials through Coursera Career Academy and Adobe Creative Skills available. UTSA students and alumni can access these compact educational experiences completely free. These credentials help students quickly gain new skills that both employers and academic institutions recognize.

The differences between online and on-campus social work education show up in several areas:

• Flexibility: Students can complete online coursework from anywhere, which makes balancing work, family, and education much easier
• Networking: Campus programs give students more face-to-face time to build community connections and work together
• Practical Experience: Both formats need fieldwork, but campus-based students often find local internships more easily

Texas has several universities that offer detailed online social work degree programs. Texas State University’s online MSW uses the same textbooks and curriculum as their campus program. The University of Houston lets students choose between online, face-to-face, and hybrid formats for their MSW program.

The UTSA social work program mainly uses traditional teaching methods, but adding digital options shows how social work education continues to evolve. Students choose between online and on-campus formats based on their situation, learning style, and career goals. Social work programs in San Antonio maintain high standards to prepare students for licensure and professional practice, whatever format they choose.

Graduation rates

UTSA’s social work department uses graduation statistics to measure how well their programs work. Your educational path becomes clearer with a look at the bigger picture of institutional data. UTSA’s overall graduation rate is 51%. The retention rate is 78%, placing the university in the top 40%.

The numbers tell an interesting story across different time periods. UTSA students graduate at a rate of 29% in four years, while this number rises to 51% in six years. First-time, full-time students show rates of 15% at four years and 37% at six years. Most students need a bit more than four years to finish their degree, with the average completion time being 4.61 years.

UTSA has taken steps to improve these numbers. The university’s collaboration with national firm EAB helps identify ways to boost student retention and graduation rates. These methods have made student experiences better and led to big improvements in first-year retention and graduation rates.

The MSW program at UTSA shows remarkable results in professional testing. MSW students and alumni pass the state licensing exam at rates that are way above the national average. This shows just how well the program prepares its students.

Students at UTSA succeed thanks to strong support systems, even with different completion times. Students who use academic advising services see their persistence increase by 4.4 percentage points. The university’s efforts to get vulnerable students to try academic coaching services boost persistence by at least 1.6 percentage points.

UTSA’s social work program goes beyond just getting students in the door – it helps them graduate successfully. These graduation statistics offer valuable insights about your chances of academic success and professional licensing as you look at social work programs in San Antonio TX.

Career outcomes

A social work degree from UTSA brings excellent professional rewards. Recent UTSA social work program graduates start their careers with competitive salaries and great job prospects. The most recent graduating class secured jobs with approximate starting salaries of $59,000, showing how valuable this degree can be.

Your earnings grow well beyond your first job. UTSA graduates earn $28,000 more than high school graduates in the San Antonio area. This extra income helps build a strong foundation for career growth and financial security.

Social work graduates have bright job prospects ahead. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects social worker jobs to grow 7% over the next decade—this is a big deal as it means that growth is much faster than other occupations. Graduates can choose from many different specialties to build their careers.

UTSA’s success in preparing students shows in its rankings:

• 89/400 in the nation for social mobility (Wall Street Journal, 2024)
• 50/1410 nationally for economic mobility (Third Way, 2023)
• 47/434 as top performers on social mobility (U.S. News & World Report, 2024)

UTSA graduates do well financially. About 39% finish school with no loan debt at all. Students who take loans typically pay them off in just 1.4 years, which is much faster than the national average.

Students can explore career options through seekUT, a free online tool with data about UTSA graduates’ earnings and education outcomes. This tool puts salary, debt, and job information in one place to help you make smart career choices.

Nine out of ten alumni who graduated in the past three years work in Texas. This creates a strong professional network across the state that can help you find job opportunities and make valuable connections.

UTSA’s social work program prepares you for many professional roles serving individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social work programs in San Antonio give you the skills employers want: critical thinking, research, problem-solving, and effective communication. You can build a career in clinical practice, case management, or community organization.

Unique Features about the Social Work Programs at UTSA

The University of Texas San Antonio social work programs stand out because of their exceptional setting. The programs thrive in San Antonio’s vibrant downtown area, within a culturally rich “majority-minority” community. This unique environment enriches every part of your learning journey.

The UTSA social work program focuses on cultural competence as its specialized concentration. Students learn to work with clients and systems from different backgrounds while finding ethical ways to help diverse communities.

UTSA’s strong ties with government and non-government social service organizations create several opportunities:

• Practical field experience
• Research projects
• Community improvement initiatives
• Better services for clients

The Social Work Council welcomes all MSW students automatically without fees or application process. Students cooperate with their peers through this council to create positive changes in the community.

More than half of the social work students at UTSA are working professionals who add valuable real-world experience to classrooms and field practicums. The program schedules evening classes with some daytime options to help these students balance work and studies.

Students and alumni prove the program’s quality through their outstanding performance on licensure exams. Their passing rates are much higher than the national average.

The Department of Social Work moved to the College for Health, Community and Policy (HCaP) from the College of Public Policy in 2020. This change helps students prepare for modern healthcare roles where social workers team up with professionals to provide complete health solutions.

The Dr. Rosalie and Bob Ambrosino Scholarship supports students who show steadfast dedication to cultural competence, social justice, and leadership. This scholarship adds to the program’s many opportunities.