Abstract
The overarching theme of this Banded Dissertation is the retention of bachelor level social workers as vital members of the field of social work. The first product of this Banded Dissertation is a conceptual paper that explains the importance of the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree holder to the field. In this paper, I argued that the BSW degree holder is an integral part of the field of social work, thus asserting the importance of their retention in the field. The second product, survey research project with an online questionnaire and individual interviews, explores the factors that influence the career choices of BSW degree holders through an online survey and interviews. Understanding reasons BSW degree holders leave the field of social work is the first step in retaining them.