The major in social work combines classroom learning and internships. A total of 600 hours of professionally supervised internships in community health and human service agencies are included in our program, distributed during the student’s junior and senior years.
Coursework in the Social Work program focuses on human behavior across the life span and in social systems; social problems and the significance of the forces that affect important social policies and policy development; the appreciation of diversity and work with diverse populations; populations at risk; the nature of the professional helping relationship; theories, methods, and skills for problem-solving with individuals, families, groups, and communities; professional values and ethics; and research theory and methodology for use in evaluating practice, policies, and programs. Small class size results in a genuine mentoring relationship between you and your professor.
Through your internships you are involved with the actual practice of social work, preparing you with the knowledge and skills needed to function competently and effectively in a professional helping capacity with individuals, families, groups, and communities. Emphasis is placed on interventions that involve counseling, outreach, service coordination, resource development, empowerment through capacity building, community organizing, individual and political advocacy, and influencing social policy. The program’s approach to your learning in the field is personal and practical.
Upon entering the major you will be assigned a faculty advisor within the Department of Social Work. It is through this relationship that you gain a more personalized understanding of social work and can begin to envision and fashion your career path as a professional social worker.
