Social Work

Department Overview

The Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education at the baccalaureate level. The major has two primary objectives:

• to prepare students for beginning-level generalist social work practice; and
• to prepare students for graduate study in social work.

The social work curriculum stresses integrating knowledge of human behavior, social welfare policy and services, and research, with the values and skills of the social work profession.

Chair of the Department of Social Work: John Brueggemann

Professor: Crystal Dea Moore

Associate Professor: Kelly Melekis

Assistant Professor: June C. Paul

Senior Teaching Professor and Director of Field Education: Peter McCarthy

Professor Emeritus: Thomas P. Oles

Social Work B.S.

The major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. The social work major must successfully complete the following ten courses (44 credits) in social work:

Suggested Liberal Arts Courses for Prospective Social Work Majors

Students are encouraged to think carefully about how they approach the liberal arts requirement. A liberal education involves an appreciation of the relationship between the past and the present, an understanding of the social world, and the ability to communicate orally, in writing, and across cultures, as well as reasoning scientifically and quantitatively. Study in the liberal arts produces a deepened sense of self, and most profoundly, a commitment to lifelong learning. Social work practice rests on the liberal arts; the profession depends on broadly educated, reflective practitioners who integrate knowledge and ways of knowing from multiple disciplines, and who are committed to a life of curiosity, inquiry, and learning. Students considering a social work major are encouraged to consider the courses below as they fulfill the liberal arts requirement.

Policies and Procedures

Admission

Students must apply for admission to the social work major during their sophomore year. Selection is based on demonstrated academic competence, a willingness to abide by the profession’s code of ethics, and suitability for beginning professional practice. Applications for admission are available from social work faculty. Students planning on going abroad should talk with the program director in their first year.

Senior-Year Field Experience

The social work major culminates in a field experience in the spring semester of the senior year. Students must complete all course prerequisites prior to enrolling in the field practicum. In addition, the nature of the field experience requires that the department reserves the right to deny enrollment in the field practicum to any student, if in the judgment of the faculty that student’s scholastic or professional preparation for beginning social work practice is insufficient.

Students serve as beginning social workers four days per week for a minimum of 400 hours over the course of the semester. This experience provides them with opportunities to apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom in an agency setting. They are integrated into the field experience as regular staff and assume the functions of beginning social work practitioners in such roles as counselors, advocates, and researchers. They receive supervision from agency field instructors and support through ongoing monitoring of the placement by the social work program. Students also meet in a weekly seminar to discuss their field experiences and professional development.

Writing Requirement in the Major

The writing requirement prepares students to write effectively for a variety of professional audiences including researchers, clinicians, and supervisors. In these courses, students will:

1. Develop a feasible research proposal that includes a well-integrated literature review, a thorough description of the selected research methodology, a discussion of the practice/policy implications of the proposed work, and an appropriate data collection instrument (SW 241 Research Methods for Social Justice);
2. Develop a clinical portfolio that includes a well-defined learning contract for field work, clear and concise progress notes, an objective and comprehensive psychosocial assessment, and a self-assessment that demonstrates the student’s ability to reflect on their work with clients and connect field work to course concepts (SW 333 Social Work Practice With Individuals and Families).

Honors

To be eligible for departmental honors in social work, students must meet the minimum College GPA requirement of 3.000 overall and 3.500 in the major. Of students who are qualified, up to four students will be awarded departmental honors, each recognized for distinction in one of three areas:

• research
• practice
• overall academic achievement

Distinguished research performance is demonstrated by the completion of high quality research products in SW 241 Research Methods for Social Justice and subsequent superior independent or collaborative research; distinction in practice is demonstrated by superior performance evaluations of practice competencies in SW 333 Social Work Practice With Individuals and Families, SW 334 Social Work Practice With Groups, Organizations, and Communities, and SW 381 Social Work Field Practicum Seminar and Senior Coda; and overall academic achievement is demonstrated by the highest overall GPA.

Course Listing