Social Work Major, B.A.
Director: Lynda R. Sowbel
The social work program is accredited for undergraduate social work education by the Council on Social Work Education. The social work major, based on a foundation in the liberal arts, provides professional preparation for employment in social work, social services and other fields of human service. Graduates are prepared for generalist social work practice, useful in a variety of practice settings, including child welfare, corrections, services to older adults, community organization, mental health, family services and health services.
Beyond the liberal arts core, students majoring in social work must complete courses in human behavior and the social environment, social research, social policy and social service institutions and social work methods. Particularly important is the field practicum during senior year, where students apply social work theories of practice and research in one of a variety of settings. Specific practice settings vary each year, but may include child welfare or adult care in county departments of social service, corrections settings, school-based services for middle school and high school age youth, long term care facilities, assisted living centers and mental health services. The choice of field setting is tailored to interests and learning needs of individual students. Many social work majors choose to minor in criminology and delinquency or in gerontology, and field and volunteer experiences in related settings allow students to explore their individual interests. Often the field experience leads to employment upon graduation. In addition, successful completion of the undergraduate degree may result in advanced standing for graduate social work studies.
The program actively subscribes to Hood’s policies regarding nondiscrimination in employment and student admissions.
Requirements for the Major
The social work major requires foundation courses from a number of different liberal arts disciplines plus specialized social work courses, including one elective in social work and one from the list of recommended electives in a social or behavioral science. Many of the foundation courses meet Core Curriculum requirements. (Note: Social work students must gain an understanding of biological development across the life span. At Hood, this requirement is fulfilled with BIOL 138. Coursework completed at other colleges will satisfy this requirement only if exclusively devoted to human biology.)
A grade of “C-” or above is required in all courses with a SOWK prefix and in SOC 260 and SOC 261. (Social work majors must earn a grade of C+ or above in SOWK 201 to continue in the major.)
Foundation Courses
| BIOL 138 | The Human Health Mosaic | 3.0 |
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| ECON 205 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3.0 |
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| SOC 300 | Social Inequality | 3.0 |
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| PYSO 221 | Social Gerontology | 3.0 |
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| SOWK 327 | Gerontological Social Work: Policy and Practice | 3.0 |
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| SOC 101 | Principles of Sociology | 3.0 |
| SOC 215 | Social Problems | 3.0 |
| SOC 260 | Methods of Social Research | 3.0 |
| SOC 261 | Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences | 3.0 |
| SOC 323 | Ethnicity in the United States | 3.0 |
Social Work Courses
Select either two social work electives or one social work elective and one recommended elective.
Social Work Electives:
SOWK 327: (if not taken to fulfill a foundation course for the major)
Recommended Electives:
SOC 300: (if not taken to fulfill a foundation course for the major)
Screening for Social Work Major
Students wishing to major in social work must apply for and be accepted into the program in order to formally declare the major. Each spring, assessment of student qualifications is conducted by the social work faculty and members of the program’s advisory committee. Each student must have completed SOWK 201 with a grade of “C+” or better and have an overall minimum G.P.A. of at least 2.5. Students are evaluated on the basis of their emotional maturity and stability, as evidenced by a personal statement, an in-person interview and an evaluation by a supervisor for the volunteer experience (required for SOWK 201). Students who do not wish to major in social work or who are not accepted into the program may choose the minor, pre-professional practice in social work.