Social Work - BS

Welcome to social work!

Your spark of idealism, belief in social justice and love of working with people, together with a degree from our accredited social work program, will prepare you for one of the fastest growing careers of the future. At St. Kate’s, you’ll acquire professional knowledge, values and skills that will empower you for a challenging and rewarding career in social work.

St. Kate’s social work major prepares students for graduate study or work in a wide range of settings. Recent graduates have been hired in diverse places such as hospitals, community centers, human services departments, public schools, domestic abuse shelters, nursing homes and mental health centers. Other graduates find work in private industry, nonprofits, state and local government, chemical dependency programs, programs for the elderly, and privately supported family and children’s agencies, just to name a few.  Students with an undergraduate degree in Social Work are eligible to apply through the Minnesota Board of Social Work to take the ASWB Licensing Exam for licensure as an LSW (Licensed Social Worker).

Our Mission

Our mission is to promote social justice and community engagement while recognizing and honoring the differences inherent in our local, national, and global communities.  In this spirit, we prepare generalist social workers to lead and influence through a commitment to professional ethics and values, service, social justice, and human rights. Students will learn how to use their social work knowledge, values and skills competently, with integrity, for the dignity and worth of all people.  

Internships 

Majors will expand their knowledge of social work beyond the boundaries of the classroom through a field education placement in a social service agency. We have developed strong agency partners and guide students through the process of interviewing and placement with these agencies. Field placements include opportunities such as case management, shelter advocacy, supervised visitation for families, community education and organizing, school social work, senior housing, research and grant writing, and county social work.

Field placements complement the academic work through integration of theory, research and practice. Social work majors also take courses in biology of women, introduction to sociology, general psychology and lifespan developmental psychology. 

The Department of Social Work includes faculty who are recognized for their teaching excellence and scholarship and are eager to lend their expertise concerning academic and professional issues. Our faculty members hold leadership positions in local, regional and national professional organizations and have expertise in areas such as anti-racist and multicultural practice, chemical dependency counseling, child welfare, community organizing, LGBTQ rights, mental health, and social welfare policy.  Our professors will enthusiastically challenge students and encourage them to reach their full potential.

Minors

The Department of Social Work offers three minors: Social Welfare (for non-social work majors), Chemical Dependency Counseling: Addiction and Recovery, and Nonprofit Strategies and Operations (offered through the Department of Economics).

We also offer a three course certificate in Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) which can be taken by both undergraduate and graduate students.  

Social Work Honor Society

Delta Epsilon Zeta, the campus chapter of Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society, was established at St. Catherine University in 2002. The purpose of this organization is to advance excellence in social work practice and to encourage, stimulate and maintain scholarship of the individual members.

As a social work major, students are eligible for membership after completing, have completed 9 semester hours of required social work courses and at least 37.5% of the total hours/credits required for the degree, whichever is later achieved, and rank in the top 35% of their class.

Social Work Club

The purpose of Social Work Club is to encourage social change through advocacy, community engagement, and knowledge through a social work lens. Members of the Social Work Club will be provided with opportunities for academic and professional development within the St. Kate’s community (ex. resume building, study hours, service opportunities, etc). Social Work Club also looks to be a place of peer to peer engagement and community for all those in and interested in the Social Work program. 

Accreditation

St. Kate's master's and bachelor of social work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation.

Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the Commission on Accreditation has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.

St. Catherine University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association: www.ncahlc.org

See also: Master of Social Work (graduate catalog)

This major is offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.

Curriculum

Required Courses
SOWK 2810Introduction to Social Work4
SOWK 3400Human Behavior and the Social Environment4
SOWK 3550Communication and Interviewing Skills4
SOWK 3780Senior Fieldwork Preparation4
SOWK 3800Social Work Research4
SOWK 3850Group Work Skills4
SOWK 3910Social Policy for Social Change4
SOWK 4010WGeneralist Practice I: Small Client Systems4
SOWK 4020Generalist Practice II: Large Client Systems4
SOWK 4050
SOWK 4060
Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar
and Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar
8
Total Credits44
Required Supporting Courses
BIOL 1120Biology of Women with Lab4
PSYC 1001General Psychology with Lab4
PSYC 2025Lifespan Developmental Psychology4
SOCI 1000Principles and Concepts of Sociology4
Total Credits16
Recommended Courses
CDC 3000Chemical Dependency/Addiction and Recovery - Assessment and Intervention4
CDC 3050Culturally Responsive Addiction and Recovery Counseling - Individuals and Families4
CDC 4350Co-Occurring Disorders and Pharmacology4
WOST 2910The Anatomy of Violence4
NPSO 4300Development and Fundraising for Social Service Organizations4
or SOWK 4300 Development and Fundraising for Social Service Organizations
CAST 4000Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Child Maltreatment Advocacy4
CAST 4100Building Resilience for Professional Sustainability in the Helping Professions4

Required Fieldwork Placement 

The Fieldwork Placement provides practical learning in social work agencies to complement the student's academic work through the integration of theory and practice. In their Senior Year, students complete a 400-hour internship within a social work agency. These hours are accompanied by a seminar that meets every other week during the fall and spring semesters. Students spend approximately 12-15 hours within the internship site off-campus.  

Social work majors satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors in SOWK 4010W Generalist Practice I: Small Client Systems. They complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Writing Requirement with three other writing-intensive courses (CORE 1000W The Reflective WomanCORE 3990W Global Search for Justice, and any other writing-intensive course in another department).

Fall Term
PSYC 1001General Psychology with Lab4
BIOL 1120Biology of Women with Lab4
Spring Term
PSYC 2025Lifespan Developmental Psychology4
Summer Term
SOCI 1000Principles and Concepts of Sociology4
Fall Term
SOWK 2810Introduction to Social Work4
SOWK 3400Human Behavior and the Social Environment4
Spring Term
Study Abroad, if desired
Fall Term
SOWK 3550Communication and Interviewing Skills4
SOWK 3800Social Work Research4
Spring Term
SOWK 3780Senior Fieldwork Preparation4
SOWK 3910Social Policy for Social Change4
SOWK 3850Group Work Skills4
Fall Term
SOWK 4010WGeneralist Practice I: Small Client Systems4
SOWK 4050Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar4
Spring Term
SOWK 4020Generalist Practice II: Large Client Systems4
SOWK 4060Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar4
Total Credits60
Fall Term
PSYC 1001General Psychology with Lab4
BIOL 1120Biology of Women with Lab4
Spring Term
PSYC 2025Lifespan Developmental Psychology4
Summer Term
SOCI 1000Principles and Concepts of Sociology4
Fall Term
SOWK 2810Introduction to Social Work4
SOWK 3400Human Behavior and the Social Environment4
Spring Term
No SOWK classes
Fall Term
SOWK 3550Communication and Interviewing Skills4
SOWK 3800Social Work Research4
Spring Term
SOWK 3780Senior Fieldwork Preparation4
SOWK 3850Group Work Skills4
SOWK 3910Social Policy for Social Change4
Fall Term
SOWK 4010WGeneralist Practice I: Small Client Systems4
SOWK 4050Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar4
Spring Term
SOWK 4020Generalist Practice II: Large Client Systems4
SOWK 4060Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar4
Total Credits60