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
This major is offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SOWK 2810 | Introduction to Social Work | 4 |
| SOWK 3400 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment | 4 |
| SOWK 3550 | Communication and Interviewing Skills | 4 |
| SOWK 3780 | Senior Fieldwork Preparation | 4 |
| SOWK 3800 | Social Work Research | 4 |
| SOWK 3850 | Group Work Skills | 4 |
| SOWK 3910 | Social Policy for Social Change | 4 |
| SOWK 4010W | Generalist Practice I: Small Client Systems | 4 |
| SOWK 4020 | Generalist Practice II: Large Client Systems | 4 |
| SOWK 4050 & SOWK 4060 | Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar and Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar | 8 |
| Total Credits | 44 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Supporting Courses | ||
| BIOL 1120 | Biology of Women with Lab | 4 |
| PSYC 1001 | General Psychology with Lab | 4 |
| PSYC 2025 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| SOCI 1000 | Principles and Concepts of Sociology | 4 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended Courses | ||
| CDC 3000 | Chemical Dependency Counseling: Assessment and Intervention | 4 |
| CDC 3050 | Culturally Responsive Addiction and Recovery Counseling - Individuals and Families | 4 |
| CDC 4350 | Co-Occurring Disorders and Pharmacology | 4 |
| WOST 2910 | The Anatomy of Violence | 4 |
| NPSO 4300 | Development and Fundraising for Social Service Organizations | 4 |
| or SOWK 4300 | Development and Fundraising for Social Service Organizations | |
| CAST 4000 | Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Child Maltreatment Advocacy | 4 |
| CAST 4100 | Building Resilience for Professional Sustainability in the Helping Professions | 4 |
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 Woman, CORE 3990W Global Search for Justice, and any other writing-intensive course in another department).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Term | ||
| PSYC 1001 | General Psychology with Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 1120 | Biology of Women with Lab | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| PSYC 2025 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| Summer Term | ||
| SOCI 1000 | Principles and Concepts of Sociology | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| SOWK 2810 | Introduction to Social Work | 4 |
| SOWK 3400 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| Study Abroad, if desired | ||
| Fall Term | ||
| SOWK 3550 | Communication and Interviewing Skills | 4 |
| SOWK 3800 | Social Work Research | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| SOWK 3780 | Senior Fieldwork Preparation | 4 |
| SOWK 3910 | Social Policy for Social Change | 4 |
| SOWK 3850 | Group Work Skills | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| SOWK 4010W | Generalist Practice I: Small Client Systems | 4 |
| SOWK 4050 | Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| SOWK 4020 | Generalist Practice II: Large Client Systems | 4 |
| SOWK 4060 | Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar | 4 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Term | ||
| PSYC 1001 | General Psychology with Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 1120 | Biology of Women with Lab | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| PSYC 2025 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| Summer Term | ||
| SOCI 1000 | Principles and Concepts of Sociology | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| SOWK 2810 | Introduction to Social Work | 4 |
| SOWK 3400 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| No SOWK classes | ||
| Fall Term | ||
| SOWK 3550 | Communication and Interviewing Skills | 4 |
| SOWK 3800 | Social Work Research | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| SOWK 3780 | Senior Fieldwork Preparation | 4 |
| SOWK 3850 | Group Work Skills | 4 |
| SOWK 3910 | Social Policy for Social Change | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| SOWK 4010W | Generalist Practice I: Small Client Systems | 4 |
| SOWK 4050 | Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| SOWK 4020 | Generalist Practice II: Large Client Systems | 4 |
| SOWK 4060 | Senior Field Placement and Integrative Seminar | 4 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |