Social Work, Bachelor of
VCU
The goals of the profession of social work are to provide services to persons who are vulnerable due to a lack of personal, social and/or institutional resources to meet their emotional, health and economic needs. Social work practice is the application of professional knowledge, skills and values across a range of settings and populations. The focus of practice is on individuals, couples, families, groups and communities.
In addition to direct clinical social work practice, social workers are involved in the administration of human service programs, social planning, the development of social policies, research and evaluation, and teaching. In order to achieve the goals of promoting social justice and enhancing well-being for individuals, families, groups and communities, social workers provide a variety of services primarily in public and nonprofit organizational contexts. Examples of the range of settings in which social workers practice include community centers, public social services, child welfare, residential treatment facilities, schools, community mental health agencies, family and children’s service agencies, psychiatric and acute care hospitals, substance abuse treatment facilities, services for the elderly, court services and adult and juvenile rehabilitation facilities.
Social work practice is designed to enrich quality of life by enabling individuals, groups, communities and organizations to achieve their greatest potential development. The goal of the School of Social Work at VCU is to provide professional education in response to these needs.
A B.S.W. enables our graduates to empower others and effect change in prevalent areas such as addiction, substance abuse and behavioral health, aging, child welfare, community development, corrections/justice, developmental disabilities, employment/occupational social work, family services/group services, health care services, homelessness/housing, international social work, mental health, public welfare, rehabilitation, and school social work. When our students enter the field as professionals, they do so equipped with a nuanced understanding of the day-to-day demands of the job and a commitment to meeting the challenges of social work with strength and compassion.
- Child, Family, and School Social Worker
- Community and Social Service Specialist, Other
- Community Health Worker
- Health Educator
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
- Patient Representative
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist
- Social and Human Service Assistant
- Social Workers
- Clinical Social Worker
- Counselor
- Government Agency Administrator
- Higher Education Administrator
- Policy Advocate
- Supervisor
- Therapist
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
- MATH 131
- 1-2 additional science courses
- Yes
- Yes
- 2.5+ cumulative GPA to declare, 2.0+ cumulative GPA to graduate
Social Work, Bachelor of
Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Social Sciences, Pre-Social Work Specialization)
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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Explore | Year 1 |
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Experience | Year 2 |
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MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend Reynolds orientation (SOAR).
- Register for SDV 100.
- Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Explore the VCU School of Social Work website.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Browse careers related to social work through the Virginia Wizard.
- Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
- Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
- Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on VCU Career Services’ Website.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Meet with your academic advisor.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply to VCU.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing for next year.
- Join a professional organization related to social work: National Association of Social Workers, NASW Virginia.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU School of Social Work, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Social Work-related events.
- Continue learning a foreign language, or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
- Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college.
- Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Social Work, Bachelor of
Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Social Sciences, Pre-Social Work Specialization)
Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
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Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements. | ||||
SDV 100 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
ENG 111 | College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
MTH 154 | Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 131 | 3 | General education |
MTH 245 | Statistics I | STAT 210 | 3 | Elective |
Foreign Language | Foreign Language 101 | VCU equivalent | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
BIO 101 | General Biology I | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
BIO 102 | General Biology II | BIOL/Z 152 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
History | History elective (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 | HIST | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
PHI 220 | Ethics | PHIL 201 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
PSY 200 | Principles of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
PSY 230 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 304 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
SOC 200 | Principles of Sociology | SOCY 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
SOC 211 | Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 103 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
ENG 210 | Advanced Composition | ENGL 304 | 3 | Elective |
HMS 100 | Introduction to Human Services (students must complete a social work-designated section with a minimum grade of “B” to receive credits for the VCU equivalent) | SLWK 201 | 3 | Major |
HMS 121 | Basic Counseling Skills I (students must complete a social work-designated section with a minimum grade of “B” to receive credit for the VCU equivalent) | SLWK 230 | 3 | Major |
Complete requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 10 | Elective | |
Reynolds credits transferred to VCU | 62 |
Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
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Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU. | |||
Foreign Language through the 102-level | 3 | Major (Ancillary) | |
SLWK 311 | Social Work and Oppressed Groups | 3 | Major |
SLWK 313 | Person in Society I | 3 | Major |
SLWK 330 | Person in Society II | 3 | Major |
SLWK 332 | Social Work Practice: Fundamentals | 3 | Major |
SLWK 380 | Foundations of Social Work Research I | 3 | Major |
SLWK 381 | Foundations of Social Work Research II | 3 | Major |
SLWK 393 | Junior Field Instruction | 3 | Major |
SLWK 422 | Social Welfare Legislation and Services | 3 | Major |
SLWK 431 | Person in Society III | 3 | Major |
SLWK 441 | Social Work Practice I | 3 | Major |
SLWK 442 | Social Work Practice II | 3 | Major |
SLWK 494 | Senior Field Instruction I | 3 | Major |
SLWK 495 | Senior Field Instruction II | 3 | Major |
SLWK 499 | Senior Seminar | 1 | Major |
PSYC 407 | Psychology of the Abnormal | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
Open electives | 12 | Elective | |
Credits completed at VCU | 58 | ||
Bachelor's degree total | 120 |