2023-2024
Social Work, Bachelor of (G3 AAS Pathway)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Applied Sciences: Human Services, Pre-Social Work Specialization (G3 program) (Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway))
Associate degree
Program description
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.
Career opportunities
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.
Bachelor-level job titles
- 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
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Clinical Social Worker
- Counselor
- Government Agency Administrator
- Higher Education Administrator
- Policy Advocate
- Supervisor
- Therapist
Contact information
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.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 131
Science required
- 1-2 additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- Yes
Additional tuition/fees
- Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.5+ cumulative GPA to declare, 2.0+ cumulative GPA to graduate
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2023-2024
Social Work, Bachelor of (G3 AAS Pathway)
Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Applied Sciences: Human Services, Pre-Social Work Specialization (G3 program))
| 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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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend Tyler orientation
- Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway
- Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
- Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
- Register for SDV 100
- Check on G3 funding for your AAS program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Explore the VCU School of Social Work website.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus.
- Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create Linkedln profile.
- Get involved with a student or professional organization.
- Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
- Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
- Browse careers related to social work through the career coach.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
- Take a career assessment through the career coach.
- Understand how you will fund your education by taking advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Meet with your academic advisor
- Use Navigate to remain on your pathway
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus to get ahead.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Research housing for next year.
- Join a professional organization related to social work: National Association of Social Workers, NASW Virginia.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- 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.
- Apply to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival)
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
- Get involved with service-learning opportunities
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
- Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- Run for leadership in your student organization.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
Recommended courses
2023-2024
Social Work, Bachelor of (G3 AAS Pathway)
Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Applied Sciences: Human Services, Pre-Social Work Specialization (G3 program))
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| MTH 154 | Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 131 | 3 | General education |
| HMS 100 | Introduction to Human Services (students must complete a social work-designated section with a minimum grade of “B”) | SLWK 201 | 3 | Major |
| HMS 251 | Substance Abuse I | TREL 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| PSY 200 | Principles of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| BIO 101 | General Biology I | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| History | History elective (select 1): HIS 111, 112, 121, 122 | HIST | 3 | Major (Ancillary: elective from HIST, POLI or ECON) |
| MEN 101 | Mental Health Skills Training I (minimum grade of “B”) | SLWK 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| PSY 230 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 304 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| ENG 210 | Advanced Composition (approved substitute for CST 100) | ENGL 304 | 3 | Elective |
| MEN 102 | Mental Health Skills Training II (minimum grade of “B”) | SLWK 230 | 3 | Major |
| BIO 102 | General Biology II (approved substitute for MTH 245) | BIOL/Z 152 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| PHI 220 | Ethics | PHIL 201 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| SOC 200 | Principles of Sociology | SOCY 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| ENG | 200-level ENG Literature elective (select 1) | ENGL | 3 | General education |
| Foreign Language | Foreign Language 101 Note: the Bachelor of Social Work requires completion of a foreign language through the 102 level | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
| MEN 190 | Coordinated Practice | SLWK 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| MEN 196 | On-site Training | SLWK 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| SOC 211 | Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 103 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Brightpoint Credits Transferred to VCU | 64 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Foreign language through the 102 level. | 4 | General education (not waived by associate degree) |
| 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 (capstone) | 1 | Major |
| PSYC 407 | Psychology of the Abnormal | 3 | Major (collateral) |
| Select three open electives | 9 | Elective | |
| REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
| Credits Completed at VCU | 56 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||