Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Social Work, Bachelor of

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
Associate degree

Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

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

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

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
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

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Social Work, Bachelor of

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • 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.
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU School of Social Work.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of Social Work-related events.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • 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.
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU School of Social Work.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Apply to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of Social Work-related events.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Social Work, Bachelor of

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences)

Richard Bland College of William and Mary courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
ENGL 101 Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Research II UNIV 200 3 General education
COMM 101 Public Speaking SPCH 121 3 General education
Fine Arts Select 1: ART 201, 202, 231, MUS 103, MUS 123, THEA 201. VCU equivalent 3 General education
U.S. & World Cultures Select 2: ECON 201, 202, GOVT 201, GOVT 202, GOVT 203, HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 191, 192, HIST 201, HIST 202, HIST 240, REL 209, REL 210, REL 219, REL 220, REL 254 (at least one must be history). VCU equivalent 6 Major (Ancillary)
MATH 110 Contemporary Mathematics MATH 131 3 Major (Ancillary)
MATH 217 Statistics STAT 210 3 Elective
French or Spanish Two Courses in Foreign Language as per Placement VCU equivalents 6 to 8 Major (Ancillary)
BIO 101 + Lab General Biology (Lecture and Laboratory) BIOL/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
Select one of the following: BIO 104 Environmental Science or PSY 295 Human Sexuality BIOL 103 or SOCS 340 3 to 4 Major (Ancillary)
PHIL 203 Introduction to Ethics PHIL 201 3 Major (Ancillary)
PSY 201-202 General Psychology I-II (both courses must be taken to receive credit for PSYC 101) PSYC 101 + PSYC 1XX 6 Major (Ancillary)
PSY 250 Developmental Psychology PSYC 304 3 Major (Ancillary)
PSY 218 Abnormal Psychology PSYC 407 3 Major (Ancillary)
SOC 201 General Sociology SOCY 101 3 Major (Ancillary)
Complete requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 3 to 5 Elective
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
ANTH 103 Introduction to Anthropology (complete in first semester at VCU) 3 Major (Ancillary)
SLWK 201 Introduction to Social Work (complete in first semester at VCU) 3 Major
SLWK 230 Communication in the Helping Process (complete in first semester at VCU) 3 Major
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 2 Major
Open electives 10 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 60
Bachelor's degree total 120