Social Work, Bachelor of
VCU
Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
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.
The demand for social work professionals is expected to grow up to 14% through 2030. Social work is one of the few career fields that experienced significant growth and demand during the pandemic that has continued.
- Case Manager
- Child, Family, and School Social Worker
- Community and Social Service Specialist, Other
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
- Patient Representative
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist
- Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP)
- 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
- Quantitative Foundations Only (excluding MATH 170)
- 1-2 additional science courses
- Yes
- Yes
- Continuing students must hold a 2.5+ cumulative GPA to be eligible for a change of major. Continuing students interested in declaring the social work major must complete this form [https://forms.gle/6HbKuqi8CSekKJ1p8] to attend a change of major information session.
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 | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend RBC Orientation.
- Use tutoring to get ahead.
- Schedule an appointment with your Learner Mentor to discuss your degree and class plan.
- Explore RBC financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Register to vote.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Review VCU's School of Social Work website for course requirements and possible connections with faculty and peers.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at RBC 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
- Explore possible career opportunities for Social Work majors.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
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.
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Use tutoring to get ahead.
- Be prepared for academic challenges by meeting with your Learner Mentor and understanding RBC Student Support available.
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
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
- Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study 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.
Social Work, Bachelor of
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Behavioral Sciences)
| 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) |
| ANTH 103 | Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 103 | 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 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLWK 201 | Introduction to Social Work (complete in first semester at VCU) | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 230 | Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work (complete in first semester at VCU) | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 311 | Social Work and Anti-oppressive Practice | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 313 | Social Work Theory and Assessment With Individuals and Micro Systems | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 330 | Social Work Theory and Assessment with Families, Small Groups and Mezzo Systems | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 332 | Generalist Social Work Practice I | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 380 | Ethical Research for Social Work Practice I: Methods | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 381 | Ethical Research for Social Work Practice II: Application | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 395 | Social Work Field Preparation | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 422 | Social Welfare, Policy and Practice | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 431 | Social Work Theory and Assessment with Communities, Organizations and Macro Systems | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 441 | Generalist Social Work Practice II | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 442 | Generalist Social Work Practice III | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 494 | Senior Field Practicum I | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 495 | Senior Field Practicum II | 3 | Major |
| SLWK 499 | Senior Capstone Seminar | 2 | Major |
| PSYC 407 | Psychology of the Abnormal | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| 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 | ||
