Interested in helping others from a social work and social justice perspective but committed to another major? VCU's minor in social welfare is available to non-social work majors. It provides a solid overview of the profession, with students completing the foundational courses Introduction to Social Work, and Social Welfare Legislation and Services.
After completing the foundational courses, students can pick four courses of interest to then complete the 18 credits needed to earn the minor.
Prerequisite courses are not required for the minor.
Required minor courses
Take both courses (6 credit hours).
Introduction to Social Work (3 hours)
Systematic overview of the social work profession. Knowledge of the nature of social work, the fields of social work practice, target populations, overview of social work methods. Full description
Social Welfare, Policy and Practice (3 hours)
Analyzes social welfare policy as related to social values, social problems and social structures. Examines frameworks for policy analysis and for evaluation of programmatic outcomes of policy, with application to contemporary social service and income maintenance policies and delivery systems.Full description
SLWK 201. Introduction to Social Work
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Systematic overview of the social work profession. Knowledge of the nature of social work, the fields of social work practice, target populations, overview of social work methods.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Prerequisites: SLWK 311, SLWK 313, SLWK 332, SLWK 380, SLWK 381; and SLWK 393 or SLWK 395, each with a minimum grade of C. Enrollment is restricted to social work majors or minors in social welfare with junior status or by permission of program director or course instructor. Analyzes social welfare policy as related to social values, social problems and social structures. Examines frameworks for policy analysis and for evaluation of programmatic outcomes of policy, with application to contemporary social service and income maintenance policies and delivery systems. Considers the economic, political and ideological factors and processes that affect social welfare legislation, financing and implementation.
Course will introduce students to social justice issues in a local context with a focus on expanding and deepening their knowledge and skills to effect change through active engagement in the community.Full description
Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work (3 hours)
The study of the knowledge, skills and values of effective human communication and interpersonal relations. Includes observation, collection and description of data, verbal and nonverbal communication and the relevance of the above to social work practice. Full description
Social Work and Anti-oppressive Practice (3 hours)
Examines forces leading to individual prejudice and institutional oppression. Focuses on impact of oppression. Full description
Social Work Theory and Assessment With Individuals and Micro Systems (3 hours)
Uses theoretical concepts and research findings from the behavioral sciences as background for understanding and assessing the functioning of individuals and families in their social environment.Full description
Social Work Theory and Assessment with Families, Small Groups and Mezzo System (3 hours)
Uses theoretical concepts from the behavioral sciences to understand the family and small groups as social institutions and social groups as context for human behavior over the life cycle. Full description
Ethical Research for Social Work Practice I: Methods (3 hours)
Designed to provide an understanding and appreciation of a scientific, analytic approach to building knowledge for practice and for evaluating multilevel service delivery. Full description
Ethical Research for Social Work Practice II: Application (3 hours)
The content includes a review of basic statistical univariate and bivariate descriptive and inferential tools for analyzing, interpreting and presenting data for decision-making in generalist social work practice. Full description
Social Work Theory and Assessment with Communities, Organizations and Macro Systems (3 hours)
Focus on understanding organizations and how their purposes, auspices, structure, processes and environment affect the delivery of social services to diverse groups. Full description
SLWK 200. Building a Just Society
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Course will introduce students to social justice issues in a local context with a focus on expanding and deepening their knowledge and skills to effect change through active engagement in the community. Course promotes an understanding and critical analysis of multiple forms of oppression in social systems and in personal experience using professional social work perspectives and theoretical frameworks. Selected reference materials and experiential learning activities are designed to enhance student understanding of what constitutes a just community and a just society. The course may be offered as service-learning.
SLWK 230. Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. The study of the knowledge, skills and values of effective human communication and interpersonal relations. Includes observation, collection and description of data, verbal and nonverbal communication and the relevance of the above to social work practice. Integrates issues of human diversity in all course content. Emphasizes the demonstration and practice of communication through structured exercises. May be offered in a service-learning capacity.
SLWK 311. Social Work and Anti-oppressive Practice
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to majors or minors in social welfare with junior status or by permission of program director or course instructor. Examines forces leading to individual prejudice and institutional oppression. Focuses on impact of oppression. Provides students with an understanding of diversity and a general knowledge of social work strategies to alleviate oppression and to empower the oppressed.
SLWK 313. Social Work Theory and Assessment With Individuals and Micro Systems
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Prerequisites: ANTH/INTL 103; BIOL 101, BIOL 151 or BIOL 152; PSYC 304; and SOCY 101. Enrollment is restricted to majors or minors in social welfare with junior status or by permission of program director or course instructor. First of a three-semester sequence on human behavior and the social environment. Uses theoretical concepts and research findings from the behavioral sciences as background for understanding and assessing the functioning of individuals and families in their social environment. Facilitates integration of theory and research with assessment skills associated with basic social work practice. Emphasizes the social systems approach for analyzing the impact of various social problems on individual and family dynamics.
SLWK 330. Social Work Theory and Assessment with Families, Small Groups and Mezzo Systems
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Prerequisite: SLWK 313 with a minimum grade of C. Enrollment is restricted to majors or minors in social welfare with junior status or by permission of program director or course instructor. Second of three courses on human behavior in the social environment. Uses theoretical concepts from the behavioral sciences to understand the family and small groups as social institutions and social groups as context for human behavior over the life cycle. Designed to provide a theoretical foundation for practice with families and small groups.
SLWK 380. Ethical Research for Social Work Practice I: Methods
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to majors or minors in social welfare with junior status or by permission of program director or course instructor. First of a two-semester research sequence. Designed to provide an understanding and appreciation of a scientific, analytic approach to building knowledge for practice and for evaluating multilevel service delivery. Provides an overview of the research process, including problem formulation, sampling, design, measurement, data collection, data analysis and dissemination of findings. Presents ethical standards of scientific inquiry with special attention to research with vulnerable and oppressed populations.
SLWK 381. Ethical Research for Social Work Practice II: Application
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Prerequisite: SLWK 380 with a minimum grade of C. Enrollment is restricted to social work majors or minors in social welfare with junior status or by permission of program director or course instructor. The content includes a review of basic statistical univariate and bivariate descriptive and inferential tools for analyzing, interpreting and presenting data for decision-making in generalist social work practice. It also introduces methods for analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and further develops critical-thinking skills in translating empirical research findings into generalist social work practice principles.
SLWK 431. Social Work Theory and Assessment with Communities, Organizations and Macro Systems
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Prerequisite: SLWK 313 with a minimum grade of C. Enrollment is restricted to majors or minors in social welfare with junior status or by permission of program director or course instructor. Third of three courses on human behavior in the social environment. Builds on the theoretical concepts from the behavioral sciences discussed in SLWK 230 and 313. Focus on understanding organizations and how their purposes, auspices, structure, processes and environment affect the delivery of social services to diverse groups. The community context of social services, including that of the consumer, is emphasized from an open systems theoretical perspective. Students will be expected to integrate course content with their field experience or other agency with which they are familiar. Required of all undergraduate social work majors.
