undergraduate major: Social Work

Curriculum

The purpose of the social work department and the role of the faculty are to educate future social worker. The design of the social work program at Xavier as an accredited program is grounded in the vision of social work education as set forth by the Council on Social Work Education. However, each school of social work while following the overarching principles of the curriculum is encouraged to develop their own program as a unique entity grounded in the mission of the institution.

Students take major courses that reflect 10 core competencies as outlined by the Council on Social Work Education.

  1. Identify and conduct oneself as a professional
  2. Apply ethical principles to practice
  3. Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional practice
  4. Engage diversity
  5. Advance human rights and social and economic justice
  6. Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research
  7. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment
  8. Engage in policy practice to advance social justice
  9. Respond to context that shape practice
  10. Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

» View a general framework for the flow of courses throughout the four year program.
 

Social Work at Xavier

Social work at Xavier is unique in that it is grounded in and reflects the mission of Jesuit education. The shared values of service and social justice and an emphasis on human diversity as well as the faculty’s commitment to the development of the “whole” student make social work at Xavier a challenging and rewarding program for our students.

In addition to the major courses, students take a minimum of nine credit hours from the following list of supporting core courses:

  • Child Abuse
  • Addictive Behaviors
  • Religion, Ethics and Professional Practice
  • Introduction to Gender and Diversity Studies
  • Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • Social Psychology
  • Juvenile Justice in a Changing Society
  • Current Issues in Criminal Justice
  • Overview of Contemporary Corrections
  • American Government
  • Political Sociology
  • Experimental Psychology I and Lab
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Oral Communications