Social Work
Mission Statement
The mission of Social Work at Adrian College is to educate and empower students with the knowledge, skills and values to make a difference in the lives of others through embracing diversity, establishing human relationships and advocating for social justice to reinforce the intrinsic worth of all individuals and communities.
Social Work is a helping profession offering services to all people who need assistance in their lives because of social, emotional, financial or other life problems. The purpose of Social Work is the restoration and enhancement of social functioning through intervention with individuals, families, groups, larger social systems and social welfare policies and programs. Social Workers work with individuals, families, and groups, but also recognize that the ability to accomplish life tasks and solve problems depends on having resources available.
The Social Work curriculum builds upon a foundation of liberal arts education. It draws especially upon biological, psychological, and sociological knowledge while developing the unique social work knowledge and skills needed for helping people manage problem situations.
The Adrian College Social Work Program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This national accrediting body ensures that all baccalaureate and graduate-level social work programs are of a high quality and that they graduate competent professionals. Social workers are required to be licensed in the State of Michigan, as in most other states. Students graduating from a CSWE-accredited social work program are eligible to be licensed in the state in which they are employed. Accreditation also allows students to apply for advanced placement status in graduate schools of social work.
In addition to their classroom experiences, social work students engage in a wide variety of activities working with various client populations in their field placements:
- Work with the elderly
- Work with troubled children, youth, adults, & families
- Work with people encountering difficult life transitions
- Social research in the community
- Work with persons with developmental and physical challenges
- Work with juvenile delinquents
- Work with at-risk school children
- Work with community organizations
- Work with community agencies in program planning and implementation
Major Program Requirements
All Social Work Majors must formally apply to the Social Work Program by the end of their sophomore year.
To be eligible for admission;
- Applicants must have completed or be enrolled currently in PSYC100, SOC104 or SOC201, PSCI101 or PSCI102, BIOL101, and SOCW200.
- Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- Applicants need two recommendations, one from an Adrian College faculty member.
- Applicants must submit a written personal statement, which includes information about their commitment to social work as a vocation and describes volunteer service in the field.
A student who does not fully meet one or more of the admission criteria may be admitted to the Social Work Program conditionally, provided the student, after an interview with the Program Director of Social Work, agrees in writing to remove the deficiency by the time she/he makes application for admission to the practicum.
Program policies are detailed in the Social Work Program Student Handbook