Social Work (Minor)
Minor: Social Work
Program Code: M745
About This Minor. . .
Social Work is a profession dedicated to social and economic justice through a commitment to anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice. Social workers focus primarily on the needs and empowerment of the vulnerable, oppressed, and those living in poverty. Social workers help people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges: poverty, discrimination, abuse, addiction, physical illness, divorce, educational problems, disability, and mental illness. Students who graduate with a social work minor will develop an area of expertise that complement careers in government, human and health services, criminal justice, and social justice. The CMU BSW program is fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE).
The practice of social work requires knowledge of human development and behavior; of social, economic, and cultural institutions, and of the interaction of all these factors as well as skills in developing relationships, assessing needs and services while facilitating change. Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities.
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
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Institutional Minor Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU minors. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- A minor consists of 15-24 semester hours. There may be prerequisites required for the minor which will increase the total number of credit hours for a student who has not already taken those prerequisites.
- Courses taken to satisfy Essential Learning, major requirements, or electives can be counted toward the minor if applicable.
- At least 33 percent of the credit hours required for the minor must be in courses numbered 300 or above.
- At least 25 percent of the classes must be taken at CMU.
- 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher for the courses used for the minor.
- A minor is not a degree by itself and must be earned at the same time as a baccalaureate degree.
- A minor must be outside the major field of study.
- A student may earn up to five minors with any baccalaureate degree at CMU.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and degree requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements sheet you should follow.
- See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
Program Specific Minor Requirements
(18 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOWK 150 | Introduction to Social Work | 3 |
| SOWK 210 | Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in Social Work | 3 |
| Select 12 hours from the following, including at least 6 hours with the SOWK prefix | 12 | |
| Child Welfare | ||
| Medical Social Work | ||
| Nature-Based Interventions for Individual and Community Health | ||
| Case Management | ||
| School Social Work | ||
| Legal Aspects of Social Work | ||
| Spirituality and Social Work | ||
| Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees | ||
| Gerontology and Social Work | ||
| Topics: | ||
| Rural Social Work | ||
| Restorative Justice | ||
| Psychology of Adolescents and Emerging Adulthood | ||
| Drugs and Human Behavior | ||
| Positive Psychology | ||
| Social Inequality | ||
| Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 | |
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a minor. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and developing a suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended minor.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a minor. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head for the minor. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
A minor cannot be awarded by itself. It must be combined with a baccalaureate degree outside the major field of study. Students should follow the graduation process outlined for the baccalaureate degree and list their majors and minors on the “Intent to Graduate” form.
If a student’s petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to consult the Registrar’s Office regarding next steps.