Social Work (Minor)

Minor: Social Work
Program Code: M745

About This Minor. . .

Social Work is a profession dedicated to social and economic justice. Social workers focus primarily on the needs and empowerment of vulnerable, oppressed, at-risk populations, 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.

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 (http://www.socialworkers.org/).

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

(15 semester hours)

SOWK 150Introduction to Social Work3
SOWK 210Social Work for Diverse Populations3
SOWK 301Child Welfare3
Select two of the following:6
Medical Social Work
School Social Work
Legal Aspects of Social Work
Spirituality and Social Work
Gerontology and Social Work
Total Semester Credit Hours15

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 her/his 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 her/his responsibility to consult the Registrar’s Office regarding next steps.