Program Overview

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Social Work Program Overview

The Social Work program at Western Michigan University is a broad profession that seeks to help people interact more effectively with one another and with the environment. As society has become increasingly complex, people in both urban and rural settings are experiencing a corresponding increase in problems related to meeting basic human needs such as employment, adequate income, health care, family relationships, and mental health. Social work seeks to identify and correct both the individual and social causes of these problems.

Program Description

Western Michigan University's School of Social Work has been preparing leaders in interpersonal practice and policy, planning, and administration for more than 30 years. The undergraduate program provides a generalist social work education encompassing a broad range of helping skills designed to enhance the social functioning of individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.

Program Objectives

As a student of WMU's School of Social Work, you will learn to critically examine oppressive and discriminatory social constructs, policies, practices, attitudes, and assumptions. You will be expected to advocate for social and economic justice and personal well-being for all people.

Accreditation

WMU's social work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the national accrediting body for social work education across the country.

Beyond the Classroom

As a social work student at WMU, you will complete two consecutive semesters of field education in a human service agency. The field practicum will provide you with opportunities to learn and apply generalist knowledge and entry-level skills in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Student Organizations

You will also be encouraged to join student organizations related to the field, including:

• Eta Eta Sigma
• Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society
• The Social Welfare Action Alliance

Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare

The School of Social Work is home to the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. The journal promotes the understanding of social welfare by applying social science knowledge, methodology, and technology to problems of social policy, politics, the social ecology, and social services. It provides an outstanding book review section as a regular feature of each issue. Since its first printing in 1974, the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare has published articles on such topics as social change, gender, race, homelessness, social welfare history, cultural diversity, international social welfare, and the social dimensions of health and mental health.

Career Outcomes

After graduating from the program, you will be prepared for an entry- or mid-level career in various settings, including:

• Adoption agencies
• Child welfare departments
• Community mental health agencies
• Corrections and public safety departments
• Employment services
• Family service agencies
• Foster care agencies
• Human rights and advocacy organizations
• International aid and refugee relief organizations
• Labor unions
• Local, state, and federal governments
• Public interest groups
• Schools
• Senior services

Program Location

The program is offered in:

• Kalamazoo

Related Programs

Other programs of interest include:

• Child and Family Development
• Criminal Justice Studies
• Gender and Women’s Studies
• Bachelor's in Healthcare Services and Sciences
• Nursing
• Pre-Dentistry
• Bachelor’s in Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology
• Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences