Explore Social Work & Ministry

About the Department

The Department of Social Work & Ministry graduates generalist social workers at the baccalaureate level who have the knowledge and skills to improve well-being for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

At the master’s level, clinical social workers graduate who have the knowledge and skills for advanced practice in urban/rural environments to improve the well-being for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Faculty teach how to meet the needs of clients who are unable to find ways to meet their own physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs.

Areas of Study

The Department of Social Work & Ministry offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of areas including: 

• Human Services:    prepares associate graduates for additional study in social work & ministry programs. The purpose of this program is to prepare qualified individuals for entry-level positions in a wide variety of human services settings serving individuals, families, groups, and communities by providing opportunities for personal and professional growth through knowledge-based learning, experiential processes, community involvement, and practical experience under direct supervision of professionals in local agencies.

• Youth & Family Studies:  undergraduate programs prepare students to work with individuals and families in diverse settings, including human and social service agencies, and programs for children and adolescents, as well as young, mid-life and older adults. You will learn about the nature of individual and family interactions, family dynamics, how individuals within the family contribute to and are shaped by these dynamics, and how broad societal contexts (e.g., schools, peers, gender, poverty) influence individual development and family functioning. By studying varied developmental pathways, including those pathways characterized by stress and trauma, you will have the opportunity to acquire the professional skills necessary to work with individuals, couples and families in a broad range of human services settings.

• Geriatrics & Gerontology: undergraduate & graduate programs that prepare social workers specializing in gerontology to possess knowledge and skills necessary for serving older adults including: assessment of older adult needs and functional capacity, expertise regarding physical and mental health issues, case and care management, long-term care, elder abuse, quality of life issues, service planning and advance care planning.

• Social Work:  undergraduate & graduate programs prepare students for beginning generalist social work practice, which involves the capacity to apply knowledge, skills, and values to assess a range of situations and the ability to work with individuals, groups, larger organizations, and communities, from a wide variety of perspectives. You will complete coursework in human behavior and the social environment, social welfare history and policy, research, social work practice methods, and field instruction. As you progress, you will develop the skills to intervene at a generalist level with individuals, groups, organizations, families, and communities. Upon graduation, you will be prepared as a baccalaureate-level social work practitioner with a strong foundation in liberal arts.

• Creative Arts Therapy:  undergraduate & graduate programs prepare students  to provided therapeutic techniques in which an art therapy assists the client(s) in exploration of feelings, self-awareness, and behavior through the utilization of various art forms. This practice requires knowledge of mental health therapy techniques and theories combined with the application of artistic media to enhance the client(s) mental and emotional health. Art therapy, when used in a professional setting, has proven to help those who have experienced or are experiencing trauma, disease,and illness, as well as mental health issues.

• Faith Community Services: graduate programs prepare students to engage In courageous and faithful learning that empowers them to follow Christ and pursue God’s redeeming work in the world with hurting and disenfranchised people.

Learning Outcomes

The Department of Social Work & Ministry program will demonstrate a basic level of competency in the profession of social work & ministry by:

• Integrating faith and practice through a process of ethical reasoning while respecting spiritual diversity.

• Evaluating multiple sources of knowledge and applying strategies of ethical reasoning to integrate knowledge and practice.

• Communicating effectively with diverse individuals, groups, communities, organizations and colleagues, being mindful of the importance of difference in shaping life experiences.

• Assuring continual professional development by practicing reflection and self-correction and managing personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice.

• Assessing client strengths and needs using a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model and analyzing, formulating, and advocating for policies that advance social well-being, recognizing the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power.