Social Welfare and Justice, BA

The Social Welfare and Justice major is designed to provide students with the knowledge and experience needed to pursue successful careers in social service, social policy analysis, mediation and intervention and social justice advocacy. Through course work, service learning and internships, students gain understanding of the complexities of a range of social welfare and justice issues and learn the analytic and practical skills needed to develop, evaluate and transform social welfare and justice policies and services. Students gain competency in the roles, ethics and values of the social work profession and in the core issue of global human needs and social development. Graduates have the knowledge base to work with culturally diverse groups and understand how social justice issues affect particular communities in specific ways.

The major is flexible, allowing students to pursue their specific interests as they develop skills in service, advocacy and social change that form them as leaders in generating positive social justice outcomes. The major also prepares students well for graduate study in conflict resolution, education, health care, law, public health, nonprofit management, public policy analysis, social service administration, social work and student affairs.

Students may be able to apply some SOWJ course credits toward a Master's in Social Work degree.

Note:

  • SOWJ 4986 Advanced Internship in Social Welfare and Justice may be counted toward the SOWJ major, but not the SOWJ minor.