The Major  / Faculty / Department Web Pages
 
Location: Howley Hall 119
Phone:  401-865-2125
Fax:  401-865-2232

Social work is a major of choice for students interested in working with people --counseling children in early childhood programs and schools; supporting families coping with a critical medical diagnoses; developing resources and programs for at-risk youth; strengthening families through parenting education; readying children for adoption and recruiting and supporting adoptive families; coordinating services for fragile elders; advocating for the best interest of children in family court; leadership—ascertaining and articulating the needs of special populations such as children, older adults, refugees; developing programs to address problems such as child abuse, poverty, youth violence, and homelessness; and social and economic justice-- advocating for affordable healthcare at the state legislature; bringing together individuals and organizations to develop strategies to address the problem of affordable housing.

The Social Work major at Providence College is nationally accredited. The program combines classroom learning and 600 hours of professionally supervised internships in community health and human services organizations, preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to move immediately following graduation into professional social work positions  in child protective agencies, treatment programs for children and youth, hospitals and health settings , family services organizations, educational settings, youth diversionary programs, nursing home and rehabilitation facilities, the courts, and  advocacy organizations.

Coursework in the Social Work program focuses on human behavior across the life span and in social systems; social problems and the significance of the forces that affect important social policies and policy development; the appreciation of diversity and work with diverse populations; special populations; theories, methods, and skills for working with individuals, families, groups, and communities; professional values and ethics; and research theory and methodology for use in evaluating practice, policies, and programs. Elective courses address children and youth at risk, HIV-AIDS, women's issues, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Small class size results in a genuine mentoring relationship between you and your professor.

Internships during students’ junior and senior years, involve students with the actual practice of social work in schools, hospitals, child protective services, victim assistance programs, community-based services for the elderly, family court, community mental health agencies, family support and stabilization programs, home-based service programs for children with developmental disabilities and their families, adoption agencies, violence prevention programs, social policy research and advocacy organizations, and community development agencies. Emphasis is placed on acquiring experience and beginning professional competencies with individual, group, and family counseling, case management and service coordination, community organizing, individual and political advocacy, and in influencing social policy.

A recent grant is making possible international student exchanges with three European social education schools located in the countries of Spain, Belgium, and Denmark.

Graduates  of our program interested in independent clinical practice, program administration, and policy development roles usually pursue graduate studies in social work. The superior academic preparation provided by our program leads to the possibility of advanced placement in graduate schools of Social Work, making it possible for students to complete their MSW in approximately one year. Some of the graduate schools at which students have achieved advanced-standing status include Boston  College, Boston University, Catholic University of America, Columbia University, New York University, Simmons, the University of Connecticut, the University of Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Upon entering the major you will be assigned a faculty advisor within the Department of Social Work. It is through this relationship that you gain a more personalized understanding of social work and can begin to envision and fashion your career path as a professional social worker.

Our students enjoy numerous opportunities to work collaboratively with faculty on research and service. This past year several students presented research undertaken with two departmental faculty members at a national social work conference held in Chicago. Currently several of our students are collaborating with faculty on an international social work research project.

Our small, personalized community of learning allows our majors to have direct access to faculty who know them by name and are interested in their goals and aspirations.

Few careers can match the range and variety of professional activities, specializations, and settings of social work and the flexibility that social work offers as your practice interests grow and change. For detailed information about the social work major, internships, faculty, alumni careers, and social work careers link to the Social Work web site.

The Major
For detailed information on the requirements for the social work major, as well as course listings and descriptions, please see the on-line undergraduate catalog. 

The Faculty
Associate Professors
Marian Mattison, D.S.W., Chairperson
Margaret W. Roderick, M.S.W.

Assistant Professor
Susan Griffith Grossman, D.S.W.
Michael L. Hayes, Ph.D.
Katherine Kranz, Ph.D.

Visit the Web pages maintained by the Department of Social Work:
http://www.providence.edu/social+work