Certificate in Social Work and Child Welfare
The certificate program in social work and child welfare is designed to provide specialized knowledge and skills in child welfare for bachelor’s level students planning to enter the workforce or enter graduate school after graduation. The curriculum is designed to equip students with the ability to be effective as a social worker within a child welfare arena.
Admission
Eligible students are required to be social work majors accepted into the Bachelor of Social Work program or prior graduates holding a BSW degree. Students must have a WSU GPA of 2.500, and in their social work courses, a GPA of at least 3.000.
Students are allowed to apply to the certificate program. Program application deadlines are October 15, or March 15 for admission consideration into the certificate program for the following academic year. Once accepted, students meet with the certificate coordinator each semester to review program progress, engage in mentoring activities and plan for the next semester's learning.
Program Requirements
The certificate program consists of five courses. The five required courses (17 credit hours) in their preferred sequence are:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | ||
| SCWK 407 | Generalist Practice With Children and Families | 3 |
| SCWK 521 | Forensic Social Work | 3 |
| Fall Semester | ||
| Select one elective course from the following. (Topics courses as approved by the certificate advisor. May be offered in either the fall or spring semester.) | 3 | |
| Social Work Practice in Addictions | ||
| Pharmacology and Drug Classification in Social Work | ||
| Women, Children and Poverty | ||
| Social Work Practice with Families of Diverse Cultures | ||
| Domestic Violence | ||
| Topics in Social Work (Choose from 610 A—Z as approved by certificate advisor) | ||
| Special Topics in Social Work (Choose from 611 A—Z as approved by certificate advisor) | ||
| SCWK 402 | Practicum I | 4 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SCWK 404 | Practicum II | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours | 17 | |
Note: Up to 3 credit hours taken outside of WSU may be used for the certificate.
Students must maintain a WSU GPA of 2.500, and a 3.000 GPA in their social work classes. Students must receive a C (2.000) or better in the undergraduate certificate classes to remain in the certificate program. The student's practicum ( SCWK 402 and SCWK 404) placement must be a child welfare focused practicum.
If a student does not meet the requirements to remain in the certificate program, the certificate coordinator conducts a review of the student's continued participation. This group determines, along with the student and coordinator, whether there is a merited reason to remain a certificate program student, and if so, develops a plan forward accordingly.
If a student is dismissed from the certificate program due to failure to achieve academic success in the certificate coursework, the student is notified in writing by the coordinator and faculty student concerns committee within 10 business days of the meeting.
Gainful Employment
This certificate has been reviewed and is not a gainful employment program per U.S. Department of Education rules and regulations.