Putting your education to the test...

Social work majors share an interest in helping others, influencing policy and developing programs that meet human needs and a desire to resolve conflict and promote justice. But these students also benefit from the educational experience integral to the social work program at Goshen College. Social work at GC is active, and our social work majors are putting their education to the test through a wide variety of on-site learning opportunities. Add to practical experience these advantages:

• engaging in classroom interaction with professors and fellow students,
• off-campus learning experiences,
• association with working professionals in a spectrum of social service settings and a curriculum plan designed to integrate study of the liberal arts,
• expertise in a career-oriented program and
• the perspective of Christian values.

Internships and work-study

Students begin to learn about the profession of social work during their first class in which they are allowed to spend 20 hours working in an agency. Approximately 40 clock hours of study are spent in an agency context in the Social Service Field Experience. As a senior, you will participate in a Chicago field trip to examine specific social service agencies and their programs as well as to discuss the broader picture of social action in a metropolitan urban environment. Also, in your fourth year, you will engage in 400 hours of field instruction gaining on-site practice in an agency related to your professional interests. View agencies students have participated in. Or, visit the career services internships page.

Preparing for generalist practice

Social work
The social work curriculum, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1978, is built upon a liberal arts perspective. By its focus on the humanities, physical and social sciences, and international experience, this foundation assists students in thinking broadly about individuals and the social systems in which they function. Liberal arts education at Goshen College is seen as a moral activity that places a high value on persons and social justice.

The capstone of your studies in social work at GC is a senior seminar in which you and your peers will have opportunity to assess your preparation for professional employment. Contemporary issues in social work are discussed and you will examine your personal response to ethical dilemmas through values clarification. At the conclusion of the seminar, you will complete an oral and written examination to assist in evaluating your integrative understanding of the profession. Social work program department faculty members are role models personally and professionally. Professors are writers, lecturers and consultants in a number of professional organizations. They are active in the National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Your professors also use personal time for active community volunteer assignments and agency board memberships.