What College Courses to Take to Become a Social Worker

Social work is a multi-faceted field that requires a wide range of skills and knowledge that span across disciplines. Getting ready to assist and advocate for vulnerable populations in your community, you need an understanding of how people think and behave. You also need to know how the criminal justice system works and how social policies shape society. As a social work major, most of your coursework will focus on the profession. But courses in psychology, sociology, and criminal justice can provide you with essential skills and a well-rounded education.

Intro to Psychology and Human Behavior and Society

Whether you work with children and families, Veterans, or the homeless, you need to have a solid understanding of how your clients think and act, as well as the motivations behind their behavior. Psychology is the study of human behavior so it’s a good place to start. Intro psych courses will give you the basics but there a variety of psychology courses that speak to theories, life stages, personality types, behavioral disorders, and research in the field. These kinds of courses will provide you with in-depth knowledge of human development and behaviors and the social, emotional, and physiological impacts that can affect each stage of life.

Social Welfare Programs and Policy

Like psychology, sociology overlaps with social work. Both fields deal with society and group behaviors, so a background in sociology will be helpful as you continue your education. Sociology classes can help you better understand current inequalities, crime, and health problems that plague society, including your own clients. They can also teach you about social welfare programs, such as Social Security Income and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and social policies that are designed to help the disenfranchised.  

Criminal Justice

Some of your future clients will have had brushes with the law, as victim or perpetrator. Children in your care may need legal protection from abuse and neglect. Families may need to sue for benefits that they are entitled to by law. Because of these examples and more, you need to have a firm understanding of the criminal justice system.

Criminal justice classes can teach you about the court systems, how offenders are processed, and how criminals are punished. If you plan to work with children, you may also take courses on the juvenile justice system to learn how the courts handle cases that involve minors. Knowing how the criminal justice system works will benefit you as a social worker and improve your abilities to help your clients.

Social Work Intervention

Social work intervention focuses on the relationships you build with your clients. Over several different intervention courses, you can learn how to build rapport, conduct interviews, gather evidence, record information, address client needs, and solve problems. You’ll learn the philosophies that drive mental health care and explore evidence-based treatments and interventions. From individual to group dynamics, you will be introduced to effective strategies to serve your clients. You’ll learn how to establish professional relationships and how to effect positive change in organizations and communities.

Cultural Diversity

Because you will interact with people from a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, understanding cultural diversity is a critical skill to possess as a social worker. You need to see how your own beliefs can impact your perceptions and how different cultures can shape people’s beliefs and behaviors. Courses on culturally diverse populations can broaden your perspective and provide you with insight on how to practice social work with different groups of people. They can also help you understand inequalities, such as racism, ableism, sexism, and ageism, that may create obstacles for your clients.  

Social work can be a deeply rewarding career if you have the right temperament, skills, and passion. The Bachelor of Science in Social Work degree program at Limestone University provides the foundational coursework and experience you need to find entry-level work in the field. And you can complete your degree online. 

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