About the program

Through an integrated curriculum design grounded in the knowledge, values, and skills of the profession, the Social Work program from Marist College provides opportunities to advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. The diverse human service community of the Hudson River Valley enriches student development through strong collaborative professional partnership with the intention of developing future leaders and a more inclusive society.

Goals

The program identifies the following program goals:

• Students will demonstrate critical self-reflection as the foundation for competent generalist practice.
• Students will apply research evidence to advance practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and community toward a more just society.
• Students will demonstrate entry-level mastery of the core competencies as they complete the multi-dimensional field education program.

The Social Work program is designed to prepare students for competent social work practice as defined by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy Accreditation Standards (EPAS). The goal of competency-based education is to assure that students can successfully integrate and apply the competencies in practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The core competencies are further explained as a Social Work Program Competency (SWPC).

Careers

At Marist

While at Marist, social work students are provided a range of experiences to explore their career opportunities, including one-on-one mentoring with faculty, visits from alumni, panel discussions by local social workers, and a regular professional development series on contemporary social work concerns. In this way, social work majors learn about the varied and diverse job fields that await them after college.

Beyond Marist

Social work graduates generally enter the workforce, participate in a gap year program, or pursue graduate education.

Workforce

BSW graduates often obtain entry-level social work positions, and many have been offered jobs as they are approaching completion of the senior internship. Some local Dutchess County and Orange County agencies that have hired our seniors include the Center for Child Abuse Prevention, Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, Astor Early Intervention Services, New Horizons, Abilities First, The Pines Skilled Nursing Facility, and Orange County Safe Homes.

Gap Year

There are a growing number of students who take advantage of service programs or scholarship programs, rather than go right on to graduate school. Students have applied to AmeriCorps, City Year, the Peace Corps, and the Fulbright Scholarship. Currently, we have one student who is working on a community-based economic development project in Cottonwood, Arizona with AmeriCorps.

Courses Included

• Intro to Sociology
• Social Inequality
• Social Change
• Social Theory
• Social Research Methods
• Social Service: Theory and Practice
• Social Welfare: Policies and Analysis
• Human Behavior in the Social Environment
• Social Work Methods
• Junior Field Education: Preparation for Practice