Social Work and Social Justice Minor

The Wayne State University School of Social Work is proud to launch the Minor in Social Work and Social Justice in Fall 2020.

 

The Minor in Social Work and Social Justice provides undergraduate students from different majors with the opportunity to learn how to apply practical solutions to fostering environments that are socially just, diverse, inclusive, and equitable.  It serves to complement majors in other departments where students enter fields like state and local government, criminal justice, education, immigration, human resources, and advocacy.  Students with a Minor in Social Work will learn to apply social work principles to questions of social injustices at the micro, mezzo and macro levels in areas such as aging, child welfare, criminal justice, environmental justice, housing, policy and community practice and mental health.

 

Students enrolled in the minor in social work will demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

 

• Incorporate social justice principles to strategies for creating and sustaining equitable and inclusive environments.
• Identify issues of fairness and equality in economic, political and social systems
• Enhance sensitivity to vulnerable and at-risk population 
• Evaluate ideas and create social justice projects that provides engagement with the city of Detroit community 

 

With an emphasis on the relationship between social justice and social work practice, graduates will add an additional and unique credential that employers may value because it will augment their major with content in social work courses and support readiness for employability particularly for students pursuing careers in the helping field.

• Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare

  SW 1010 - Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare (3 cr)

  ​​​​​​​Satisfies General Education Requirement: Diversity Equity Incl Inquiry. Survey of selected social welfare programs in the United States; history and development; focus on issues related to poverty and dependence.This course explores issues of fairness and equality in economic, political and social systems, and identifies the values, ethics, and practice principles of the social work profession. Students attend out-of-the-classroom events on campus and in the community to learn from social workers and social justice leaders who are engaging in work with vulnerable and at-risk populations in Detroit. Offered Every Term.

• Diversity, Oppression & Social Justice

  SW 3110 – Diversity, Oppression & Social Justice (3 cr)

  Diverse cultures, family structure, roles, immigration and assimilation experiences of marginalized groups; influence of dominant culture on these groups. 

• Social Welfare and the Social Work Profession: History, Trends and Basic Concepts

  SW 3710 – Social Welfare and the Social Work Profession: History, Trends and Basic Concepts (3 cr)

  History of social welfare in the United States. Basic concepts of social welfare. The profession of social work in historical perspective. Current trends and issues in social welfare and in the profession of social work.

• Social Work Electives

  Students must select one of the following Social Work elective courses. Read a description of the courses in the WSU Academic Bulletin.

  • SW 5720 Social Services and Older Adults
  • SW 6500 Social Work and Law
  • SW 6535 Youth, Delinquency, and Juvenile Justice
  • SW 6540 Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on Physical and Social Functioning
  • SW 6575 Violence Prevention and Intervention
  • SW 6585 Introduction to International Social Work
  • SW 6810 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Health and Well-Being
  • SW 6620 Understanding Suicide 
  • SW 6010 Family Centered Collaboration in Early Childhood Intervention and Special Education
• CLAS Electives

  Students must select two of the following CLAS elective courses.

  African American Studies (view course descriptions)

  • AFS 2600  Race and Racism in America
  • AFS 5110  Black women in America
  • AFS 2010  African American Culture: Historical and Aesthetic Roots
  • AFS 5130  The Black Family

  Anthropology (view course descriptions)

  • ANT 1100  Introduction to Anthropology
  • ANT 5400  Anthropology of Health and Illness Cultures of the World
  • ANT 3530  Native Americans
  • ANT 3550  Arab Societies in Transition

  Criminal Justice (view course descriptions)

  • CRJ 1010  Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CRJ 3200  Police and Society
  • CRJ 3350  Corrections
  • CRJ 3700  The Judicial Process
  • CRJ 4740  Constitutional Criminal Procedure

  Gender/Sexuality and Women's Studies (view course descriptions)

  • GSW 2500     Humanities Perspectives on Gender, Sexuality, and    Women
  • GSW 2600     History of Women, Gender and Sexuality in the Modern World
  • GSW 2700  Social Science Perspectives on Gender, Sexuality, and Women
  • GSW 5200      Feminist, Gender, and Queer Theory

  Peace and Conflict Studies (view course descriptions)

  • PCS 2000       Intro to Peace & Conflict Studies
  • PCS 2010      Social Justice Activism
  • PCS 5000       Dispute resolution
  • PCS 5100       ST:Hmn Trffickng & Mod Slavery
  • PCS 2050       The study of non-violence

  Political Science (view course descriptions)

  • PS 2710          Intro to comparative politics
  • PS 5030          African American Politics (AFS5030)
  • PS 5560          Bio Politics
  • PS 3725           Politics of Developing Countries

  English (view course descriptions)

  • ENG 3200       Grant Writing
  • ENG 3050       Technical Communication I: Reports
  • ENG 3060       Technical Communication II: Presentations
  • ENG 5695       Topics in Writing and Publishing