Social Work

Reach your goals with a career in social work.

If you have a passion for helping others improve their lives and their communities, social work is an excellent choice.  As a licensed professional, you will have excellent job prospects in areas such as mental health, health, schools, community centers, family services, substance abuse and aging. For the past five years, 100 percent of our grads have either been hired in a social work position or been accepted to the graduate school of their choice.

A degree in Social Work opens a wide range of possibilities for you including working in:

• Mental health facilities
• Schools
• Child welfare and adoption agencies
• Hospitals and public health agencies
• Facilities for the developmentally disabled
• Non-profit organizations such as United Way and many others
• Homeless shelters
• Youth centers
• Drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities
• Local, state and national government agencies
• Community action agencies

Dedicated and Innovative Social Work Faculty

The Social Work department includes professors who not only possess years of experience in the classroom, but who also have extensive experience in the field:

• The chair of the department is an experienced clinical social worker who continues a small counseling practice today. She serves as a Delegate to the National Association of Social Workers Delegate Assembly.

Gain Real-World Experience

• More than 35 agencies partner with Ashland University to offer internships to our social work majors. Among the wide variety of internship possibilities are:
• Mental health clinics working with youth or adults
• Children’s services agencies helping with foster care, adoption, child abuse
• Schools working with children and teens
• Hospitals doing assessments and discharge planning
• Rehabilitation clinics working with youth
• Long-term care facilities working with older adults
• Community agencies working with pregnant teens and other underserved groups
• Seniors complete a 500-hour agency placement in their final semester, working under the direction of a social worker working with real clients in real-life situations.
• The Cleveland Urban Plunge weekend allows seniors to see some of the challenges faced by the homeless in an urban environment. It is an eye-opening experience.

Interesting Classes You May Take

• Family Violence — Examine the dynamics of power and control in intimate relationships.
• Foundations of Social Welfare — Study the history of social welfare in the United States to understand the context of social welfare movements and policies.
• International Perspectives on Women – Study women’s issues from an international perspective and address the diversity and similarity of women’s experiences worldwide.

Organizations for Social Work Majors

• Social Work Club
• Phi Alpha – Social Work Honorary