Hope College | Sociology & Social Work

Degrees

Sociology

The sociology major requires a minimum of 28 credits. This must include a) Sociology and Social Problems (Sociology 101); b) Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology (Sociology 261); c) Methods of Social Research (Sociology 262); d) at least two 4-credit 300-level courses; and e) Capstone Seminar in Sociology (Sociology 495). In addition, students must demonstrate competence in statistics; this is usually accomplished by completing Mathematics 210.

Criminal Justice Focus

Sociology majors may elect to graduate with a Criminal Justice (CJ) emphasis. This 32-credit program is intended for students preparing for careers in law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and related occupations. The CJ emphasis is offered in conjunction with The Philadelphia Center. In addition to Sociology 101, 261, and 262, CJ students must complete the Criminology I and II sequence (Sociology 221 and 222), another four-credit sociology elective at the 300-level (preferably Sociology 312, Urban Sociology), a four-credit course entitled Social Justice (to be offered through The Philadelphia Center), and a related internship in Philadelphia. As with all majors, CJ students must demonstrate competence in Statistics.

Off-Campus Options

Many sociology majors take advantage of off-campus programs, both domestic and international. Students have been enrolled in both the Philadelphia Center and the Chicago Semester as well as in such international programs as those in Aberdeen, Scotland, Santiago, Dominican Republic, and Querétaro, Mexico. The department strongly encourages students to avail themselves of these options, and we are ready to review the available course offerings to determine if they can count towards the sociology major or minor. In some instances, departmental credit will be granted for internship experiences in off-campus settings.

Permission for either the Criminal Justice emphasis or the Off-Campus option must be obtained from the chairperson of the Department of Sociology and Social Work.

Social Work

The baccalaureate social work major is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Students will learn that social work is a profession dedicated to assisting people to attain life satisfaction through personal, social, and environmental changes. Social work uses a variety of generalist practice methods, including direct interventions, community organization, and social welfare planning and policy development. Social work is concerned with meeting the needs of oppressed populations, including those most vulnerable and discriminated against.

Only graduates who are social work majors are eligible for licensing (LBSW) in Michigan and other states.

Social work majors alone are eligible to reduce the time in M.S.W. programs by up to two semesters through advance standing programs. Please consult the social work faculty for more details.

In addition to their classroom experiences, social work students engage in a wide variety of activities working with various client populations in their internships:

• work with community organizations
• work with community agencies in program planning and implementation
• work with the elderly
• work with unemployed and underemployed
• work with people encountering difficult life transitions
• social research in the community
• work with the developmentally and physically challenged
• work with juvenile delinquents
• work with at risk school children

The requirements for the social work major include the following social work courses: a) Introduction to Social Welfare (Social Work 241); b) Social Work and Family (Social Work 232) or Child Welfare (Social Work 242); c) Methods of Social Research (Social Work 262); d) Human Behavior and Social Environment I (Social Work 310); e) Human Behavior and Social Environment II (Social Work 311);
f) Social Work with Diverse Populations (Social Work 315); g) Social Work Interviewing (Social Work 320); h) Contemporary Social Policy (Social Work 322); i) Social Work Interventions I, II and III (Social Work 351, 352 and 401); and j) Social Work Field Experience I and II (Social Work 443 and 446).

All social work majors must formally apply to the Social Work Program by October 15 of their sophomore year. Admission is competitive and not guaranteed. To be eligible for admission —

1. Applicants must have completed or be currently enrolled in Psychology 100, Sociology 101, and Social Work 241.
2. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and a minimum GPA of 2.7 in their social work courses.
3. Applicants need two recommendations from Hope College faculty/staff.
4. Applicants must submit a written personal statement which includes information about their commitment to social work as a vocation and describes their prior volunteer service in the field.

A student who does not fully meet one or more of the admission criteria may be admitted to the Social Work Program conditionally, provided the student, after an interview with the Program Director of Social Work, agrees in writing to remove the deficiency by the end of the following semester. Conditionally accepted students should be aware that there are risks involved in pursuing the first year of the social work major on a conditional basis. A minimum GPA of 2.5 and a minimum GPA of 2.7 in the social work major are required for graduation.

In addition, the following cognate courses are required: a) Introduction to Psychology (Psychology 100); b) Introduction to American Political Institutions (Political Science 100) or Political Science 110; c) Sociology and Social Problems (Sociology 101); d) GEMS 158; and e) Introductory Statistics (Mathematics 210).