Why Study Social Work?

    When you study the interactions between people and their physical and social environments, you’ll uncover ways to improve the systems that affect their lives. You’ll gain skills in interpersonal communications, cultural humility, and institutional problem-solving. You’ll get an overview of social work practice and an introduction to the professional history, language, roles, values, and theories of social work. 

    Why Study Social Work at MMC?

    Social workers strive to maximize the capacities of individuals, families, groups, and communities and to be ethically and culturally astute. Our social work courses introduce you not only to the profession but also to social justice endeavors within human services and advocacy. You will be trained to recognize and value people’s strengths and to view problems within the contexts of both interpersonal and social dynamics. You will think critically about the varied roles assumed by social workers in their efforts to help people solve problems, satisfy needs, access resources, modify environments, and build strengths.

    What You Will Learn

    • You will identify key figures, groups, institutions, policies, and events in the development and history of social welfare policy in the U.S. and how these developments shape the strategies of social work practice today.
    • You will recognize and evaluate the principles and dilemmas of ethical frameworks in the profession, including in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.
    • In the Practicum course, you will be placed in New York City organizations for field site experiences, where you will learn to practice reflectively and to conduct research on the dimensions and significance of an issue affecting New Yorkers.
    • You will analyze the challenges and possibilities of social work to affirm and promote racial, social, and economic justice.

    Contact

    Program Highlights

    Students chat with Austin Nelson '15,

    If you’re looking to continue in the social work profession after graduation, you can learn about a range of graduate programs through admissions sessions. The coordinator of the minor will work individually with you to consider your specific interests and support your applications.

    Student speaks to Suzanne Sorrentino at CWC
    Learn from professionals who are changing the field with new approaches to old problems, such as with trauma-informed, restorative justice, language justice, harm reduction, mutual aid, and abolitionist approaches. Guest speakers, alumni, faculty, and practicum supervisors share their experiences in a variety of contexts.
    The Practicum offers you direct experience in the field. You’ll gain an understanding of how agencies are organized and how they function on behalf of individuals and communities. Working at an external site in NYC, you’ll identify, evaluate, and apply existing evidence-based social work best practices and social justice principles to guide decision-making.

     

    • My social work classes truly inspired me to take the next step and pushed me to apply for a Master’s in Social Work. I’m excited to say that the support I received from the social work program at MMC helped me to become accepted at Fordham University where I also received scholarship awards to pursue my MSW.

      Alicia Jurcisin ’20

      Class of 2020, Psychology major

    • Prepare to get passionate about the issues you care about. Living through the pandemic has shown how important community connection really is, and my classes in social work showed me the role social workers play to strengthen ties and take on big issues too.

      Alejandro Ruiz ’22

      Class of 2022, Politics and Human Rights major

    • MMC’s Social Work program is based on a social justice perspective that encourages you to understand how personal transformation is tied to systems transformation, and vice versa. The minor was a big support to me in my interpersonal and strategy work as an organizer for environmental justice and racial justice in NYC.

      Tkeyah Grant ’21

      Class 2021, Politics and Human Rights major

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    Careers and Outcomes

    Careers

    • Policy and Advocacy Director
    • Psychotherapist
    • Care Coordinator
    • Movement Therapist
    • Youth Substance Use Treatment Coordinator
    • Public Health Coordinator

    Employers

    • Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services
    • Mount Sinai Health System
    • Insight Psychological Group
    • Gays and Lesbians Living In a Transgender Society
    • ACE Programs for the Homeless
    • The Center: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center

    The Sojourner Truth Suffrage Academy 

    Designed to give students the opportunity to explore the history of enfranchisement in the United States and beyond, the Academy offers connection- and immersion-level courses, from American History classes to Black Female Sexuality in Film, Photography and Social Engagement, and The Social Psychology of Dress, among others. The Academy also offers a robust speaker series and collaborates with MMC’s renowned Prison Education programs.

    Learn more about the Sojourner Truth Suffrage Academy 

    Start your journey today.

    Learn more about the application process, take a virtual tour, and chat with current students right from the comfort of your home.

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