Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.
--Paulo Freiere

ABOUT THE pROGRAM

Social work is a discipline and a profession committed to the enhancement of human well-being, the alleviation of poverty and oppression, and the promotion of social justice. The discipline of social work provides opportunities for enacting liberal arts values such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, as well Whittier College's historical commitment to "practical idealism."

The profession practices in a wide variety of settings including family services, child welfare, corrections, probation, psychiatric and medical centers, drug and alcohol treatment, community organizations, and social policy planning. With awareness of the major social and technological changes taking place in today's society, Whittier's social work program prepares students for entry-level positions in generalist social work practice, where they can effectively respond to the variety of human welfare needs prevalent in contemporary society. Selected courses offered within the program may also be of interest to students pursuing the degree in psychology, child development, sociology, pre-medicine, pre-physical therapy, business administration, and education.

Whittier's undergraduate program in social work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and provides a professional foundation curriculum that contains the common body of knowledge, values, and skills of the profession. The program specifies a common base of liberal arts courses to be taken prior to enrollment in the core foundation courses. The foundation courses are sequenced over three years; the program culminates in the senior year with an intensive, professionally supervised field practicum, and an integrative seminar that seeks to assess the outcomes of the social work training. More detailed information on this program and its curriculum can be found in the Social Work Program Student Handbook.