Social Work
Make a difference in people’s lives—right here, right now.
Degree Options: Major Only
Locations: Lincoln Center, Rose Hill
Visit the Social Work Program
Working for human rights and social justice are core components of a Jesuit education—and of social work. When you study with our nationally recognized social work department at Fordham, you’ll see the best aspects of humanity—compassion, empathy, commitment, intelligence—focused on helping people who might be experiencing life at its worst.
Our challenging and stimulating program trains you to improve the well being of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in an agency setting. It’s a two-year program that will have you in the field as much as you’re in the classroom. You’ll study with our nationally recognized faculty and participate in their research, learn evidence-based social work practice, and gain the cultural competence skills you need to work with diverse populations. You’ll embed in local communities for fieldwork. Through it all, you’ll help people.
You’ll learn more than social work here. You’ll also study philosophy, theology, history, mathematics, languages, science, and the performing arts through Fordham’s common core curriculum, the centerpiece of our liberal arts education.
We want you to excel in your field—and as a human being.
-
As a social work major, you will:
- study the breadth and depth of social work
- gain in-depth field experience
- participate in individual and group mentoring sessions
Social work is a two-year program. You will take eight required classes the first year and a 600-hour, yearlong field practicum and integrative seminar of nine credits in the second year. You?ll do fieldwork at a social service agency 14 to 21 hours a week.
Fordham College at Rose Hill students have a double major requirement and are expected to complete another major at Fordham in addition to the major in social work.
Facilities and Centers
The social work department has strong affiliations with a number of centers and institutes, including:
- Bertram M. Beck Institute on Religion and Poverty, an ecumenical institute that partners with New York City interfaith religious and lay leaders to alleviate poverty in our affluent society
- Children FIRST, which offers training, practice evaluation, and research about evidence-based, family-oriented social services
- Fordham Center for Nonprofit Leaders, which develops the next generation of mission-based organization leaders
- Fordham GSS Institute for Women and Girls, which addresses poverty, violence, health problems, and workplace discrimination
- Ravazzin Center on Aging, which researches evidence-based practices to meet the needs of an aging society
-
- Social Welfare Policies and Services
- Human Rights and Social Justice
- Social Work Practice in Research I and II
- Generalist Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups I and II
- Social Justice: Organizations and Community
- Human Behavior and the Social Environment
- Social Work Research
- Fieldwork
-
You?ll graduate ready to work in a social services agency or pursue advanced study. A few of the many possible career paths in social work:
- Aging
- Child welfare
- School social work
- Substance abuse and addictions
- Justice/corrections
- Developmental disabilities
- Mental Health/clinical social work
- International social work
- Management/administration
- Policy and planning
- Research
You get access to our powerful (and Fordham-loyal) network of alumni, who want to see you succeed as they have.
Learn More About the Social Work Degree
Visit the Social Work Program