Welcome to the social work program. If you are interested in pursing a degree in social work from an accredited program, you've come to the right place. We hope the information from this Web site will answer your questions about the social work profession and our social work major. Social work is a very rewarding and dynamic career and an area for projected employment growth in the near future. A social work degree is versatile allowing you to work with many different populations as well as in many different kinds of settings. Social workers are involved in direct and community work with children, juveniles, families, the elderly, persons with disabilities or mental illness, those who have committed crimes, and persons with drug and alcohol problems. They are employed in public settings such as County Human Services as well as in private agencies such as family services, youth programs, community services, care and rehabilitation centers, and hospitals.
Graduates of our accredited social work program will be prepared for employment in social work right away or to continue their education in graduate school. Graduates with a degree in social work from an accredited program like Viterbo’s are eligible to take the state exam to become certified as a social worker. During the first two years social work majors at Viterbo take preparatory courses for the social work program, introduction to social work, and general education courses. The last two years, students accepted into the social work program take specialized social work courses including social work practice, theory, policy, and research. In their final semester seniors are placed in a social service agency for 30 hours a week where they get hands-on exposure to social work. We are fortunate to have many different kinds of social service agencies in the area for field education placements. The Viterbo University social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The Franciscan spirit and small university environment makes Viterbo a very special place. The faculty here really cares about students and their personal and professional development.
La Crosse is an ideal setting for a social work program as we are able to provide students with challenging field placement experiences in a wide variety of agencies in the community and also individualize student learning because of our small class sizes.
I hope you will seriously consider the social work program at Viterbo. Our communities need dedicated, well-prepared professionals who want to help people. Our experienced social work faculty would like to help you achieve this professional goal. I invite you to call me with your questions or set up a campus visit. I can be reached at 608-796-3728 or ddzelmer@viterbo.edu and I hope to hear from you.
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