Department of Social Work

Many Christians feel called to help others. There are many career paths to help others. Social work is one of many helping professions. What makes social work different from the others is the training and the variety of opportunities for service for a person with a social work degree.

• A social work major will have classes that are geared toward learning basic helping skills.  For example, some of the core courses are Working With Individuals, Working With Groups and Families, Working With Community and Organizations, Human Growth and Development, and Social Work Policy.  In addition a social work major will have two field practicum experiences - a shorter one generally in the sophomore year (60 hours) and a longer one in the senior year (360 hours).  When a student graduates from TNU with a bachelor's degree of science in social work they are ready to enter an entry level social work position or continue on into graduate school.

• Trevecca social work graduates are working in a variety of positions.  For example, TNU grads can be found working in a children's home, with the mentally ill, with the YMCA, YWCA, with domestic violence, with abused children, and many more.  These former students are literally on the front line, working to make a difference in someone's life.

 

• Being a Christian social worker really does make a difference.  How?  A Christian social worker doesn't see a human being merely as a living person, they see a person as someone created in God's image, a person that Christ died for, and they believe that God works with them to help them make a difference.  When a Christian comes up against a difficult situation, they not only have the support of their peers and supervisors, they also have support of prayer and other Christians who will pray with them.  Finally, a Christian social worker has God to give them wisdom and guidance.
  

     We live in a world of contrast.  Look around and you will see short and tall, big and small, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, and many other differences.  Some people in our society have lots of possessions, while others have very little.  Some people have lots of opportunities, while others seem to have nothing but obstacles in their lives.  Some people have hope while others live in hopelessness and despair.
     The challenge before us is to be a catalyst for change for the better.  How can we be a catalyst for change?  We can begin by getting involved in the life of another person as a friend.  People want to be loved, they want to know that somebody cares for them, and that someone is there to provide support when they need it.