Social Work Certificate of Achievement
The Cuyamaca College Certificate of Achievement in Social Work prepares students to further enhance their education, seek employment in various social service settings, or both. Students who complete the program are eligible to transfer to four-year colleges or universities to continue their education toward advanced degrees and potential licensure in Social Work or related fields.
This program offers students coursework focused on skill development around core competencies for generalist practice, including assessment methods, treatment planning, case management, writing/documentation, critical thinking, ethical and professional behavior, advocacy, social justice, cultural competence and techniques for working with individuals, communities, and institutions.
Award Note
Students intending to transfer into this major at a CSU or UC should consult with a counselor and visit www.assist.org for guidance on appropriate transfer coursework.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this Social Work Certificate of Achievement, students will be able to:
- Identify and analyze barriers and issues faced by under-represented and vulnerable communities through the lenses of cultural competence and trauma-informed care.
- Apply critical thinking skills to case management, crisis intervention, and theory-based assessment to understand and support positive interactions between individuals and their environments.
- Facilitate use of community resources, community linkages and government assistance programs which support social work practices in diverse environments.
- Apply knowledge of biopsychosocial factors that affect human development and behavior across life span to case management strategies and approaches.
- Identify diverse roles of social workers in micro, mezzo and macro levels of practice and evaluate own’s professional identity and skills.
Career Options
Most career options directly related to professional (licensed) social work require graduate level degrees. However, there are applied and paraprofessional occupations that value the Certificate of Achievement, which allows students to begin working in the field while they are finishing their educational goals. Social services departments, hospitals, academic and community mental health facilities, child care programs, services for the aged, alcohol and other drug treatment programs, family services agencies, and other community organizations are all examples of settings which employ both professional and paraprofessional social service providers.
Certificate of Achievement Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Courses Required for the Major | ||
| PSY-120 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| PSY-215 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| or MATH-160 | Elementary Statistics | |
| SOC-120 | Introductory Sociology | 3 |
| SW-110 | Social Work Fields of Service | 3 |
| SW-120 | Introduction to Social Work | 3 |
| SW-130 | Introduction to Case Management | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| General Biology I | ||
or PSY-140 | Physiological Psychology | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Contemporary Social Problems | ||
| Total Units | 25 | |
Certificate of Achievement
Students who complete the requirements above qualify for a Certificate of Achievement. An official request must be filed with the Admissions and Records Office prior to the deadline as stated in the Academic Calendar.