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Major
School of Social Innovation 
On-Campus Employment Opportunities
Internships
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Internships 
Study Abroad 
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Assessment of Learning Outcomes 

Be a force for good

Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), this ambitious and broad-based major is grounded in a social justice framework that will prepare you for change efforts with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. You will graduate with the professional knowledge, values, and skills of generalist practice from a local to global perspective, along with over 400 hours of direct field experience gained through your senior internship.

Our local and global communities need more leaders who are knowledgeable and compassionate. If you are driven by a need for justice and equality, you will find no better launchpad than the Social Work program at Champlain College. Dynamic classrooms and engaging community experiences align to build the skills you need to contribute to a more just world.

What is Social Work?

As a student of social work, you’ll explore the practice-based profession of empowering people and communities of different backgrounds. You’ll train as a professional to help assist and empower vulnerable individuals, groups, communities, and societies in overcoming challenges in their environment and everyday lives. As a social work professional, you have the ability to work and practice in a wide variety of settings, from schools to healthcare providers to child welfare.

Why study social work at Champlain College?

We believe some of the best learning comes from experience, so we make sure you graduate with a background rich in real social work. With our combination of broad social work learning and extensive field experiences, you’ll be prepared for a career of building a better world for the people who need it most.

At Champlain, you will jump right into your Social Work education. In our Upside-Down Curriculum, you’ll be enrolled in your first Social Work class in your first semester, and will begin to connect with the professional community the following spring.

You’ll also be able to explore related disciplines—such as Social Justice, Law, Psychology, Global Studies, or Business—through a minor.

Fieldwork Opportunities in the Social Work Major

Because you’ll be taking field-relevant courses from the start, you’ll be ready for meaningful internships much sooner than students at most other institutions.

Much of your social work education will be hands-on in the greater Burlington community throughout your four years here. The city’s culture and environment unite perfectly with our social justice mission. You will have multiple opportunities for practical application of your developing skills, in agencies focused on physical and mental health, human rights, crisis response, poverty and homelessness, child and family well-being, and community development.

Because Champlain College’s Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

While you are feeding your passion for social justice with all of these practical experiences, you’ll also be building a résumé that will impress future employers.

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Different by Design

Accelerated Master’s

Through our CSWE-accredited Social Work program, you can apply to a Master of Social Work (MSW) program that will allow you to earn a master’s degree in one year instead of two.

Our Progressive Community

Burlington’s culture and environment unite perfectly with our social justice mission.

Apply Your Skills

You’ll have multiple opportunities for practical application of your developing skills, in agencies focused on physical and mental health, human rights, crisis response, poverty and homelessness, child and family well-being, and community development.

92%

of Social Work majors in the Class of 2023 achieved career success within six months after graduation. That’s success you can see.

7%

Projected growth of overall employment of social work professionals 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Most

Champlain was named a “Most Innovative School” by U.S. News & World Report in its “America’s Best Colleges” 2024 ranking of universities in the North.

Sample Courses in the Social Work Major

Our Social Work curriculum is designed to equip you with the applicable skills and knowledge you’ll need to be successful in your career. You’ll engage with community members and organizations that will offer you valuable experience and perspective. Check out some of the engaging and hands-on courses in our program.

You might also be interested in these…

Based on your interest in the Social Work major, we thought you also might like to check out these other academic programs and opportunities.

Sign Up To Get Stickers + Helpful Info

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Ready to be inspired? Fill out the form and sign up to receive helpful information about Champlain College—plus, we’ll send you a full sheet of high quality stickers designed by one of our Graphic Design & Visual Communication graduates.

Career Success

Social work students gain real-world skills and marketable experience. 91% of Social Work majors in the Class of 2023 were employed within six months of graduation.

two students crouching down to be with small children
Social work students pose for a photo with a group of smiling children

By the time you graduate, you will …

  • Engage diversity and difference in practice.
  • Advance human rights, and social, economic and environmental justice.
  • Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.
  • Engage in policy practice.
  • Engage with, intervene with, and assess individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

You’ll Find a Career In…

  • Outreach work
  • Case management
  • Probation
  • Child welfare
  • Substance abuse counseling
  • Social services
  • Behavioral and mental health

More Inside Social Work Major