The Cuyamaca College Associate in Arts 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. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, 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 Opportunities

• Administration¹
• Child Welfare¹
• Clinical:
  • Counseling, Therapy¹
• Community Organizations:
  • Advocacy, Politics, Education¹
• Criminal Justice/Corrections¹
• Developmental Disabilities¹
• Gerontology¹
• Health Care¹
• Occupational:
  • Counseling¹
  • Organizational Development¹
  • Teaching¹
  • Wellness Promotion¹
  • Human Resources¹
• Public Welfare:
  • Social Work¹
• Research¹

¹ Bachelor degree or higher recommended.

Associate in Arts Degree Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
BIO-130	General Biology I	3
ECON-120	Principles of Macroeconomics	3
or ECON-121	Principles of Microeconomics
HED-201	Introduction to Public Health	3
Select one of the following:		4
MATH-160	Elementary Statistics
or PSY-215	Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
PSY-120	Introductory Psychology	3
SOC-120	Introductory Sociology	3
SW-110	Social Work Fields of Service	3
SW-120	Introduction to Social Work	3
Total Units		25

Plus General Education Requirements