Social Welfare & Social Justice Option

The Social Welfare and Social Justice Option is intended to provide students with knowledge and skills necessary for entry professional-level employment working within various social service settings, such as hospitals, probation and parole, public welfare, community planning and mental health organizations.

Central to our mission statement is our focus on promoting anti-oppressive social work practice and preparing students to be agents of social change in order to strive for ending discrimination, oppression and enhancing human well-being through education, research and community service. It also provides a foundation for students to pursue graduate education in social work and related fields. Students planning to pursue this option are encouraged to seek advisement prior to their junior year if possible.

Opportunities and Resources:

  • Cohort/colleagues in same classes—create networks and community!

  • Invitation to an annual Agency Fair (will assist with securing an internship—may lead to job possibility post-graduation)

  • Participation in MSW application seminar (how to apply, how to craft a social work resume/helping professions, what to write in the personal statement) in preparation for graduate school

  • Inclusion on a list-serve for social work job opportunities

Program Requirements:

1. Lower Division Required Courses (7 units)

MATH 140 Introductory Statistics (4)
SOC 150 Introductory Sociology (3)

2. Core Courses (16 units)
Take all of the following courses:

SOC 424/L Statistical Techniques in Social Research and Lab (3/1)
SOC 430 Theory I – Classical Sociological Theory (4)
SOC 468 Theory II – Contemporary Sociological Theory (4)
SOC 497/L Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods and Lab (3/1)

3. Electives (21 units)
a. Required (6 units)

SOC 357 Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice (3)
SOC 490S/F Supervised Field Seminar and Fieldwork (1/2)

b. Choice of three courses from the following list (9 units)

CJS 410CS Mentoring to Overcome Struggles and Inspire Courage (MOSAIC) (3)
SOC 356 Social Welfare Institutions (3)
SOC 411 Sociology of Education (3)
SOC 426 Social Legislation and Social Policy (3)
SOC 440 Sociology of Aging (3)
SOC 450 Medical Sociology (3)
SOC 459 Child Welfare (3)
SOC 476 Social Movements (3)
SOC 484 Progressive Community Organizing (3)
SOC 492 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3)
SOC 493 Diversity and Social Justice (3)

c. Additional Electives (6 units)

Select two additional elective courses from 200 to 400-level sociology courses. No more than 3 elective units can be taken at the 200-level.

4. General Education (43 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 43 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

9 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: MATH 140 satisfies Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning; SOC 424 satisfies Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning, Upper Division; and SOC 150 satisfies 3 units of Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences. SOC 424 taken at CSUN may count as Writing Intensive.

If taken, SOC 200, SOC 305 or SOC 324 satisfies 3 units of Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences; and SOC 306, SOC 307 and/or SOC 335 satisfies 3-6 units of upper division CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies.

5. Campus Requirements (6 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 6 units of Campus Requirements as described in this Catalog.

Total Units in Major: 44
General Education Units: 34
Campus Requirement Units: 6
Additional Units: 36
Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120

Internship Opportunities


Select from a list of over 100 non-profit organizations in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley that have partnered with CSUN to provide internship opportunities for students to gain experience in the field.You have the freedom to select an agency or non-profit (not on the list) to complete your internship.