Minor and Certificate Programs
Minors
The transcript-recognized undergraduate academic minor must be completed in conjunction with an undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin. For more information regarding the requirements for achieving a minor, including a comprehensive list of minors, please visit the Minor and Certificate Programs section of the Undergraduate Catalog.
Social Work Minor
A Social Work Minor requires completion of 15 semester hours, six of which must be upper-division. All courses in the Social Work minor must be taken on a letter grade basis and students must earn a minimum grade of a C.
All interested students must apply for admission to the minor. To be eligible, students must have an overall minimum University of Texas at Austin GPA of 2.0.
The Social Work Minor requirements are:
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| S W 310 | Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare | 3 |
| S W 312 | Generalist Social Work Practice: Knowledge, Values, and Skills | 3 |
| S W 325 | Foundations of Social Justice | 3 |
| Students will choose 2 additional courses from S W 360K numbered topic courses to complete their required 15 semester hours. | 6 | |
Critical Disability Studies Minor
A program that focuses on the nature, meaning, and consequences of what it is to be defined as disabled and explores the historical, cultural, economic, physiological, and socio-political dynamics of disability. Includes instruction in disability rights, legal issues, and public policy; literature, philosophy, and the arts; and/or research in the social sciences, education, and health sciences addressing social and experiential aspects of disability.
All interested students must apply for admission to the minor. To be eligible, students must have an overall minimum University of Texas at Austin GPA of 2.0.
The Critical Disability Studies Minor requirements are:
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| CDI 355 | Topics in Critical Disability Studies (Topic 1: Social Construction of Disability) | 3 |
| CDI 355 | Topics in Critical Disability Studies (Topic 2: Making Systems Work for People with Disabilities) | 3 |
| S W 325 | Foundations of Social Justice | 3 |
| Six hours chosen from: | 6 | |
| Individual Differences | ||
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Human Variation | ||
| Studies in Human Movement: Topical Studies | ||
| KIN 367S | Sport and Disability | 3 |
| KIN 366R | Adapted Fitness and Recreation | 3 |
| KIN 360 | Programming for People with Disabilities | 3 |
| MUS 379K | Advanced Topics in Music Literature | 3 |
| N 371 | Disability over the Life Course | 3 |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder: Truths and Consequences | ||
| Perspectives on Deafness | ||
| CDI 355 | Topics in Critical Disability Studies | 3 |
| Please Note: | ||
| All courses in the disability studies minor must be taken on a letter grade basis, and students must earn a minimum grade of a C. | ||
Certificates
Public Safety Certificate
The certificate in public safety provides undergraduate social work students with coursework and service learning opportunities that prepare them for careers in public safety. These careers may include work in such settings as law enforcement, fire departments, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and emergency management at the local, state, and national levels.
Application Requirements
Students will complete an application form and submit it to the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs, who, in consultation with the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, will offer admission to the Certificate Program. All courses in the Certificate Program must be taken on a letter grade basis and students must earn a minimum grade of a C.
Certificate Requirements
The certificate will be awarded to students whose successful completion of the BSW program of work includes six courses (18 hours) in the area of focus, including:
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| PSF 311 | Social Work and Public Safety | 3 |
| S W 325 | Foundations of Social Justice | 3 |
| Three courses chosen from the following: | 9 | |
| Introductory Topics in Social Work (Topic 3: Introduction to the Criminal Justice System) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 3: Treatment of Substance Use Disorders) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 4: Social Work Practice with Abused and Neglected Children and their Families) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 5: Advanced Topics in Social and Economic Justice) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 6: Contemporary Issues in Domestic Violence) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 8: Leadership in the Community) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 9: Loss and Grief: Individual, Family, and Cultural Perspectives) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 11: Communication Skills in Interdisciplinary Settings) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 12: Social Work in the Legal System) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 14: Working with Youth Gangs) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 15: Youth, Delinquency, and Juvenile Justice) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 17: Principles of Recovery and Relapse Prevention) | ||
| Current Social Work Topics (Topic 18: Mental Health Issues in Public Safety) | ||
| PSF 360K | Public Safety Field Immersion 1 | 3 |
| --- | ||
| 1. Field Immersion Placements: Placements will be completed in public safety related settings, including such possibilities as the Austin Police Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, Travis County Sheriff's Office, the Department of Corrections, City of Austin Office of Emergency Management, Travis County Office of Emergency Management, and Austin EMS. | ||