The Department of Social Work and Family Studies offers a major in social work and a concentration in family studies. Family studies and social work are fields of study that build upon students’ liberal arts education to prepare them to identify the changing needs of families, develop the means to satisfy those needs, and explore policies and programs that address social problems and enhance human strengths.
Counseling and Social Services
Connect With Us
(From left to right) Padra Chang '20, Diana Guzman '20, Teiana Nakano '19, and Nina Rickett-Green '20 participating in the 2018 Chicago Connections Trip social work panel.
Internships and Experience in Counseling & Social Services
Breanne Thornton Grace ’04 is a professor in the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work. In her sociological research, she examines how UN solutions — resettlement, local integration, or voluntary repatriation — become durable through social citizenship, which refers to having access to things like health care, education, food, and legal representation.
Coaching and Resources
Counseling and social services professionals help individuals, families, and underserved populations achieve their goals in areas such as mental health, financial well-being, and educational and vocational attainment. To learn more about counseling and social services at St. Olaf, visit the Social Work and Family Studies Department’s website.
The Piper Center is eager to support you in finding internships and research related to counseling and social services. Please stop by the Piper Center anytime during business hours to have an initial conversation with a Peer Advisor. When you are ready to go further and meet with our counseling and social services career coach Thando Kunene, please schedule an appointment through Handshake.
Piper Center Events
Thando L Kunene
Assistant Director, Career Development and Coaching