Juvenile Delinquency Certificate

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The Juvenile Delinquency Certificate is available to students and to graduates. Completion of the certificate will prepare students for a career in settings serving juvenile delinquents, status offenders, and youth at risk of becoming delinquents such as juvenile courts, residential programs, runaway programs, diversion programs, and the like. Students are still required to complete a minor or the Interdisciplinary Major. Credits toward meeting either of these, as well as the requirement of two Social Work electives, or credits toward a major or minor in Criminal Justice and Sociology can be double counted toward earning the Juvenile Delinquency Certificate.

Graduates and non-matriculated students who do not have a BSW may apply to the Social Work Department for admission to the Juvenile Delinquency Certificate program. Admission is at the discretion of the Social Work Department. Consideration will be given to the degree earned (preferably in the behavioral sciences), course work, and experience in the field of juvenile justice.

Required Courses (6 cr)

Diversity Requirement (3 cr)

Non BSW students must take the following course (BSW students may take this course as an elective):

YS 310 - Diverse Youth and Families 3 cr

Field Work Requirement

BSW students must do their field placement (SW 483 and SW 484 ) in a juvenile court, residential program, runaway program, diversion program, state delinquency program or an agency serving children, youth, and families approved by the Social Work Department Field Coordinator.

Students who do not earn a BSW, or BSW students who do not do their field placement in an approved setting, must take 6 credits of YS 497 - Field Work in Juvenile Delinquency completing a minimum of 240 hours in one of these settings.

Graduates and non-matriculated students may waive this requirement with permission of the Department if they can demonstrate that they are currently employed in an acceptable position serving juvenile delinquents, status offenders, or pre-delinquents or have at least six months of acceptable experience with these populations.

Elective Courses (6 cr for non BSW students/9 cr for BSW students)

CJ 350 - Juvenile Justice System 3 cr
SW 302 - Child Abuse & Neglect 3 cr
SW 311 - Intro to Substance Use Disorder 3 cr
SW 314 - Social Work and Sexual Violence 3 cr
SW 490 - Selected Topics 1-4 cr (Special topics related to serving delinquent youth and families)
SOC 346 - Juvenile Delinquency 3 cr
YS 349 - Group Work with Youth 3 cr
YS 405 - Group Facilitation 3 cr
YS 490 - Selected Topics 1-4 cr (Special topics related to serving delinquent youth and families)

BSW students may take the following course as one of their electives

YS 310 - Diverse Youth and Families 3 cr