Social Sciences, Pre-Social Work Major
- Associate of Science (A.S.)
Program Snapshot
Your Learning Options
In-Person, Hybrid, Online
60-62 Credit Hours
Estimated Time to Complete
2 years (5 full-time semesters)
In-State Tuition Per Credit Hour
$176.00 | Calculate your costs
Why Pre-Social Work?
Pave your way to a fulfilling career in social work and aspire to make a difference in the lives of others.
- Immerse yourself in a curriculum carefully crafted to lay a robust foundation in the social sciences.
- Secure your admission to VCU as a junior, streamlining your path to a prestigious BSW degree by successfully completing our A.S. program.
- Maximize your investment in education by being ensured of a smooth transition and eliminate uncertainties about credit transfers.
Paying for College
We are committed to using all of the available funds to help you gain access to a college education. In fact, more than 91% of our students graduate without any educational debt. In 2023, Reynolds Community College students received over $21 million dollars in grants, loans, work-study and scholarships with the average aid awarded totaling over $4,000 per student.
Payment plans are offered to break down tuition payments. Textbook Assistance and Laptop Lending Programs are also available. Be sure to explore all the types of financial aid available as well!
Why Reynolds?
We are more than a community college.
Reynolds is the key that unlocks the door to your academic and professional success. Here you will find a safe place to start. We will help you explore, dream, succeed, try, and try again. Our amazing faculty and highly personalized advisors, your Reynolds Navigators, are well known for guiding you to discover that "aha moment.” That means an outstanding college experience, less debt, more freedom, and a solid start on your future.
Dive into essential freshman- and sophomore-level courses, providing you with the knowledge and skills required to thrive at VCU and excel in the field of social work.
Benefit from a strategic collaboration between Reynolds Community College and VCU. Our articulation agreement ensures a smooth transition for eligible students, eliminating uncertainties about credit transfers and maximizing your investment in education.
The Richmond metropolitan area offers a plethora of job opportunities for social workers. Leverage the success of VCU's nationally respected BSW program and the local demand for skilled professionals to kickstart your rewarding career in social work.
I always wanted to change the world.
Khalil Watson
2023 Graduate, studying Social Work at VCU
Khalil made international news walking to receive his Reynolds diploma in a unique exoskeleton.
Class Highlights
SOC 200 - Principles of Sociology
Delve into significant research and theory in areas like culture, social structure, socialization, deviance, social stratification, and social institutions.
SOC 211 - Cultural Anthropology
Examine the origins, development, research, diversification and evolution of human cultures including Western and Non-Western aspects of culture.
PSY 230 - Developmental Psychology
Study the development of the individual from conception to death following a life-span perspective on the development of a person’s growth.
Program Roadmap
Get all the details on our Pre-Social Work program, including class sequences, admission requirements, financial considerations, and more.
Additional Program Information
PURPOSE: The social sciences are concerned with the study of human society and emphasize the role of analysis, experimentation, and the scientific method. The chief academic disciplines of the social sciences are anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology.
The Pre-Social Work specialization and Pre-Social Work major are designed for students who plan to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University and major in social work. The specialization and major were developed in collaboration with VCU, and an articulation agreement exists for eligible students who transfer to VCU. Students who pursue a different degree program at VCU will be subject to a reevaluation of transferable credits for their elected course of study. Students interested in this specialization should meet with the Pre-Social Work Department Chair at Reynolds and are required to do so during their first semester of study.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: Students from the Science AS degree transfer into a wide variety of majors at senior institutions including, but not limited to, the following:
- anthropology
- pre-law
- history
- social work
- economics
- government/political science
- mass communications
- sociology
- psychology
- speech-language pathology
- education/Deaf studies
- ASL: interpretation/linguistics
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission.
PROGRAM NOTES: The following high school units are strongly recommended: three units of college preparatory mathematics and two years of a foreign language.
COMPUTER COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT:Students in the Social Sciences AS degree will meet the college’s computer competency requirement by successfully completing ITE 152. Students can also meet this requirement by passing the college’s computer competency exam, administered in the testing centers on each campus, in which case they will receive college credit for ITE 152. Students not passing the computer competency exam may retake the exam only once.
PRE-SOCIAL WORK ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH VCU: The VCU School of Social Work guarantees admission into its BSW program with junior standing to eligible students who have completed requirements for the Pre-Social Work specialization for the A.S. in Social Science at Reynolds. Eligible students are those who meet the following criteria:
- Earn an Associate of Science degree in Social Sciences at Reynolds;
- Earn a minimum cumulative college-level grade point of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale;
- Earn an individual grade no lower than a B in HMS 100 Introduction to Social Services and HMS 121 Basic Counseling Skills I; and
- Earn an individual grade no lower than a C in all other courses listed for the Pre-Social Work specialization.
Students who intend to transfer to VCU under the terms of the Articulation Agreement must complete an online Letter of Interest after completing 15 credits at Reynolds. Students must meet with the Department Chair, ideally early in their progress toward the specialization to discuss specifics regarding this A.S. Social Science degree specialization, and completion and submission of the letter of interest.
