Carlow service and social work graduates are different than other college graduates. They enter the workforce with a sense of their own purpose in the world, a compassionate regard for others and a devotion to mercy and justice, no matter their field.
Our social work programs and community service fields seek practical ways of addressing unmet needs, unjust structures and dehumanizing situations. We believe in meeting people where they are and finding ways to meaningfully engage, not with sympathy, but with empathy - all because this is yet another way to develop a whole person that is striding confidently towards the goal of creating a more just and merciful world.
Carlow service and social work graduates are different than other college graduates. They enter the workforce with a sense of their own purpose in the world, a compassionate regard for others and a devotion to mercy and justice. They know how to address unmet needs, unjust structures and dehumanizing situations in practical ways. And they graduate as whole, empathetic humans, confidently working to create a more just and merciful world.
How do we create ethical leaders? Through example, study, and field experience. Carlow student field placements are based on students’ passions and prioritized, because in order to make systems-level change in child and family services, healthcare, social justice, homelessness, government, LGBTQ+ issues, mental health, schools, and more, we need to take seriously your preparation and learning to do the real work in communities.
“The most transformative work you can do is to give a people close access to clean water. This gives women, especially, time and health. Instead of spending all day walking to get water, now they can focus on education, on their families, on other work. We went to Oukot, Uganda and did a little bit—drilled a well—and the community used that resource to create a living experience and environment that was better, for everyone.” -Susan O'Rourke, PhD, Director of the Center for Global Engagement — If you want to be relevant, Carlow’s study abroad opportunities provide pathways to create real, sustainable change in the world.
Do you know Mental Health First Aid? Carlow graduates do. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the next 5 years it will be needed more than ever and employment of mental health professionals will grow by 25%. Crisis trauma is a crucial lens through which to provide service, understanding the whole host of circumstances that contribute why people are struggling.
Carlow offers a complete immersion in wholistic child development, from birth to 12. With the Campus Lab School, 50% of all practicum and field work takes place steps away from your dorm, and there’s an unparalleled richness of diversity of experiences here: you can learn Reggio methods in morning preschool, then move to an elementary classroom and learn about reading, then work in dyslexia program in extended day - all without ever leaving campus.
Since 2020, rates of depression and anxiety have soared in K-12 children, and schools are drastically understaffed to provide mental health supports. That’s where you come in. With an MS in Professional Counseling, you can break down barriers to connect children with the services they need, in real time. Like at the newly created Carlow Counseling Clinic at Woodland Hills, where our students make a difference for struggling neighborhood kids, reducing stigma, and eliminating financial, transportation, and insurance barriers to mental health care.
“The Purple Door is a food pantry that focuses on more than just food, it offers human dignity. Volunteering here I can live out the Carlow values of mercy and hospitality. Students and community members come to us and share their stories. They are grateful for the freedom to choose the items that fit their needs - extra milk for grandkids, or microwavable dinners for students - like “shopping with no money” they say! And I am excited to bring this concept back to my community in Vietnam to better serve the poor.” —Sister Thuan Bui, Daughter of Our Lady of the Visitation and MSW student