“Exploring My Motivations for Pursuing Professional Social Work Education”

To complete this assignment, students will:
1. Construct a cover page with your name, course title, the title of the assignment, instructor’s name, and date submitted.
2. Write a 2‐3 page, 1 ½ or double spaced, typed essay discussing your reasons for seeking professional social work education. The statement should examine your beliefs about social welfare values and the social work profession, and the qualifications needed for social work education and professional practice. Your paper should be written and organized around the following subheadings and questions:
a. Introduction: Briefly summarize (1 paragraph) what this essay is about.
b. Life Experience: How do your life experiences influence your potential for success in social work education (or, if you are not a social work major, your success in your chosen field of study)?
c. Career Plans: How will you use your social work education after graduation? (If you are not a social work major, discuss how this social work class will help you in your education at Wayne State)
d. Personal Strengths and Challenges: In choosing the social work profession (or, for non-social work majors, in choosing to take this course), how do you see your values, strengths, and weaknesses reflected in:
i. Your concern for social problems;
ii. Your relationships;
iii. Capacity to be self‐critical;
iv. Your attitudes toward people different from you in race, religion, and culture;
v. Your attitudes toward ideas and perspectives different from your own;
vi. Your ability to work under pressure.
e. Strategies for Success: What strategies will you utilize in order to meet the rigors and challenges of being a student in the Social Work program at Wayne State University? (If you are not a social work major, discuss how you intend to meet the rigors and challenges of your academic pathway at Wayne State).
f. Leadership and Service: Part of the mission of the School of Social Work is to provide innovative leadership and service to the urban community and the profession. How do you plan to use your social work education to do this? (If you are not a social work major, discuss how you see yourself contributing to your community and your chosen profession after graduation.)
g. Conclusion: Briefly summarize your key points, including what you learned by writing this essay.
Criteria for Success. Success in this assignment will depend primarily on the extent and level of personal insight and thoughtfulness in addressing the different required elements, as well as the quality of the writing, coherence, and overall organization and flow of the essay.