Course Descriptions

A variable-content course in social work that is designed for a specific class level: freshman (100) through senior (400). A study and discussion of the characteristics and problems of a specific group, such as the aged, the addicted, the mentally retarded, or the handicapped; school-related problems; or the broad study of human services in mental health. Topic to be covered is announced in advance of registration. Offered as needed.

An introductory study of major areas of practice to provide understanding and appreciation of social work. The course includes a brief history and philosophy of social welfare and social institutions. The student is introduced to career opportunities within the field of social welfare. Offered annually.

Descriptive and inferential methods of statistical analysis emphasizing measures of central tendency, measures of variability, frequency distributions, correlation, and parametric and nonparametric tests of statistical significance. Inferential techniques include z and t-tests for single samples, t-tests for independent and correlated samples, confidence intervals, ANOVA, Pearson r, Spearman r, and Chi Square.

This is the first of two required courses in human behavior in the social environment and is designed to prepare the student to understand human development across the life cycle, focusing on the inter-actions between and among systems (cultural, biological, social, psychological, and ethnic lifestyles) that impact human development. Offered fall semester.

A study of the theories and knowledge about the range of social systems in which individuals live; how human behavior affects and is affected by these systems; how these systems promote or deter human health and well-being; and introduction to theory evaluation and application to client situations. Offered spring semester.

A detailed examination of the techniques and methods of social research as they relate to sociological theory construction and to social work practice. The following themes are covered: hypothesis construction; formulating a research design; measurement; data collection methods; elementary and social statistical data analysis; and the ethics, politics, and uses of social research. Offered fall semester.

The first of two courses in the research methods sequence. This course covers techniques and methods of quantitative social research as they relate to sociological theory construction and social work practice: hypothesis testing, research design, measurement, quantitative data collection methods (surveys, experiments, and single subject design), statistical data analysis and ethics including development and submission of an IRB proposal. This course also covers descriptive and inferential methods of statistical analysis emphasizing measures of central tendency and dispersion, construction of graphs and tables, univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis including tests of statistical significance. Students will use SPSS to apply statistical techniques. Offered spring semester or spring term.

The second of two courses in the research methods sequence. This course covers techniques and methods of qualitative social research as they relate to sociological theory construction and social work practice: in-depth interviewing, observation, focus groups, unobtrusive research methods, and case studies. Also covered are review of the social science literature, conceptualization, sampling, ethical issues in qualitative research, analysis of qualitative data, reporting of research findings and program evaluation. This course requires the completion of a qualitative research project compliant with IRB requirements. Offered fall semester or term.

An interdisciplinary, historical, and cross-cultural study of marriage and the family with major emphasis given to an examination of public policy issues regarding U.S. family life. Offered spring semester.

A description of the major components of the social welfare system in the United States. This course includes the historical development and philosophy behind our present social welfare system and uses current social welfare programs as examples. Offered fall semester.

Designed for small groups of students to pursue in-depth a particular aspect of social work that is not covered or is treated lightly in regular course offerings. The course is taught in seminar fashion and meets for 36 contact hours. Offered as needed.

The course orients the student to the profession and introduces the student to generalist social work practice. Emphasis is placed on basic communication skills, the problem-solving method, and practice with individuals. Ethical decision making and issues of diversity in social work practice are included. Offered fall semester.

An examination of how individuals interact in interpersonal, work, and family situations. Furthermore, an examination of the effects of culture and social structure upon the behavior, thoughts, and identities of individuals, including a consideration of how the individual exists in society and how society exists in the individual. Offered fall semester in odd years.

This course builds on SWK 331: Methods of Social Work Practice I and emphasizes the problem-solving method of practice with small groups and families. It includes the relationship between micro and mezzo skills and continues an emphasis on ethical decision making and issues of diversity in social work practice. Offered spring semester.

This course is designed to introduce students to the field of social gerontology. This class will provide an overview on a variety of topics such as the demography of aging and the physical, emotional, cognitive, and psychosocial-spiritual aspects of aging. Students will increase their awareness of society's and their own stereotypes, prejudice, and/or discrimination of the elderly and learn how to promote dignity, self-determination, and social and economic justice for older persons. Health care and social policies, knowledge of the system(s) of aging services, and the role of both informal and formal support networks will be stressed as students learn to comprehensively assess older clients and develop intervention and evaluation plans.

This course is designed to provide knowledge and skills for working with diverse populations, focusing on economically disadvantaged and oppressed people, including ethnic minorities of color, women, people with disabilities, gay and lesbian people, and poor people. Students participate in community service for 20 hours to better understand the nature of diversity in society and learn the importance of providing service to the community. Offered annually.

This course builds on SWK 331 and SWK 333 (Methods of Social Work Practice I and II) and emphasizes social work practice with communities and organizations. It includes the relationship among micro, mezzo, and macro skills and continues the emphasis on ethical decision-making and issues of diversity in social work practice. Offered fall semester.

Supervised field placement giving students an opportunity to apply theory to practice by working with individuals, families, groups, and communities for a minimum of 400 hours. Placements are available in such settings as hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, nursing homes, and social welfare and juvenile facilities. May be repeated for credit up to a total of 12 credits. Course fee may apply. Offered spring semester. This is a pass/fail course.

This capstone course meets once a week for three hours. Through integrative assignments and seminar presentations, the student demonstrates ability to integrate theory with social work practice. Offered spring semester.

Intensive individual study in a particular aspect of social work that is not covered in regular course offerings. This enrichment option is limited to students who have demonstrated the potential to pursue independent scholarly activity beyond that which is expected in regular courses. Request for enrollment must be made prior to registration in the form of a written proposal. May be repeated for credit. Weekly meetings with faculty member. Offered as needed.

This course, the first of two required courses in human behavior in the social environment, is designed to prepare the student to understand human development across the life cycle, focusing on the interactions between and among systems (cultural, biological, social, psychological, and life-style) that make an impact on human development. This course will provide knowledge and an understanding of human development from conception across the lifespan. To illuminate this topic, an exploration of theories of change, and individual and family behavior as understood from a biopsychosocial and spiritual perspective is introduced. Theoretical explanations of development derive from the interactions of biological, psychological, and social sources, with special emphasis placed on systems theory.

A description of the major components of the social welfare system in the United States. This course includes the historical development and philosophy behind our present social welfare system and uses current social welfare programs as examples. This is a course designed to focus on the policy making process within the social welfare system. The primary emphasis of this course is on macro systems, not micro systems. The course will describe what social policy is and explore the various ideas, philosophies, beliefs, and attitudes that have led to the development of various social welfare programs in the United States. Recognizing the fundamental duty of the social work profession to promote social equity and justice, this course looks at the values that underlie various policy approaches and identifies policy shifts rooted in recurring tensions or controversies. Consequences of different policy approaches are examined in light of their impact on racial and ethnic minorities, gay men and lesbians, women, the poor, and persons with mental and/or physical challenges. The student will also look at international policy as a comparison.

This is the first required practice course in the graduate social work curriculum. Employing a generalist practice perspective, this course introduces students to social work values, knowledge, and skills essential for beginning social work practice with diverse populations. This course will introduce the student to generalist practice in social work, emphasizing the differences among micro, macro, and mezzo approaches. Building upon the liberal arts foundation courses, it is the first course in the social work practice sequence. Students will become familiar with the foundation of professional social work knowledge, values, and skills and will explore closely the ethical dilemmas inherent in social work practice. The NASW Code of Ethics will be used to study professional values. This course will examine systems theory, the ecological perspective, and the problem solving method in micro level practice. Students will begin to develop skills through the use of case presentation, role-play situations, video taping and feedback, and class discussions. Micro practice skills will be emphasized with particular attention given to the development of skills in working with ethnically, racially, and gender sensitive cases. This course will present practice content on people of color, women, children, the aged, disabled, and gay and lesbian persons. It will emphasize the impact of discrimination, economic deprivation, and oppression of these groups.

This course provides a detailed examination of the techniques and methods of social research as they relate to evaluation of social services and social work practice. The course is designed to introduce students to the scientific method of inquiry within the context of advanced generalist practice and research problems. Special attention will be given to applied research methodologies that will enhance the student's use of evidence-based social work knowledge and skills. The following topics are explored: hypothesis construction; formulating a research design; measurement; data collection methods; elementary and social statistical data analysis; and, the ethics, politics, and uses of social research. Students are introduced to the various ways in which these underpinnings are designed to aid in the development of the appropriate language, knowledge, and skills for the application of research methods associated with advanced generalist social work practice.

From a person-in-environment perspective, this course focuses on individual development over the life span; on the theories and knowledge about the range of social systems in which individuals live; how human behavior affects and is affected by these systems; how these systems promote or deter human health and well-being; and an introduction to critical thinking and an opportunity to apply its principles. In addition, this course covers issues of diversity, including practice issues with clients from differing social, cultural, racial, and class backgrounds; issues of social and economic justice and oppression; practice issues as they relate to clients belonging to populations at risk; and issues involved with systems of all sizes, including macro systems.

This course builds on SWK 530 in preparing students for a generalist approach to social work practice. This methods course is designed to provide students with an understanding of social work practice with groups using the classroom as a laboratory for developing group leadership skills. SWK 560 expands basic knowledge, values, ethics, and skills, with an emphasis on mezzo level problem solving. This course includes theories and techniques for planning, assessment, direct intervention, and advocacy with small groups and families. The strengths and problem solving methods of practice with small groups and families are emphasized. SWK 560 illustrates the relationship between micro and mezzo skills and continues an emphasis on ethical decision making and issues of diversity in social work practice. The goal of the course is to provide students with experiential learning opportunities for skill development in leading and becoming effective members in a variety of groups.

This course introduces macro practice concepts to the clinical social work student. The focus is on the exploration of leadership, administrative, planning, and community roles in social work practice. SWK 570 emphasizes the use of generalist skills in macro practice. The application of practice skills in problem identification and definition, assessment, data collection, planning, implementation, and evaluation are applied to macro intervention throughout the coursework. The course illustrates the relationship between, and the integration of, micro, mezzo, and macro skills, and continues the emphasis on ethical decision making and issues of diversity in social work practice. Various social work roles including that of advocate, activist, broker, and case manager will be explored.

The purpose of Field Practicum I is to give students the opportunity to apply theory to social work practice. The student will engage in implementing generalist social work practice skills. Students are expected to participate at their field agency placement two days a week (16 hours a week). A seminar will be offered in conjunction with the field practicum. It will facilitate the process of integrating social work knowledge, skills, values, and a liberal arts base into a set of practice competencies necessary for the performance of beginning social work practice. The seminar will meet two hours per week for sixteen weeks.

The purpose of Field Practicum II is to give students the opportunity to apply theory to social work practice. The student will engage in implementing generalist social work practice skills. Student are expected to participate at their field agency placement two days a week (16 hours a week). A seminar will be offered in conjunction with the field practicum. It will facilitate the process of integrating social work knowledge, skills, values, and a liberal arts base into a set of practice competencies necessary for the performance of beginning social work practice. The seminar will meet one hour per week for sixteen weeks.

The purpose of this course is to help students become more effective leaders and to better understand the demands of leadership. The student will learn leadership knowledge and skills required to succeed in the workplace. The course defines leadership as a process of influencing an organized group to accomplishing its goals. Major research findings will be presented that can give leaders insight about how to become more effective in analyzing and responding to situations. The course builds on macro content taught in social work courses and theories of individual and group behavior presented in foundation courses on human behavior in the social environment.

This course builds upon the comprehensive understanding of the interactions of human behavior and the social environment explored in foundation practice courses. SWK 615 is designed to facilitate competent practice in the planned change process with greater depth and breadth and specificity for generalist social work practice. It provides increased knowledge and skills for the integration of values and ethics that will enable students to practice using an ecological perspective at the advanced level. Evidence-based practice is emphasized in the application of theory and the evaluation of practice.

This course will examine a number of conceptual frameworks and advanced clinical theories and interventions to prepare students to analyze, assess, and intervene with individuals, couples, families,groups, and organizations in the workplace setting. Students will receive historical, theoretical, andclinical information sufficient to work with individuals, couples, families, groups, and organizations.

This course builds upon the basic concepts and methods of scientific inquiry used to facilitate knowledge and evaluate practice. The following topics are explored: single case designs, needs assessment, program evaluation, and application of evaluation methods results to social work practice in both clinical and managerial settings.

This course examines the theories and applications of supervision in organizations through the framework of the social work profession's approach to supervision. Students will be taught supervisory processes and skills to apply to issues that arise between supervisors and supervisees. Analysis of social service agency administration will be examined and compared with other types of organizations' administration.

This course is an advanced practice class that is required in both the advanced clinical practice and management concentrations. The course provides an overview of mental health assessment and diagnostic tools, including the Diagnostic Statistical Manual diagnostic criteria, and examines treatment strategies and techniques. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the social environment, cultural influences, and emotional and mental health.

This course links theory and practice in consideration and application of the major models of family therapy. Family and couples issues of gender, ethnicity, empowerment, and multiculturalism are explored, as are intervention strategies in correcting maladaptive couple and family interactive patterns. The course illustrates the relationship between, and the integration of, micro and mezzo, with an emphasis on ethical decision making and issues of diversity in social work practice.

This course provides and intensive examination of practice issues related to strengths based, empowerment-oriented social work practice with older adults and their families. Students gain an understanding of developmental issues of adulthood and late life, as well as the application of empirically-supported assessment and interventions in real life situations. Students will apply a cultural competent approach by gaining an increased understanding of the needs, strengths and sociocultural diversity of older adults and their caregivers and applying culturally competent assessments, interventions, and evaluations.

This course provides a comprehensive and in-depth examination of the practice of military social work. This course provides a historical context and a thorough review of the specific practice of social work with the branches of the U.S. military. The course examines the unique culture of the military community and the issues facing military service members and their families.

This course builds upon the basic concepts and methods of scientific inquiry used to facilitate knowledge and evaluate practice. The following topics are explored: single case designs, needs assessment, program evaluation, and application of evaluation methods results to social work practice in both clinical and managerial settings.

The purpose of Field Practicum III is to give the student the opportunity to implement advanced social work practice theory and skills in either the advanced clinical practice concentration or the management concentration. The student is expected to participate at their field agency placement two days a week (16 hours a week). The student is expected to carry a caseload of 3-5 cases in order to implement interventions integrating advanced theories and interventions on all levels: micro, mezzo, and macro. Students will be prepared for autonomous advanced social work practice. A seminar will be offered in conjunction with the field practicum. It will facilitate the process of integrating social work knowledge, skills, values, and a liberal arts base into a set of practice competencies necessary for the performance of advanced social work practice. The seminar will meet one hour per week for sixteen weeks.

This course provides an in-depth examination into the impacts of deployments on military members and their families. It includes a comprehensive review of new and emerging evidence-based individual, family, and community interventions designed to help military members and their families recover and adapt to these deployments. Students will obtain a thorough understanding of combat-related Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), Secondary PTSD, along with suicidality, substance abuse, and domestic violence among these members and their families. This course will enable graduate students to understand the prevalence, severity, impacts, and treatments of these conditions and problems. Students will be able to apply material from this course to their future clinical practice with active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired, and separated military members and their families. They will be equipped for entry-level social work within on-post/base mental health and social service clinics/hospitals, Veteran’s Affairs clinics/hospitals, community social service/mental health agencies, and private practice clinics.

This course focuses on the development of innovative managerial practices that value and promote diversity in the workplace in a global economy for social workers working in for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Effective management practices that address the needs of employees who are adapting to complex economic and social environments are essential for a workplace to minimize and avoid potential problems such as group conflicts, discrimination, and even violence in the workplace. Building on content learned in foundation courses in social policy, human behavior theories, and practice on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels, this course will examine the inclusion and exclusion experiences of people from diverse communities using social psychological theories to provide social workers with the skills to assist organizations in developing productive environments within the organizations and within their larger communities.

This is an elective course which is available to M.S.W. students who have completed the foundation curriculum. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the assessment and treatment of persons with substance-related disorders. Attention is directed to the pharmacology and etiology of substance abuse and dependence, assessment tools and processes, and treatment options. Other topics explored in the course will include family dynamics, adult children of alcoholics, co-occurring disorders, and populations at risk of substance-related disorders.

This course will implement the strengths perspective in the assessment and treatment of addiction. Students will be expected to examine their own values, beliefs and behaviors in response to clients labeled as “addicts”. Students will have the opportunity to explore how their values and beliefs about addiction can facilitate or limit their ability to do effective social work practice with people involved in addictions. Students should leave this course with a better understanding of themselves and of those affected by addictions.

The purpose of Field Practicum IV is to give the student the opportunity in implementing advanced social work practice theory and skills in either the advanced clinical practice concentration or the management concentration. The student is expected to participate at their field agency placement two days a week (16 hours a week). The student is expected to carry a caseload of 3-5 cases in order to implement interventions integrating advanced theories and interventions on all levels: micro, mezzo, and macro. Students will be prepared for autonomous advanced social work practice. A seminar will be offered in conjunction with the field practicum. It will facilitate the process of integrating social work knowledge, skills, values, and a liberal arts base into a set of practice competencies necessary for the performance of advanced social work practice. The seminar will meet one hour per week for sixteen weeks.