BSW Course Descriptions

This course provides an overview of the development of social welfare and social work practice in the United States and across the globe. The historical development of social welfare is related to the emergence and development of the social work profession. The course introduces social work knowledge, values, and skills. The Generalist Intervention Model with its planned change process is also introduced as an approach to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students are exposed to the breadth of the social work profession as well as its Code of Ethics. Required of all social work majors with a grade of C or better. Prerequisite: None. 3 s.h. 3 s.h.

This course defines poverty and examines groups in poverty in the United States. It traces poverty in America from a historical perspective, reviews major social welfare programs designed to respond to poverty and examines their effectiveness. Special populations and groups at risk encountered by social workers in practice will be examined with an emphasis on viewing individual, family, and community functioning from a person and environment perspective. Major oppressive institutions and their effects on people in poverty are examined. Social work methods for social change to prevent, alleviate and resolve poverty are introduced. Required: SOWK majors must attain a grade of C or better in this course. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This course teaches students to evaluate and apply biological, psychological, and social theories to client's situation with a particular emphasis on the examination of the effects of the interplay of biological, psychological, social, economic and cultural elements of the social environment on human functioning. The impact of social and economic forces on the individual's behavior are presented. Systems promoting or deterring people in the attainment and maintenance of optimal health and well-being are explored with particular attention on the effects of these systems on ethnic and racial minorities, sexual minorities, women, and persons with disability. Required of all social work majors. A grade of C or better is required in this course. Prerequisites: SOWK 100, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare; SOWK 130, Poverty and Social Welfare; ANTH 010, Cultural Anthropology; ENGL 001, English Composition I; PHIL 015, Critical Thinking,; PSYC 011, General Psychology; PSYC 125, Life Span Development; SOCI 010, Principles of Sociology; BIOL 010, Biological Science; BIOL 140, Biology and Society; Or by permission of the instructor. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

The course builds upon and reinforces the foundation of generalist social work knowledge, social work values, ethics, attitudes, and skills introduced in the Introduction to Social Work course. Students study the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers and practice ethical decision-making. The course reinforces the skills necessary to implement the phases of the planned change model to social work practice with multi-level client systems (individuals, groups, families, communities, organizations). Students will be required to participate in a 20-hour volunteer field/laboratory experience on the program's established practicum days and must adjust their schedules accordingly. Prerequisites: Students must complete SOWK 160, Human Behavior and Social Environment and Social Work, and its prerequisites, or take it concurrently with SOWK 160, Human Behavior and Social Environment and Social Work, only with permission of the instructor. Open only to social work majors and minors. A grade of "C" or better is required of social work majors. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

The Social Work Practice with Individuals course starts a series of social work practice courses in which the skills of the planned change approach are practiced with multi‑level client systems (individual, groups, families, communities, and organizations). In this course, students practice relationship building, interviewing techniques, case recording and further develop these skills, which were reinforced in the Professional Context of Social Work Practice course. Attention to the evolution of social work practice from a historical and international perspective establishes the context for this introduction to practice with individuals in the agency setting. Students will be expected to participate in a laboratory experience involving a helping relationship project. Knowledge and skills relevant to engaging diversity in practice and advancing human rights and social justice will be emphasized. Issues of ethical problem-solving, evidence-based practice and professional identity will be integrated throughout the course. Required of all social work majors; open to majors only. A grade of "C" or better is required in this course. Prerequisite: SOWK 200, The Professional Context of Social Work Practice. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

The course defines social welfare policy in the context of social policy and examines its philosophical and historical roots. The policy-making process is examined and the major actors associated with it are identified. A significant part of the course will be spent in the study of major welfare policies and the groups affected by them. Strategies and involvement of people for policy change are examined. A grade of "C" or better is required of social work majors in this course. Prerequisites: SOWK 100, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare, POLI 010, ECON 011 (which could be taken concurrently) and SOWK 130, Poverty and Social Welfare, or permission of instructor. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This course is the second in the series of social work practice courses in which the skills of the planned change approach are practiced with multi‑level client systems (individual, groups, families, communities, organizations). The course focuses on concepts, methods, and skills in social work practice with groups and families. Family development and dynamics will be studied and social work intervention techniques with emphasis on planned change will be examined. Through class discussions, exercises and group projects, students will apply their understanding of group dynamics and family assessment and demonstrate social work practice skills with groups and families. A grade of "C" or better is required in this course. Required of all social work majors. Prerequisite: SOWK 250. 3 s.h., 3 c.h.

This is the third course in a series of social work practice courses. This course reinforces and applies social work knowledge, values, and skills using the planned change approach and focuses on intervention strategies with communities and organizations. Students practice generalist social work within a systems theory framework. A policy practice emphasis is applied for advocacy and change strategies with agencies and communities. Particular attention will be given to strategies of change with disenfranchised and minority populations. Open to majors only. A grade of "C" or better in this course is required to enter SOWK 381, Field Instruction in Social Work I, and SOWK 382, Professional Seminar in Social Work I. Prerequisite: SOWK 265, Social Work Practice with Groups and Families: Practice II. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This course reviews the classic social and behavioral research process and develops skills in formulating research problems and questions, conducting a comprehensive literature review, establishing hypotheses and choosing research designs. Data collection instruments, analysis techniques, and report writing are emphasized. Ethical and moral issues which arise when dealing with human subjects, as well as sensitivity to cultural diversity of research participants are included. Emphasis is placed on social work practice evaluation techniques, including single-subject as well as experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Computers and information technology for social work practice are introduced. This course must be taken concurrently with SOWK 382, Professional Seminar in Social Work I, or with permission of the instructor. Prerequisites: MATH 025, and either PSYC/SOCI/POLI 200 or MATH 140 or permission of instructor. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This is the first of two semesters (total 480 hours) of field instruction in social welfare agency settings which are required under the supervision of a professional social worker. Students apply foundation knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of professional generalist practice. Through supervision, students enhance their awareness of self, develop written and oral communication skills necessary for the analysis of professional practice, and apply critical analytic skills for implementing and evaluating agency policies and programs. Students operationalize the unique values, functions, and roles of professional social work practice and develop competency in identifying and assessing situations where the relationship of people and their social environment needs to be enhanced or changed. The professional responsibility of advocacy toward change and recognition of the impact of policy and programs on oppressed groups is an integral part of the applied learning. A grade of "C" or better is required in this course to enter SOWK 383, Social Work Field Instruction II. Must be taken concurrently with SOWK 382, Professional Seminar in Social Work I. Offered in fall only. Open only to majors. Required of all majors. Prerequisites: SOWK 250, Social Work Practice with Individuals: Practice I, and its prerequisites. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This is the first of two semesters of Professional Seminar in Social Work which are required. The seminars complement the Field Instruction and provide a structured learning opportunity where students process their practice experiences and integrate the common base of social work values, skills, and knowledge of generalist social work in a systems theory perspective. The seminars also assist students to expand their knowledge of the human services field beyond the confines of their own placement. Topics and policies of social work and social welfare are discussed, based in large part, on the experiences of students in the field through written logs, client summaries, and classroom discussions of experiences including feelings about their social work practice. Must be taken with SOWK 381, Field Instruction in Social Work I. A grade of "C" or better is required in this course to enter SOWK 384, Professional Seminar in Social Work II. Offered in Spring only. Open to majors only. Required of all majors. Prerequisite: SOWK 280, Social Work Practice with Communities and Organizations: Practice III, and its prerequisites. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This is the second semester of field instruction (a total of 480 hours) in social welfare agency settings which is required under the supervision of a professional social worker. Students apply foundation knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of professional generalist practice. Through supervision, students enhance their awareness of self, develop written and oral communication skills necessary for analysis of professional practice, and apply critical analytic skills for implementing and evaluating agency policies and programs. Students operationalize the unique values, functions, and roles of professional social work practice and develop competency in identifying and assessing situations where the relationship of people and their social environment needs to be enhanced or changed. The professional responsibility of advocacy toward change and recognition of the impact of policy and programs on oppressed groups is an integral part of the applied learning. An agency-based research project is required in this semester of fieldwork. Must be taken concurrently with SOWK 384, Professional Seminar in Social Work II. Offered in Spring only. Open only to majors. Required of all majors. A grade of C or better is required in this course. Prerequisites: SOWK 381, Field Instruction in Social Work I, and SOWK 382, Professional Seminar in Social Work I. 3. S.h. 3 c.h.

This is the second of two required semesters of Professional Seminar in Social Work. The seminars complement the Field Instruction and provide a structured learning opportunity where students process their practice experiences and integrate the common base of social work values, skills, and knowledge of generalist social work in a systems theory perspective. The seminars also assist students to expand their knowledge of the human services field beyond the confines of their own placement. Topics and policies of social work and social welfare are discussed, based in large part, on the experiences of students in the field through written logs, client summaries, and classroom discussions of experiences including feelings about their social work practice. An agency-based research paper is required. Must be taken with SOWK 383, Field Instruction in Social Work II. Offered in Spring only. Open to majors only. Required of all majors. A grade of C or better is required in this course. Prerequisites: SOWK 381, Field Instruction in Social Work I, and SOWK 382, Professional Seminar in Social Work I. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This is a course for social work majors and minors who wish to practice skills as they are carried out in professional social work practice. Students will engage in problem-based learning, a cooperative learning experience in which the skills introduced in our social work sequence up to SOWK200, Professional Context of Practice, will be reinforced and practiced as students follow a case study from engagement and assessment to termination and evaluation. These skills will include developing empathy, creating professional relationships, active listening, strength-based assessment, self-assessment, policy analysis and advocacy, social work record keeping, practice evaluation, and the use of supervision in practice. This is a course in which students develop an appreciation for life-long learning by engaging actively in a real social work case study, which provides the vehicle for the hands-on practice of course material. The course will count as an elective in the social work program. Prerequisite: SOWK200 and its prerequisites or permission of the instructor. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This survey course provides students with an introduction to substance abuse. The students will explore the current understanding of the prevention of substance abuse/dependence; components of comprehensive substance abuse treatment programs, populations at risk and evidence-based practice. The person-in-environment perspective will be used as an overarching framework for the assessment, delivery, and evaluation of services. In addition, students will be introduced to the professional literature available for lifelong learning. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This course is aimed at analyzing the process of aging from a sociological perspective and studying the resources that our society provides for the over‑sixty population through social welfare measures. There will be double pronged emphasis: one placed upon various social problems confronting them in American society; the second emphasis will be on the array of social welfare services available, the social policies implicit in the provision of such services, and the social work practices that enable older persons and their families to secure such services. Prerequisite: SOCI 010, Principles of Sociology, or SOWK 100, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare. Prerequisite for social work majors: SOWK 250, Social Work Practice with Individuals: Practice I. A grade of "C" or better is required of social work majors. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

The course will cover principles, theory, and the historical development of case management as an interdisciplinary method of delivering health and human services. Emphasis will be placed on the development of skill in implementing the phases of this method of practice (assessment, goal setting, case planning, monitoring progress, and termination and evaluation). Appropriate groups of client populations will be identified and issues related to their unique needs in relation to their social environment will be examined. Required: a grade of "C" or better for social work majors. Prerequisites: SOWK 250, Social Work Practice with Individuals: Practice I or by permission of the instructor. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This course is the second course in case management and is focused on the professional context of case management including behaviors and functioning of the case manager.  Organizational and social policy context of case management are examined both at national and international levels.  The course examines the case manager's use of self in exercising professional roles, duties, activities, and interactions with people served.   The course covers the role of professional values that are necessary to practice case management across fields, disciplines, and clientele.  Various professional codes of ethics will be examined and ethical decision-making techniques will be learned.  Issues related to personal safety, conflict resolution, legal issues and documentation of services will be considered.  Professional case management societies domestically and abroad will be studied with attention to cross-national comparisons of best practice models. Prerequisites:  SOWK 320 or concurrently with SOWK 320. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This course explores the socio-cultural, physiological, and psychological variables associated with human sexual expression, identity, orientation, and behavior. Attention will also focus on clinical issues most often presented in social work practice and women and gender studies by individuals and couples, e.g., desire discrepancy in couples and affairs outside a committed relationship. Specific sexual dysfunctions identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) will be explored in terms of their etiology and the current treatment models used to address them. The field of Sex Therapy, past and present, will be discussed as well as the evidence-based practices for treatment. This course is not designed to create sex therapists but to help social workers feel more comfortable dealing with the sexual concerns of their clients. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.

This course introduces the student to the field of Child Welfare and examines both social policy and social work practice concerns. Emphasis will be placed on child protective services, foster care, and adoption. Developmental issues, as well as natural and foster family functioning, will be studied. Special social work intervention strategies such as foster and adoptive family assessment, abuse assessment, and child advocacy will be learned. A grade of "C" or better is required of social work majors. Prerequisites: SOWK 250, Social Work Practice with Individuals, Practice I, or by permission of the instructor. 3 s.h. 3 c.h.