Department of Social Work

This course provides students with beginning practical experience in social work career options, the professional identity of a social worker, and will explore community social service agencies. Students will come to understand the various roles, functions, and tasks social workers perform by hearing from a variety of guest speakers from local social service agencies. The class emphasizes the Social Work Mission, NASW Code of Ethics, and social worker roles within agencies. Class meetings are used to discuss observation experiences and professional issues and to integrate learning.

This course is designed to introduce students to the historical development of professional social work. In addition, it provides an overview of contemporary social work practice, the need for social services in a modern society, an understanding of populations at risk, and social and economic justice.

This course examines the social, psychological, and institutional implications of race and culture as dynamic forces influencing human service delivery. This course will familiarize students with a theoretical overview of race and racism, historical and current manifestations of racism, racial identity formation, fundamentals of cultural competence, and effective strategies for promoting anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice.

This course examines the policies, programs, issues, and problems that social service workers confront. Students develop critical and analytical skill in examining our present policies and in considering possible alternatives.

This course provides the foundation for generalist social work practice and is the first in a four-course intervention methods sequence for social work majors. It introduces students to the conceptual framework of generalist practice, emphasizing that the choice of intervention methods must be responsive to the needs and preferences of client systems, as well as the competencies of the social worker.

Students are introduced to core micro, mezzo, and macro practice skills, with a strong focus on developing professional identity, ethical awareness, and self-reflection. Through case analysis, interactive exercises, and classroom discussion, students begin to operationalize key social work values and competencies, including relationship-building, interviewing, and planned change processes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

The course also explores the unique features of the social work profession by examining how research, policy, history, and theoretical paradigms shape practice. As part of social work education's signature pedagogy, students engage in an introductory field experience consisting of 100 supervised hours at an approved agency. This internship prepares students for their senior field placement and corresponding seminars (SWK 445 and SWK 446).

This course is focused on the ethical principles that are central to professional social work practice. Students will engage with the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, explore ethical decision-making models, and consider how personal values influence professional behavior. The course emphasizes navigating complex issues such as confidentiality, professional boundaries, cultural competence, and social justice. Through case studies and class discussions, students will strengthen their critical thinking skills and learn to apply decision-making models to make sound, ethical decisions across a variety of practice settings.

This foundational social work course provides a comprehensive exploration of human growth and development from conception through late adulthood and death. Utilizing a lifespan perspective, the course examines the biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual factors which shape individuals and families across various life stages. Students will critically analyze developmental theories, with special attention paid to the impact of diversity, oppression, trauma, and resilience on human development. Utilizing lectures, discussions, case studies, experiential activities, and assignments, students will gain an understanding of how healthy/unhealthy development impacts all levels of social work practice (micro, mezzo, macro). The course emphasizes how to use this knowledge in the application of culturally responsive assessment skills.

This course examines the role and the systematic process of research in the social work profession; includes a review of relevant research in the field and instructs students in the evaluation of their own practice of social work. Students will learn the basic knowledge, values, and skills of social science research to conduct research work appropriate to the social work profession at the basic level. Specific topics include: the nature of social science research, the social context of research, issues related to problem formulation and measurement, the logic of research design, quantitative and qualitative modes of observation, and data analysis. By the semester's end, students will demonstrate the integration of course knowledge, values, and skills by designing and reporting on a research project of their choice. (With guidance from the professor)

The course continues the development of the general skills required to intervene on an advanced level. The integration of theory and practice in working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and institutions. Open to social work majors only.

This seminar is designed for the senior social work student and is a synthesis of the practical work performed in the student's field placement in the community and classroom work aimed at developing practice competencies, growing the student's understanding of agencies as complex systems, and developing the student's sense of professional identity and self-awareness. This is achieved within the generalist perspective framework through in-depth discussion and activities related to the tasks which typically arise in first-semester social work field placement such as: beginning intervention work with clients; understanding the field agency; identifying strengths and problems; performing social policy needs analysis; developing communication skills; considering personal safety issues while in the field; understanding values and ethics; and utilizing supervision effectively. In addition, students begin to work on a practice-based research project aimed at teaching the importance of using research to evaluate services and practice. This course includes 425 hours of practical experience in a social work setting and a weekly one-hour seminar to integrate theory and practice. Students will gain knowledge through reflective discussion and experiential learning.

This is an advanced social work course for the senior social work student in field placement. Students in this seminar should have completed the majority of departmental requirements, including SWK-344, SWK-345, SWK-401, SWK-445. This course includes a weekly 16-hour placement in a community setting and a 90-minute seminar. Students learn to integrate theory and practice through reflective discussion and experiential learning.

This course develops the general skills required to intervene on the advanced level, stressing the integration of theory and practice. The course covers interactional models of practice in the context of social work with groups, the group as a mutual aid system, and principles of group formation with the beginning phase of group work practice. These topics are presented within the context of social work with families, focusing on family counseling, and family support functions.

This course provides the student with an understanding and appreciation of macro social work practice with organizations and communities. Students will learn the social worker's role and responsibility in solving problems and promoting change in the communities and organizations. A broad range of topics will be covered, including community organization, advocacy, policy analysis, supervision/administration, and grant writing.

This course focuses on the integration of theory and practice and provides the student with the opportunity to select and explore, with the aid of the instructor, special topics that supplement, correlate, and synthesize the content presented throughout the sequence. As the capstone course this seminar combines the in-class review of social work course material with practical opportunities to participate in community events while operationalizing recently learned social work skills and competencies. Students examine their own professional identity and mastery of social work knowledge, values and skills through advanced level readings, in depth discussion, creative expression, and class presentations, culminating with the Social Work Senior Project.