Course Descriptions
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program

201 Introduction to Social Work

This course introduces students to the profession of social work and to seamless social work practice: Social workers must be able to see the connection between social issues and individual problems and then to move from individual problems to helping efforts involving larger systems (and vice-versa).

340 The Personal, Cultural, and Social Influences on Helping

This course explores approaches to and activities of helping in various cultures and societies. The significance of both giving and receiving help is examined. The values associated with varying helping methods as well as their strengths and limitations are explored. Seeing problems from multiple points of view and being able to help at individual, group, and community levels is stressed.

352 Social Welfare Policy

The policy course introduces students to society's organized public responses to social problems. In addition, content on policy formulation, implementation, analysis, and change reinforces and provides the context for seamless practice.

361 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I

Seamless social work practice requires that students have a theory base that allows them to understand the connections among human behavior and the various social systems in which persons are embedded. This course introduces the Ecological Perspective as a useful metaphor for understanding those connections necessary for seamless social work practice. The course then examines the various contexts for human behavior: 1.) society, culture, community, and the physical environment; 2.) complex organizations; 3.) schools and work sites; 4.) small groups; and 5.) families. Finally, this course will examine the place of genetics and biology in the ecological perspective.

362 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II

This is the second in a series of two courses designed to provide theoretical knowledge, constructs, and insights on human behavior in the social environment necessary for seamless social work practice. Building on Human Behavior in The Social Environment I (HBSE I), this course takes a life-course model of psycho-socio-cultural development of individuals and families within the contexts examined in the previous HBSE course (i.e., society, culture, community, and the physical environment; complex organizations; schools and work sites; and small groups). Special attention is given to the role of cultural differences arising from ethnicity, religion, and class; differences in female and male socialization; variations in sexual orientation; the influence of disability; and the effects of powerlessness and oppression on development.

376 Practice I

Practice I is taken in the spring of the junior year concurrently with a volunteer experience that should begin the previous semester. This course builds on the content in the "helping" course (SW341) and focuses more particularly on social work practice including the historical context of social work practice and the wide spectrum of settings in which services are provided. Students are acquainted with the roles, methods, and skills of seamless social work practice. In addition, beginning skill development occurs as the helping process is introduced.

471 Practice II

Practice II is taken in the fall of the senior year and is taken concurrently with a yearlong field practicum. Building on the content covered in the "helping" course (SW340) and in Practice I, this course teaches the knowledge and skills specific to seamless social work, namely moving from work with individuals on their own behalf, to work with individuals and others on their own behalf (e.g., family and group work), and finally on to work with others in behalf of the client (e.g., advocacy, brokering, consultation). Students examine the phases of the helping process starting with the initial phases and assessment.

472 Practice III

Building on Practice I, Practice II, and the field work experience, this course continues to examine the helping process with a focus on helping clients and constituents with interpersonal stressors and environmental obstacles. Beginning with assessment, students learn how their problem definitions lead to varying opportunities and levels of providing help. Students deepen their knowledge of seamless social work practice concepts and skills for providing service to individuals, families, groups, and communities, focusing on helping within the areas of interpersonal stressors and environmental obstacles. Students learn to move from work with individual cases (e.g., case management) to class-based work (e.g., program planning and/or community organizing) while helping with interpersonal stressors and environmental obstacles. In addition, applying the practice concepts and skills to work with different populations is addressed. This course is taken simultaneously with Practice IV and reinforces and builds upon content addressed in concert between the two courses.

476 Social Work Practice IV

Building on Practice I, Practice II, and the field work experience, this course continues to examine the helping process with a focus on helping clients and constituents with stressful life transitions and traumatic events. In addition, this course examines termination as the final phase of the helping process. Beginning with assessment, students learn how their problem definitions lead to varying opportunities and levels of providing help. Students deepen their knowledge of seamless social work practice concepts and skills for providing service to individuals, families, groups, and communities, focusing on helping within the areas of life transitions and traumatic events. Students learn to move from work with individual cases (e.g., case management) to class-based work (e.g., program planning and/or community organizing) while helping with life transitions and traumatic events. In addition, applying the practice concepts and skills to work with different populations are addressed. This course is taken in conjunction with Practice III and reinforces and builds upon content addressed in concert between the two courses.

481 Social Work Research

Students are introduced to the value of research in providing seamless social work services. Students are introduced to: the skills of documenting the occurrence of individual problems that occur to numerous persons on a caseload, in an agency, or a community; what social indicators are and how to find them; how to get data and why data collection is necessary; how to run focus groups; how to use data in program planning and program evaluation; which statistics are important; and the importance and use of qualitative and quantitative research.

491 Field Education I

Field Education I is a supervised, educational experience, taken in the fall semester of the senior year, wherein the student integrates knowledge gained in course work with real-life client situations in an agency setting. Students are assigned a placement in a community agency where they provide services to individuals, families, groups, and communities in social work practice environments under professional supervision. The completion of Field Education I (240 hours) and Field Education II (240 hours) result in fulfillment of the required minimum of 480 hours.

492 Field Education II

Field Education II is a senior year, spring semester continuation of Field Education I. The student continues the work with individuals, families, groups, and communities begun the previous semester. The completion of Field Education I (240 hours) and Field Education II (240 hours) fulfill the required minimum of 480 hours.

Electives

425 Community Organization

This course emphasizes definitions and utilizations of power as it relates to the history, philosophy, and practice of community organization. Students learn to charter an organization; to locate and utilize local bases of power; plan and run meetings, using Robert's Rules of Order; and plan and utilize strategies for bringing about change. Pre- or co-requisite: Practice II

455 Ethnic Sensitive Social Work Practice

This course helps students develop a culturally sensitive perspective for work with members of diverse cultural groups. It emphasizes the identification and utilization of different theoretical models of practice that can be effective in interventions with culturally diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities. Pre- or co-requisite: Practice II

458 Social Work with Women

This elective introduces students to the psychological and social development of women as a collective. Special problems faced by women (e.g., divorce, battering, depression, eating disorders) are discussed, and feminist interventions described. Pre- or co-requisite: Practice II

475 Social Work Practice with Refugees and Immigrants

This course is designed to examine the unique issues affecting refugee and immigrant populations. As a result, it provides a comprehensive perspective of social work practice – a perspective that entails the examination of multiple factors that affect refugees and immigrants at the micro, meso, and macro levels, and relevant practice approaches at each of those levels.