SOWK - Social Work

Prerequisite: None. Participation in 40 hours of volunteer service is required to reinforce the course material. An introduction to the profession of social work. Includes an overview of the history of the profession, the social welfare system, professional values and ethics, the helping process, and areas of practice. Emphasis is on awareness of human diversity and the importance of examining one’s own values and attitudes. Includes 40 hours volunteer work in a local human services agency.

An overview of public and private human service organizations that serve children and families. Social policies that affect the welfare of children, and the values upon which these policies are based, will be explored from an historical perspective.

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOWK 201. An examination of major theories and research about the causes of juvenile delinquency and various approaches to its control, prevention, and treatment: juvenile court, correctional agencies, community-based programs, and strategies for working with delinquent and at-risk youth.

Offered at the discretion of the department. An opportunity for groups of eight or more students to study topics suggested by their special interests and those of the faculty and not included in the regular offerings.

Prerequisites: SOWK 201 and junior standing, or permission of the instructor. An exploration of the fundamental concepts for analyzing public social welfare policy. The major public social welfare programs will be reviewed and analyzed. Perspectives on poverty in America will also be discussed.

Prerequisites: SOC 101 and SOWK 201 or permission of the instructor. An introduction to working with individuals, families, groups and organizations that are, or have been, involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems in the United States. Focus is on how social workers and others in the helping professions can bring about positive change through advocacy, empowerment, and therapeutic interventions for offenders and victims in various settings.

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOWK 201 or permission of the instructor. An examination of current social scientific research and theory about different forms of addiction such as alcohol and other drugs, gambling, pornography, sex, food, and the internet. Students gain both a sociological understanding of addiction in its different forms as well as familiarity with current programs, policies, and social work practice models for addressing the problem of addiction.

Prerequisite: SOWK 201. End of life issues including communication patterns, anticipatory grief, dying trajectories, and awareness contexts will be discussed. This class is designed for nursing and social work students who want to work with the seriously ill and their families.

Prerequisite: SOWK 201 or PSY 101 or NUR 201 or permission of the instructor. An overview of mental health and mental illness from a social work perspective, including the history of treatment, current evidence-based prevention and recovery approaches, and mental health policy. This course has a specific emphasis on the ways in which trauma, substance use, and social determinants impact mental health and are approached by social workers. This course is not intended to build skills in providing treatment; however, students will learn about the experience of treatment, including treatment planning, as well as ethical and cultural considerations.

Prerequisite: SOWK 201 or permission of the instructor. An introduction to the issues facing older adults and the policies and programs created to address them. This course exposes students who are interested in clinical practice or policy to a context in which to examine their interest. Includes field visits and involvement with senior services in addition to classroom instruction.

Prerequisite: SOWK 201 or permission of the instructor. A study of the family as a psychodynamic group system from a social work perspective. The purpose of this course is to give the student an understanding of the various social work intervention approaches used in helping families.

Prerequisite: SOWK 201 or permission of the instructor. An examination of social work methods of intervention, the role of the professional, and characteristics of clients in various social service settings, such as corrections, health, mental health, family violence, and education. This course may be repeated for credit so long as the fields covered are different.

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing, SOWK 345, or permission of the instructor. An introduction to and examination of the generalist practice skills necessary for work with individuals. Included are techniques for engaging the client, developing and implementing a treatment plan, working with diverse populations, and the value of research in practice. The student will have the opportunity to apply these skills in the subsequent field practice courses.

Prerequisite: SOWK 201 and junior or senior standing or permission of the instructor. An overview and assessment of theories of human behavior as they relate to the development of individuals from birth to old age. The focus is upon the interplay of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors as they affect and are affected by human behavior, and upon the social systems that influence and are affected by this development.

Prerequisites: SOWK 201. An analysis of human rights and social, economic and environmental justice and their intersection with the values, ethics, and practice of social work in a global context. Students learn and apply frameworks to specific practice areas relevant to the helping professions.

Prerequisites: SOWK 201, 6 additional credits in social work, and permission of the instructor. Reading and/or research in a selected field of social work will be required. Each student must submit a typed proposal to the independent study instructor prior to course registration.

An upper-level special topics course offered at the discretion of the department. The content and methods vary with the interest of students and faculty members

Prerequisite: Senior standing, SOC 260 and SOWK 342 and formal acceptance into the Social Work Program.  An examination of theories of planned change and techniques of intervention with families, groups, organizations, and communities. Models of practice in mezzo and macro systems will be explored and critically evaluated. Empowerment, anti-oppressive practice, and social justice are emphasized.

Prerequisites: SOC 260, SOWK 301, SOWK 342 and formal acceptance into the Social Work Program.  A supervised field practicum experience in a social service setting that emphasizes application of social work theories, methods, and techniques. Requires 250 hours of fieldwork and weekly seminar meetings each semester. Each semester-long course comprises a 4-credit practicum graded on a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory basis and a 2-credit letter-graded seminar.

Prerequisites: Senior standing, SOC 260, SOWK 301, SOWK 342 and formal acceptance into the Social Work Program. Two-credit letter-graded seminar.

Prerequisites: SOWK 445A and SOWK 445B. A supervised field practicum experience in a social service setting that emphasizes application of social work theories, methods, and techniques. Requires 250 hours of fieldwork and weekly seminar meetings each semester. Each semester-long course comprises a 4-credit practicum graded on a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory basis and a 2-credit letter-graded seminar.

Prerequisites: SOWK 445A and SOWK 445B. Two-credit letter-graded seminar.

Prerequisites: Formal acceptance into the Social Work Program, senior standing and completion of the major requirements through SOWK 445A and SOWK 445B. An examination of the issues facing social workers entering professional practice. Students integrate social work knowledge, values, and skills and articulate and clarify their professional orientation and style of practice. Emphasis on critical thinking skills, practice evaluation, preparation for job searching, and identification of potential fields of practice. Completes the student’s training in the program.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department. The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.