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School of Social Work

BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

SOWK 100 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WELFARE | 3 credit hours

This course is a study of how social welfare services operate by addressing their evolutionary processes, their present and future functions; analysis of social welfare as an effective and/or ineffective delivery system for welfare as a helping system; examination of the development of the social work profession, and the roles of social workers.

 

SOWK 200 SEMINAR FOR MAJORS | 0 credit hour

This course provides a forum for professional development; social work knowledge, and familiarity of social work roles relative to contemporary social issues. It also presents departmental and university expectations, and concerns. (Prerequisite: Social Work 100) SOWK 211 SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND SERVICES I 3 credit hours. This course is an examination of the social welfare system, and it also, studies the historical development of social welfare policies and services.

 

SOWK 211 SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND SERVICES I 3 credit hours

This course is an examination of the social welfare system, and the historical development of social welfare policies and services. This course is designed to help students begin to develop an understanding of the significance of social welfare policies created to address the needs of marginalized individuals, families, groups and communities.

 

SOWK 241 COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS | 3 credit hours

Communication Skills is a required course for BSW students. The focus of this course is on written and oral communication skills utilized in the social work profession. The course, therefore, is designed to study and develop skills in the use of processes and techniques of interviewing and recording through instruction and practice. This course includes a required experiential component designed to enhance students' oral and written communication skills

 

SOWK 2810 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | 0 credit hours

This course provides students the opportunity to extend their learning beyond the classroom to a transformative community engagement learning experience with groups and/or organizations in their natural setting. It also provides a forum for professional development; reflects on the self-assessment of the student; and incorporates the values and ethics of the social work profession. (Prerequisites: SOWK 100, SOWK 200, SOWK 211, SOWK 241, SOWK 341, SOWK 350 plus 1 social work elective).

 

SOWK 311 SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND SERVICE I 3 credit hours

This course is the second in a sequence that moves beyond an examination of the social welfare system and relating historical development of social welfare policies and services to studying various models to analyze social problems, welfare programs, and social and public policies. Students learn to use a framework to analyze social welfare policies. This course is also designed help students develop the knowledge and skills to become policy advocates. (Prerequisite: SOWK 211 or Consent of Program Director)

 

SOWK 341 HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT I 3 credit hours

This course is a study of individual and social behavior, wherein behavior is considered a consequence of the total social situation in which individual subsystems, group subsystems, or other social units find themselves. General Systems Theory provides a construct which enables us to examine new dimensions of human behavior, the nature and range of social experiences and the effects of interaction and transaction among individual and group and social environments. (Prerequisite: SOWK 100; SOWK 241; Can be taken concurrently with SOWK 343)

 

SOWK 343 HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT I 3 credit hours

This course builds on theoretical perspectives developed in HBSE I. It provides students with core knowledge and theory pertaining to macro systems. Economic and sociological principles and the themes of empowerment, advocacy, and transformation are used to understand the dimensions and dynamics of broad social units (the workplace, human service organizations, institutions, ideologies, and world views). (Prerequisites: SOWK 100, SOWK 241; Can be taken concurrently with SOWK 341)

 

SOWK 350 DIRECT SERVICE I 3 credit hours

This course is a study of the components of social work practice, social systems and the dynamics of planned social change as they find application in social work practice; and identification and development of basic skills essential to the appropriate concepts and methods common to all social and rehabilitation services. (Prerequisite: SOWK 100, SOWK 241 or consent of Program Director)

 

SOWK 351 DIRECT SERVICE I 3 credit hours.

This course is an exploration of family and group practice, interactional phenomena and the development of family and group practice skills. Emphasis is on the application of knowledge and values of family and group processes in social work practice. (Prerequisite: SOWK 100, SOWK 241, SOWK 350 or Consent of Director)

 

SOWK 352 APO I: SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES | 3 credit hours

This course is a study of social work techniques applied to problem solving in the community and the development of macro level skills. The theoretical models utilized are community development, social planning, and social action as a means for effecting social change in the community. (Prerequisite: SOWK 100, SOWK 343) Can be taken concurrently with SOWK 350.

 

SOWK 431 SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH | 3 credit hours

This course is a study of fundamental research methods used in Social Welfare research designed to equip students with marketable skills in the research area. Teaching methodology involves a learning laboratory approach. The first semester focuses on concepts and terms commonly used in research, learning skills in practice evaluation research and skills in selecting topics in preparing research reports. Students develop and practice research techniques, including participant observation, case study, content analysis, social surveys and unobtrusive research. (Prerequisites: SOWK 351)

 

SOWK 432 SOCIAL WORK STATISTICS | 3 credit hours

This course is a continuation of part one of the research sequence with an emphasis on statistical data analysis. During the second semester, the students focus on learning statistical techniques and computer techniques in the analysis of data sets. Each student completes a major field research project demonstrating competence with a statistical analysis, and a written report of this analysis. (Prerequisite: SOWK 431; Open to MSW students to meet undergraduate statistics requirement)

 

SOWK 443 DIVERSITY AND EMPOWERMENT | 3 credit hours.

This course examines historical and current commitment to social justice as related to oppressed groups in a multicultural society. It enhances understanding of and appreciation for diversity in self and others. The course addresses issues of power, inequality, privilege, and resulting oppression. The focus includes a social justice perspective for the study of oppressed groups. The course included learning about cultural competency standards. (Prerequisite: SOWK 341 or consent of Program Director)

 

SOWK 481 (FIELD I) AND 482 (FIELD II) INSTRUCTION & SEMINAR | 3 credit hours each

Students participate in an internship, which affords an opportunity for educationally directed practice in traditional and non-traditional settings. The overall goal of the field instruction course is to allow the student to integrate and test his/her theoretical knowledge, and to acquire generalist skills that will prepare the student for an entry-level position in the social work profession. A minimum of sixteen hours per week, during a period of two semesters of fieldwork is required. Students must participate in an integrative field seminar course concurrently with the field internship. The seminar courses meet two and a half hours per week to ensure that the educational objectives of field instruction are being met. (Prerequisite: SOWK 100, 211, 241, 311, 341, 350, Senior Status or Consent of the Director of Field)

 

SOWK 492S SENIOR SEMINAR | 3 credit hours

This course must be taken by students completing the final semester of BSW course work. It examines and assesses the BSW majors’ knowledge, skills and values needed to engage in effective generalist practice. It consists of seminars which help prepare students for entry into the marketplace and/or graduate school. An exam is administered at the completion of this course that covers content on all social work required courses (intro, human behavior, social work methods, research, communication skills and social welfare policy. (Prerequisite: Open to Social Work Seniors only)