SW 501. Orientation to Social Work Values, Skills and Ethics.

This course is an intensive four-week orientation to Social Work values, skills and ethics designed to orient two-year MSW students to the profession. 

SW 503. Foundations of Social Work History, Policy and Philosophy.

The political, philosophical and historical perspectives of social welfare policies and services. A study of basic criteria for analysis and formulation of social welfare policies and their implications for diverse populations.

SW 515. Human Behavior I.

A study of the life span of the individual from infancy to young adulthood from a systems perspective with emphasis on interactions with families, groups, organizations and communities. Special attention is given to the biological, social, psychological, and cultural forces that affect human behavior with emphasis on values and ethical issues, and the significance of human diversity on behavior in a pluralistic society.

SW 516. Human Behavior II.

A study of the cultural differences and similarities of diverse populations with emphasis on the dynamics and consequences of discrimination, and social and economic injustice. Issues relevant to ethical social work practice will be explored.

SW 530, 531, 532 and 533. Field Internship and Seminar for Social Work Practice.

Primary focus is on the integration of classroom learning with social work practice. Students are required to do a 250-hour field internship in an assigned social service agency under joint supervision of an agency field instructor and social work faculty liaison. A two hour seminar is held weekly to evaluate the integration of the student’s classroom learning with field practice experiences.

SW 540. Family Violence: Social Work Strategies for Prevention and Intervention.

The focus of this course is on the methods of prevention, intervention and social change used to address and end the major forms of family violence. "Family" is defined broadly to include any intimate relationship. The course will provide overviews of the risk factors and traumatic effects of family violence. There will be an emphasis placed on the special needs of oppressed groups. Most family violence organizations work on multiple levels, such as macro, mezzo, and micro levels, and they frequently come into contact with a variety of fields of service, primarily the legal, health and mental health, housing, public assistance, and child welfare systems. Therefore, models of inter-system and inter-disciplinary coordination will be presented. Illustrations of the integration of micro, mezzo, and macro practice will be given, in particular how dimensions of power, privilege, oppression, and difference influence actions, perceptions, choices and consequences across system levels. The understanding and critical evaluation of theories, policies, organizations, and interventions using scientific principles will be stressed.

SW 541. Grant Writing Skills for Social Services.

This course is designed to provide MSW students with the skills to develop and write grant proposals. Emphasis will be placed on the fundamentals of writing program grants while also developing the macro practice skills of needs assessment, program planning and development, coalition-building, goal and objective formulation, developing clear measurable outcomes for programs and evaluation plans. Students will also learn how to research potential grant funders, create an outreach/marketing plan, develop a post-grant sustainability plan and explore the potential of other funding sources, including social The focus is on the integration of practice theory, skills and professional ethics in working with individuals and families, examining the strengths and coping mechanism utilized by client systems. A community field experience is required.

SW 542. Advanced Social Work Practice in Health Settings.

The objective of this course is to introduce social work students to the direct practice of integrated behavioral health in primary care. Students will become knowledgeable of the roles of behavioral health providers working in primary care settings, theories and models of care, and cross-­‐cultural issues. They will develop skills in engagement, assessment, intervention planning and implementation, and practice evaluation. Because the populations served in primary care settings span the spectrum of severity in both the physical and behavioral health dimensions, students will develop competencies in engaging and supporting patients across a range of health conditions.

SW 543. Global Social Work: Issues and Opportunities.

The purpose of this course is to expose students to a variety of global social issues related to social welfare and social development. Engaging in critical thinking and analysis of global social welfare issues, students will explore how political, economic, cultural, faith base, historical and environmental factors impact social welfare policies and the delivery of human services in different regions of the world. Students will analyze alternative models for national and international service intervention as well as review how social work practice is delivered in other countries around the world. The geographic context for this course will primarily be Asia, Africa and Latin America. Special emphasis will be given to the conceptualization of international social work practice, the analysis of theories and models attempting to explain international social welfare, and the use of a social development approach as a preferred strategy to assist developing countries around the world. The course will be useful for those who are interested in international social work and are looking for a forum in which such experiences and interests can be processed in the context of existing theoretical frameworks and models of social welfare service delivery. By examining international models of social work practice, this course is also relevant to students working with ethnic/immigrant/refugee populations in the United States.

SW 544. Advanced Generalist Practice with Individuals: Narrative and Solution Focused Therapy.

This course focuses on therapeutic interventions for individuals and families, focusing on techniques used in Narrative Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy. Case studies will be used to examine the wide variety of applications for these approaches: such as childhood trauma, suicide, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia and substance abuse to name a few. Specific techniques from these approaches and their application in real life settings (student practicum or work setting) will form the core of instruction.

SW 545. The Strengths Perspective in Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice.

This course focuses on the development of skills and techniques for case management assessment and interventions for individuals and families. The conceptual model of the Strengths Perspective will be offered, and will serve as the framework used to inform intervention plans and the helping relationship. Case studies will be used to examine the wide variety of applications for this approach.

SW 546. Self-Care in Social Work.

This course will focus on the care of the self, a skill outlined as being of great importance in the National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW) Code of Ethics (NASW, 2021). It will help prepare students to engage in self-care, both currently as students and in the future as Master of Social Work level practitioners. The class will guide students through a self-assessment of their current self-care practices, expose them to a variety of new practices, discuss the benefits of and barriers to self-care, and share what the current scientific literature body reveals about self-care in social work. Ultimately, students will leave the course with a realistic view of the types of stressors they may face in the workforce, a concrete and detailed plan they created for themselves of practices to best support them in the future, and a wide array of resources they can refer to in time to come. 

SW 547. Mindfulness and Creative Interventions for Complex Trauma.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to complex trauma, mindfulness, and creative integrative intervention strategies. Students will develop skills toward critical thinking, analysis, and application of clinical intervention with diverse populations experiencing complex trauma.

SW 548. Social Work Practice and Contemporary Trauma Theory.

This course emphasizes the basic tenets of trauma theory and its application in social work settings. The course will offer a historical, social, and political context for conceptualizing the developmental areas of trauma theory. Integrating current research on the physiology of trauma with attachment theory, developmental psychology, and the post-traumatic stress literature, the course will build an integrated model of trauma informed care with a focus on relational models of treatment.

SW 549. Community Organization.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to models and concepts related to community change and broad-based community organizing for the purpose of advancing human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. Students will learn and practice the skills needed to effectively organize communities. The course will examine the importance of relational power as the foundation of grassroots change as well as provide the tools necessary for effective community organizing and building lasting relationships with community leaders. This course will be useful for those who are interested in advanced human rights practice with diverse populations in community settings. 

SW 550. Advanced Social Work Practice with Substance Misuse Clients.

This course focuses on therapeutic interventions for clients who have issues related to alcohol and drug misuse and will help students gain an increased knowledge of the misuse of alcohol and mind-altering substances with a particular emphasis on the impact of substance misuse on individuals, families, and communities. Social workers in virtually all areas of practice deal with individuals, families, and communities who have problems related to addiction. Advanced knowledge in practice with clients experiencing substance misuse issues can significantly enhance the efficacy of social work professionals in all service delivery systems across the continuum of care. The course will teach students how to incorporate this knowledge into their practice across the continuum of care, and best practices in the treatment of substance abuse disorders. 

SW 561. Foundations of Generalist Practice with Individuals and Families.

The focus is on the integration of practice theory, skills and professional ethics in working with individuals and families, examining the strengths and coping mechanism utilized by client systems. A community field experience is required.

SW 565. Foundations of Generalist Practice with Groups.

An overview of psychosocial and therapeutic groups across client populations. Students will learn co-leadership and leadership of groups, the history of group counseling, and techniques for group leadership.

SW 570. Foundation Research Methods.

Fundamental research principles and skills as applied in social work practice. Course content includes an exploration of quantitative and qualitative research methods employed in social work research and the review of ethical standards of scientific research and technological advances. Emphasis is on the relationship between social work research and practice. A survey of research designs, sampling procedures, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation is included in the curriculum. Participation in a community research project is required.

SW 591. Selected Topics.

This is a special topics course that will cover various topics relevant to graduate social work education.

SW 600. Social Work Licensure for Workforce Readiness.

This course will act as an integrative seminar in both foundation and specialization years, allowing the students to understand the history, necessity, and structure of social work licensure at the Master’s level. 

SW 605. Advanced Social Welfare Policy Analysis: Development and Evaluation.

Models of policy analysis applied to social welfare issues and problems. Addresses understanding of values and socio-political forces that define problems; populations affected; current policies and programs and their impact, along with their unintended consequences; service delivery and resource allocation; unmet needs; trends; analysis of political processes and change strategies; and the role of evaluation.

SW 610. Clinical Assessment and Diagnostic Psychopathology.

This course explores major forms of emotional distress in adults, children, and youth, including classification trends, issues, and models. The course provides an introduction to clinical syndromes in terms of diagnostic methodology, research and social concerns and their implications for at risk groups.

SW 630, 631, 632 and 633. Field Internship and Seminar for Social Work Practice.

Primary focus is on the integration of classroom learning with social work practice. Students are required to do a 250-hour field internship in an assigned social service agency under joint supervision of an agency field instructor and social work faculty liaison. A two hour seminar is held weekly to evaluate the integration of the student’s classroom learning with field practice experiences. This builds upon the foundation level practicum and allows students to apply and demonstrate advanced generalist practice skills.

SW 661. Advanced Generalist Practice with Children, Adolescents and Families.

This course focuses on therapeutic interventions for children (approximately infancy to middle school age), with a particular emphasis on how their developmental needs are addressed within various system structures (e.g., family/household, school, community settings). As children generally reside in families, various family forms and risk statuses will be examined with a focus on anti-oppressive social work practice. Course content will also focus on adolescents and families.

SW 662. Advanced Generalist Practice with Communities and Organizations.

This course is a practice course based on a generalist social work perspective, this course uses a problem-solving model for work with Macro (organization and community) systems and considers implications for at-risk groups.

SW 665. Advanced Generalist Practice with Groups.

Building on SW 565 and the foundation courses, SW 665 prepares students for advanced practice in group work. The course focuses on the application of multiple theoretical approaches in group work practice with diverse and at-risk populations with an emphasis on social and economic justice. Although the focus is on treatment groups, content will include the structure, function and techniques of intervention with all types of groups, emphasizing the conscious use of self.

SW 670. Social Service Program Evaluation: Practice Implications.

This course will cover beginning level evaluation that builds on basic research knowledge as a method of assessing social work practice and strengthening clients, communities and their social programs as well as the systems that serve clients and communities. It addresses the evaluation of promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services. Students will learn to assess and apply evaluation methods from various perspectives, including scientific, ethical, multicultural, and social justice perspectives.

SW 680. Non-Profit Management and Agency Administration.

Core theories, dynamics, functions and ethics of human services management are analyzed with particular focus on the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to successfully lead public and private human services agencies in the environment of today and the future. Emphasis is on internal management functions such as budget and finance, human resource administration, applications of information technology and governance relationships; and on external functions such as marketing and fundraising and legislative, media and community relationships. Crosscutting topics enhance skills in leadership, mediation and conflict resolution.