Effective Fall 2007

Our School’s MSW courses are 3-credit-hour courses, with the exception of Field; each foundation field course is 4 credit hours, while each advanced field course is 6 credit hours. Listed here are our MSW courses.

Foundation Curriculum

5310 Social Welfare Policy and Services.  (3-0) This foundation course studies the United States’ social welfare system, emphasizing how social welfare policies affect diverse populations. Topics include social welfare history; and policy development, implementation, evaluation, and values. 

 Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

5311 Human Behavior and Social Environment: Birth Through Adolescence. (3-0) This foundation course focuses on human functioning from birth through adolescence using eco-systems and development frameworks.  It builds knowledge and values for practice with individuals, families, and organizations; develops analytical reasoning and assessment skills and applies content to diverse populations.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or instructor approval. 

5313 Foundation Social Work Practice I. (3-0) This foundation course explores generalist social work theory and practice methodology in problem-solving with individuals, families and groups, emphasizing data collection, assessment, intervention planning, and evaluation. 

Prerequisite: Admission to the M.S.W. degree program.

5314 Foundation Social Work Practice II.  (3-0) This foundation skill-development course emphasizes generalist social work practice with task groups, organizations, and communities. 

Prerequisite: Admission to the M.S.W. degree program.

5316 Foundation Social Work Practice III.  (3-0) This foundation course develops the student’s interpersonal and communication skills with clients and other professionals. Students must demonstrate competence in interviewing, assessment, and planning skills.  Students learn to collect data to support assessment, plan intervention, and evaluate practice. 

Prerequisites: SOWK 5313 and 5314.

5317 Social Work Research.  (3-0) This foundation course builds introductory scientific research skills in critical thinking and knowledge of program and practice evaluation.  It prepares students to read, interpret, and critique research with skepticism and rigor and to perform various research and social work practice activities.  Prerequisite:

Graduate standing or instructor approval.

 
5318 Human Behavior and Social Environment: Adulthood to End of Life.  (3-0) This foundation course focuses on human functioning from adulthood to end of life, using eco-systems and development frameworks.  It builds knowledge and values for practice with individuals,  families, and organizations;  develops analytical reasoning and assessment skills; and applies content to diverse populations.

Prerequisite: SOWK 5311 or instructor approval.

5319 Diagnostic Assessment.  (3-0) This advanced course examines how individuals, families, and groups interact with the social environment, emphasizing  mental health and adaptive capacity, theories of the etiology and development of mental and emotional disorders, and how culture affects mental health.

Prerequisites:  Advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval. 

5320 Advanced Administrative Leadership Practice I: Introduction to Management.  (3-0) This advanced skill-development course emphasizes social work practice in managing small and large organizations. Students develop knowledge and skills in social work management and supervision in non-profit and public organizations.  Prerequisites: Advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval. 

 
5322 Advanced Social Policy and Social Justice.  (3-0) This advanced course, a study of social legislation affecting disadvantaged persons, emphasizes policy analysis, values, and advocacy through studying social policy history; developing, implementing, and evaluating policy; and influencing social and economic justice.

Prerequisite: Advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval.

 
5323 Advanced Social Work Research.  (3-0) This advanced course builds knowledge and skills for systematically evaluating programs and practice.  It enhances effective and ethical social work practice by teaching skills necessary to design, implement, and empirically assess intervention with client and programs.

Prerequisites: SOWK 5317, advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval. 

 
5324 Advanced Direct Practice with Families.  (3-0) This advanced course focuses on theories, research, and models of practice with families.  It emphasizes a systems orientation to assessment and intervention, and integrates issues of self-awareness and human diversity.

Prerequisite: Advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval.

 
5325 Advanced Administrative Leadership Practice III: Challenges and Innovations.  (3-0) This advanced course expands knowledge and skills by exploring how theories, supervision and management interventions, and social work values are applied to diverse organizational environments.

Prerequisites:  Advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval.

 
5329 Organizational Development.  (3-0) This advanced course examines organizational and inter-organizational social service delivery contexts; how funding, mandate and organizational arrangements influence services; and factors to consider in modifying existing organizations.

Prerequisites:  Advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval.

 
5334 Advanced Administrative Leadership II: Resource Development.  (3-0) This advanced course emphasizes grant-writing and marketing in non-profit organizations.  It builds knowledge, roles, and skills to extend organizational resources for effective, ethical social work practice and programs. 

Prerequisite:  Advanced standing, foundation coursework completion, or instructor approval.

 
5410 Foundation Field I.  (1-20) This foundation course consists of supervised beginning generalist social work practice in agencies for a minimum of 250 clock hours, applying classroom knowledge to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities.  Graded on credit/ no credit basis.

Prerequisites:  Admission to MSW degree program and completed field application process.

 
5411 Foundation Field II.  (1-20) This second foundation course continues supervised generalist social work practice in agencies for a minimum of 250 clock hours, applying classroom knowledge to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities.  Graded on credit/ no-credit basis.

Prerequisites:  SOWK 5410 and Field Coordinator approval.

5622 Administrative Leadership Field I. (1-20) This course offers supervised advanced administrative leadership social work practice opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to interventions with public and non-profit social agencies for a total of 300 clock hours.  Graded on credit/ no-credit basis. 

Prerequisites:   Completion of field application process and completion of MSW class work.

 
5623 Administrative Leadership Field II.  (1-20) This course continues supervised advanced administrative leadership social work practice opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to interventions with public and non-profit social agencies for a total of 300 clock hours.  Graded on credit/ no-credit basis. 

Prerequisites: Field Coordinator approval.