Course Descriptions

SOWK 601 Foundations of Generalist Practice (3)
SOWK 603 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3)
SOWK 605 Social Welfare Policy and Services (3)
SOWK 609 Culturally Responsive Communication in Social Work Practice (3)
SOWK 611 Mezzo-Macro Social Work Practice (3)
SOWK 615 Generalist Practicum and Seminar I (5)
SOWK 625 Generalist Practicum and Seminar II (5)
SOWK 629 Applied Social Work Research (3)
SOWK 650 Advanced Standing Preparation Seminar (3)
SOWK 651 Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals (3)
SOWK 655 Advanced Social Work Policy Practice (3)
SOWK 660 Advanced Social Work Practice with Couples and Families (3)
SOWK 661 Advanced Social Work Practice Administration (3)
SOWK 663 Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups (3)
SOWK 665 Specialization Practicum and Seminar I (5)
SOWK 675 Specialization Practicum and Seminar II (5)
SOWK 669 Advanced Social Work Evaluation (3)
Elective Courses

Generalist Year

SOWK 601 Foundations of Generalist Practice (3)

This foundational social work course focuses on direct generalist practice with individuals, families, and groups. The historical roots of the social work profession are examined to explicate its abolitionist, racist, classist, and oppressive underpinnings. Emphasis is placed on decolonizing practices whose aim is to dismantle systems of oppression utilizing anti-oppressive and anti-racist lenses. This course explores the knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of the social work profession and the principles that promote social, economic, and environmental justice and planetary well-being.

SOWK 603 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3)

This course focuses on the critical application and critique of theoretical perspectives, models, and concepts in relationship to diverse people and their environments throughout lifespan development. Students will learn and apply theories related to human behavior and the person in the environment that focuses on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students will explore the impact of social structures such as poverty, oppression, and discrimination of people from diverse populations from micro- to macro-level systems.

SOWK 605 Social Welfare Policy and Services (3)

The course provides students with an overview of the historical and contemporary social welfare system, with an emphasis on understanding the impact and legacy of racism and racial regulation and the structural determinants of poverty and economic inequality. Students develop skills in policy and social welfare program research, policy analysis, and developing policy position statements that are culturally informed, anti-racist and anti-oppressive, and advance human rights and social, racial, economic and environmental justice.

SOWK 609 Culturally Responsive Communication in Social Work Practice (3)

This course provides students with generalist social work knowledge, values, and skills for effective interpersonal and interprofessional communication and interviewing, with emphasis on the application of effective oral and written communication with diverse populations. Students will develop greater self-awareness of personal cultural influences and identify their personal and professional values across diverse domains. Further, students will investigate the impact of social constructs, biases, and privilege on communication patterns with client systems at the micro-, mezzo-, and macro-system levels.

SOWK 611 Mezzo-Macro Social Work Practice (3)

This course provides students with generalist knowledge, values and skills in self-reflective, culturally responsive, evidence-informed, and equity-minded task group practice, interprofessional practice within social services organizations, and community practice. The course prepares students to ground their rights-based, anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice at all system levels in the structural-social determinants of health.

SOWK 615 Generalist Practicum and Seminar I (5)

Generalist Practicum and Seminar I provides students with the opportunity to integrate social work knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive/affective processes reflected in generalist behaviors through practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

SOWK 625 Generalist Practicum and Seminar II (5)

Generalist Practicum and Seminar II is a continuation of SOWK 615 Generalist Practicum and Seminar I. Students integrate social work knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive/affective processes reflected in generalist behaviors through practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

SOWK 629 Applied Social Work Research (3)

This course enables students to learn the rationale for applying quantitative and qualitative research knowledge and skills used in generalist social work practice. Students critically evaluate how to conduct ethical, culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in social work research. Students explore and recognize the importance of social and economic justice, diversity, evidence-informed and equity-minded research practices in social work.

SOWK 650 Advanced Standing Preparation Seminar (3)

This course prepares Advanced Standing students for transitioning from generalist social work to advanced generalist social work content in the specialization year. This course links undergraduate generalist social work to the advanced generalist specialization curriculum content to redefine students’ professional self-identity, knowledge, skills, and values. In this preparation course, students will explore and analyze culturally responsive, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, ethical social work practice in research, human behavior, cultural humility, structural and social determinates of health, and tasks group.

Specialist Year

SOWK 651 Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals (3)

This course provides students with advanced generalist knowledge, values, and skills related to direct social work practice focusing on diverse individuals across the lifespan. Through experiential learning and a culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lens, students will investigate the cultural implications of social work assessments, planning, communication, intervention, and evaluation of individuals at various developmental stages of children, adolescents, adults, and older adults.

SOWK 655 Advanced Social Work Policy Practice (3)

This task group-based course provides students with the policy advocacy practice skills needed to advance human rights and promote social, racial, economic and environmental justice. Students research and write a policy advocacy brief and develop and implement an advocacy plan on a state-level policy issue, using human rights, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist lenses.

SOWK 660 Advanced Social Work Practice with Couples and Families (3)

This course provides students with advanced generalist theories, knowledge, values, and skills related to practice with couples and families. Through experiential learning and through a culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lens, students will analyze, develop, and apply advanced knowledge and skills in the assessment and incorporate culturally responsive methods and interventions with couples and families.

SOWK 661 Advanced Social Work Practice Administration (3)

This course provides students with advanced generalist knowledge, values, and skills in critical areas of administrative social work practice. Students develop competence in needs assessment, organizational change, program planning, grant writing, leadership, social work supervision, and other aspects to effectively managing social service agencies. Students are prepared to provide culturally responsive, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed agency-based leadership to diverse populations in rural and small community settings.

SOWK 663 Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups (3)

Students are introduced to conceptual underpinnings of group work and its application across diverse population domains. Students learn and apply group conceptualization, theoretical frameworks, and interpersonal skills for effective evidence-informed group facilitation. Students learn methods, theories, and stages of group development. Students explore historical reflections on group work and the impact of racism, poverty, sexism, ableism, in the provision of group work and group dynamics. Engagement with culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive methodologies are integrated. Students explore ethical implications of group work theory and application.

SOWK 665 Specialization Practicum and Seminar I (5)

Specialization Practicum and Seminar I provides students with the opportunity to integrate social work knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive/affective processes reflected in advanced generalist behaviors through practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

SOWK 675 Specialization Practicum and Seminar II (5)

Specialization Practicum and Seminar II is a continuation of SOWK 665 Specialization Practicum and Seminar I. Students integrate social work knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive/affective processes reflected in advanced generalist behaviors through practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

SOWK 669 Advanced Social Work Evaluation (3)

This course provides students with advanced generalist knowledge, values, and skills for evaluation of interventions, programs, and practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Students develop skills in qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, survey design methodology, and data collection strategies. Students will develop knowledge of how to collaborate with community partners to conduct evaluation through a data justice lens and with a data equity perspective.

Elective Courses

3 elective credit hours. The MSW program offers elective options during the summer. Student may fulfill the elective requirement by taking coursework from other academic disciplines. While 3 elective credit hours is required, students take coursework beyond the 3-hour requirement. Students interested in becoming licensed independent clinical social workers (LICSW) are encouraged to take clinical content courses. Students should consult with their academic advisor for guidance on fulfilling the 3 elective credit hour requirement.

Social Work, College of Allied Health and Nursing

SOWK 515: Child & Family Welfare (3)
SOWK 519: Social Work & Aging (3)
SOWK 522: Social Work & Chemical Dependency (3)
SOWK 525: Social Work in Health (3)
SOWK 527: Social Work & Domestic Violence (3)
SOWK 530: Social Work in School Settings (3)
SOWK 532: Social Work & Disabilities (3)
SOWK 617: Advanced Social Work Practice in Co-morbid Diagnoses (4)
SOWK 653: Advanced Child Welfare Practice (3)
SOWK 667: Advanced Clinical Practice with Infants, Children and Adolescents (3)

Counseling & Student Personnel, College of Education

CSP 647: Crisis Intervention Strategies (3)
CSP 650: Child/Adolescent Counseling (3)

Ethnic Studies, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

ETHN 650: Helping Across Cultures
ETHN 660: Cross-Cultural Training & Diversity Management

Gerontology

GERO 600: Gerontology Theory and Practice (3)

Business Administration, College of Business

MBA 642: Management of Human Resources (2)
MBA 651: Managing Behavior in a Changing World (2)
MBA 665: Leadership (2)
MBA 667: Organizational Development and Change (2)

Non-Profit Leadership

NPL 673: Survey of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

Political Science and Public Administration, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

POL 628: Public Management (3)
POL 662: Human Resource Management (3)

Psychology, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

PSYC 507: Advanced Behavioral Analysis (4)
PSYC 555: Abnormal Psychology (4)
PSYC 576: Behavior Therapy (3)

Sociology, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

SOC 517: Program Administration (3)
SOC 566: Program Planning (3)

Urban and Regional Studies, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

URBS 553: Grants Administration (3)
URBS 602: Urban Planning Process (3)