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 - Macro Social Work Practice and Theory (3)
SOWK 615/625 - Foundation Practicum & Seminar I & II (5/5)
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 - Social Welfare Policy Practice (3)
SOWK 660 - Advanced Social Work Practice with Couples and Families (3)
SOWK 661 - Advanced Social Work Administration (3)
SOWK 663 - Advanced Practice with Groups (3)
SOWK 665/675 - Advanced Practicum and Seminar I & II (4/4)
SOWK 669 - Advanced Social Work Evaluation (3)
Elective Courses

Generalist Year

SOWK 601 - Foundations of Generalist Practice (3)
This course focuses on direct generalist social work practice with individuals, families, and treatment groups, emphasizing the history, knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of the social work profession and the principles that promote social and economic justice, and human well-being. This course introduces students to the generalist social work approach, as well as the strengths perspective, task-centered model, trans-theoretical model of change, crisis intervention, solution-focused, case management, and family-centered models used for evidence-based social work practice. Students develop knowledge of and skills to understand effective helping relationships, emphasizing strategies to promote client empowerment and strengths, effective practice with diverse populations, and to engage in all phases of the helping process, including engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and termination. This course emphasizes the application of effective methodology with diverse client systems. Students develop professional writing skills for micro and mezzo level practice.

SOWK 603 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3)
The social work profession draws from many interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives to develop knowledge and skills for responding to the challenges faced by client systems across the lifespan. This course introduces general systems theories, strengths perspectives, empowerment theory, identity development and other theories commonly used in direct practice as models for understanding human behavior and the interactions of systems of different sizes. The focus of the course is to understand individual and family development across the lifespan in the context of these models, examining how larger systems influence the processes of human growth and change. Of particular importance are human diversity, including age, class, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation, and the role of oppression in human development and well-being. Students learn and critically analyze theories of human development and behavior with consideration of the: 1) social, cultural and economic forces affecting human development 2) factors that contribute to the enhancement of “well-being” and empowerment of individuals and families, and 3) social and economic injustices experienced by individuals and families that impact human behavior.

SOWK 605 - Social Welfare Policy and Services (3)
This course explores the macro context of contemporary social work practice and lays a foundation for engagement in policy practice. The macro context entails understanding the historical and contemporary social/social welfare policy and the social welfare system. The course is divided into three parts. Part one explores the context of social welfare policy, services, and social work practice with an emphasis on understanding the historical, social, political economic, and cultural context that shapes the U.S. social welfare system. The impact and legacy of racism and racial regulation is examined. Part two examines the contemporary U.S. social welfare safety net system of social insurance and public assistance, with an emphasis on understanding poverty and the array of benefits and services created to meet basic needs. Part three presents the foundations of policy practice: policy analysis, policy research, and understanding the public policy making players and process. Students learn and apply a framework for analyzing social welfare issues and policy aimed at promoting social, economic, and/or environmental justice.

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SOWK 609 - Culturally Responsive Communication in Social Work Practice (3)
This course focuses on three broad content areas: 1) social work values; 2) aspects of diversity, including age, class, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation; and 3) knowledge and skills for effective interpersonal communication and interviewing, with emphasis on the application of effective communication with diverse populations. The social work values that guide generalist social work practice are examined. Aspects of diversity are examined, including an exploration of the historical and current economic, social, cultural, and political forces that affect various groups – including recent immigrants and refugees and impact the utilization of social service delivery systems and social work services. Students examine models for “culturally competent” generalist social work practice and begin to review the literature on aspects of diversity to enhance their knowledge of and skills in culturally responsive evidence-based practice. Students examine and understand the importance of self-assessment of one’s own and clients’ cultural heritage, beliefs, attitudes, values, identities, and responses to diversity and the application to advanced generalist social work practice at all levels, with an emphasis on practice with individuals and families and practice with treatment groups. Students differentially apply knowledge of, and skills for, effective communication and interviewing with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds.

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SOWK 611 - Macro Social Work Practice and Theory (3)
This course continues the focus of understanding the macro context of social work practice in a rural community context. This course provides foundational knowledge, theories, values and skills for generalist social work practice with task groups, organizations and communities. Task groups provide the means for much of social work practice performed within the agencies where they work and communities where they practice and live. Human service organizations, including public, private for-profit, non-profit, and faith-based provide the settings for generalist social work practice. An organization’s leadership, structure, and function impact the effectiveness of human service delivery. Organizations exist within geographic communities. Unmet human and community needs, impacting individual/family client systems, often are the failure, at least in part, of social institutions within the community and broader society. Students learn theories of mezzo and macro-level practice, frameworks for understanding and assessing task groups and organizations and communities, and strategies for engaging in effective mezzo-level and macro-level practice.

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SOWK 615/625 - Foundation Practicum & Seminar I & II (5/5)
Students integrate social work theory and practice, knowledge, skills, and ethics and values through generalist social work direct practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.   Students apply social work theory and practice knowledge, skills, ethics and values learned to engage in culturally responsive direct social work practice with people representing diversity of age, class, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Generalist Practicum & Seminar I & II is required for all students admitted with traditional standing to the MSW program. Students complete a 460 hour practicum during the spring and summer semesters under the supervision of a licensed master’s level social worker. Students develop a learning contract documenting application of generalist practice knowledge, skills and values with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Seminar provides an opportunity for students to share their practicum experiences and challenges with their student colleagues for problem-solving, consultation, feedback, and support.

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SOWK 629 - Applied Social Work Research (3)
This course provides social work students with foundational knowledge and skills to engage in evidence-based social work practice. The purpose of this course is to enable students to understand the rationale for and application of a variety of quantitative and qualitative research techniques commonly used in generalist social work practice. The content in this course presumes that students are in an applied social service field with examples and activities based on social work practice. Students develop foundational skills for reading and critically evaluating research studies and conducting independent research. Students examine how issues of diversity, including age, class, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation, are applicable to conducting and evaluating research and to engaging in effective, culturally responsive social work practice. Students examine the values, ethical issues, and social and economic justice issues that underlie research in general and social work research in particular.

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SOWK 650 - Advanced Standing Preparation Seminar (3)
SOWK 650 is required for all students admitted to the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at Minnesota State Mankato. Such students have already attained an undergraduate degree in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program, thereby completing their generalist content. This seminar is designed to review and extend these students’ preparation for advanced generalist social work practice while also building a strong cohort of classmates. This seminar helps students refine their professional self-identity as advanced generalist social workers while ensuring that they are ready to enter the specialist year of the program. The course content focuses on CSWE competencies associated with social work values, ethics, ethical decision-making; applied social work research; macro context of social work practice – social welfare and social and economic justice; human diversity and anti-oppressive culturally responsive practice, theories of human behavior in the social environment and advances in neuroscience and application to social work practice, and mezzo level practice in task groups.

Specialist Year

SOWK 651 - Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals (3)
This course provides students with advanced generalist theories, knowledge, values, and skills for competent, ethical and evidence-based direct social work practice with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Students develop, analyze, integrate and apply social work practice knowledge and skills of comprehensive diagnostic assessment, differential application of treatment approaches and intervention strategies, and multiple methods of assessment in social work practice at the micro level with individuals. Emphasis is be placed on current, evidence-based models of intervention used in a variety of direct social work practice settings with individuals from small and rural communities.

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SOWK 655 - Social Welfare Policy Practice (3)
This is a practice course designed to provide students with knowledge, values and skills to engage in effective task group and advanced policy practice. Each semester, a new array of contemporary public policy issues are examined. Students work in small task groups, applying effective task group practice approaches, to complete all parts of the policy advocacy project. Students research and conduct social problem and policy analysis of an issue negatively impacting human well-being, with an emphasis on vulnerable, oppressed, or marginalized populations, and of significance to rural and small community advanced generalist social work practice. Students formulate a 4-page policy advocacy brief analyzing an unmet need and proposing policy solutions grounded in the values of the social work profession and that enhance human well-being and promote social, economic, and/or environmental justice. Students learn, analyze, design and implement an advocacy intervention to promote public policy change at the formulation, legislation-making, and/or implementation stages using a three-pronged advocacy model. Students participate in a mock hearing where they deliver testimony targeted to a public policy making body.

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SOWK 660 - Advanced Social Work Practice with Couples and Families (3)
This course provides students with advanced generalist theories, knowledge, values, and skills for evidence-based practice with couples and families. Students will develop, analyze, and apply advanced knowledge and skills in the assessment and application of interventions with couples and families.

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SOWK 661 - Advanced Social Work Administration (3)
This course provides students with advanced generalist social work practice knowledge, values, and skills for macro level administrative practice. It is expected that students who successfully complete this course will understand the role of social workers as supervisors, managers, administrators, policy makers, and leaders in developing, enhancing, promoting and administering effective, culturally competent, and ethical social services to diverse groups. These groups include diversity of age, class, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation, and the promotion of social and economic justice. Students develop knowledge of and skills in personnel management and professional development, grant writing, resource development, budgeting, leadership, supervision, and other aspects of administering effective, evidence-based social service agencies. Students develop an understanding of how organizational theories and social welfare policy practice are applicable to social service administration and service delivery. Students examine strategies for maximizing the use of agency personnel and other resources to achieve agency mission. This course also focuses on strategies for maximizing client involvement, strengths, and empowerment in social service delivery and for ensuring the delivery of culturally competent social services with some application to rural and small communities.

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SOWK 663 - Advanced Practice with Groups (3)
This course provides students with advanced generalist theories, knowledge, values, and skills for evidence-based direct practice with treatment groups. Students develop, analyze, integrate and apply advanced knowledge and skills in the differential application of treatment approaches and intervention strategies in social work practice at the mezzo level with treatment groups. This course presents a framework for comparing, contrasting, and differentially applying these models to direct practice with diverse populations and in a variety of field settings, with particular emphasis on practice in a rural and small community context.

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SOWK 665/675 - Advanced Practicum and Seminar I & II (4/4)
SOWK 665/675 is designed to offer students the opportunity for direct and indirect evidence-based practice with increasingly more advanced practice situations, to emphasize advanced practice in the small and rural context as appropriate, and to recognize opportunities for leadership in both direct and indirect practice.   In practicum settings students draw on all courses and take initiative to apply advanced knowledge, skills, and ethical principles in their contact with client populations, colleagues, and communities. This requires the use of critical thinking, increasing responsibility for application of advanced theories and methodology, and for assuming leadership as appropriate to create change opportunities in both direct and indirect practice. Practice occurs under the supervision of a licensed MSW-prepared social worker.  One of the primary purposes of this practicum is to provide student contact with individuals, families, groups, organizations or communities who are involved with the social service delivery system and are distinguished by race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, age, and national origin.   This will serve to sensitize students to the practice issues germane to these client groups, to learn how to provide services adequately, and to develop collegial relationships with a diverse group of practitioners.

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SOWK 669 - Advanced Social Work Evaluation (3)
This course provides students with the knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of both direct practice evaluation and program evaluation at the advanced generalist social work level. This course focuses on understanding and utilizing systematic evaluation research methods to inform social work practice. This course explores evaluation research within the context of the social work profession and the delivery of social welfare services to diverse populations, populations-at-risk, and different community settings, with some emphasis on rural and small communities. This course provides a heavy emphasis on understanding and applying strategies to assess programmatic outcomes.

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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.

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)