Courses
•indicates courses which cannot be challenged.

•SWK 100 Introduction to Social Work (SS/WI)
An introduction to the profession and beginning generalist social
work practice. The values, knowledge, and skills necessary for
practice will be critically examined and discussed, along with the
social problems of concern to the profession. Social work in the
empowerment tradition will be emphasized. This course requires
25 hours of service learning. This course is required for social work
majors and minors.
- three semester hours

•SWK 200 History of Social Services and Policy (H/WI)
Prerequisites: SWK 100; Recommended POL 101
This course focuses on the historical development and structure
of the social services system. In the evaluation of social policies,
specific attention will be given to populations at risk, such as African
Americans, Native Americans, women, persons with disabilities, and
gays and lesbians, who all have encountered social injustice. Students
will learn how these groups resisted efforts to dominate them and
how they empowered themselves.
- three semester hour

•SWK 210 Diversity and Social Justice (SS/CD)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
This course is designed to stimulate and enhance a student’s
understanding of various cultural issues that are relevant to his or
her professional aspirations. One thrust of this course is to develop
in students a respect and appreciation for diversity in all its forms.
It is intended that this course will facilitate effective communication
among diverse populations. This course requires 20 hours of service
learning. This course is required for social work majors.
- three semester hours
- offered in fall semester

•SWK 211 Human Behavior and the
Social Environment I (SS/WI)
Prerequisites: SWK 100, BIO 101, SOC 101, PSY 101
This is the first course in a two-semester sequence. The course
provides students with basic descriptive knowledge about how
biological, social and psychological systems affect the human person
from birth through young adulthood. In addition, students assess the
strengths and limitations of various theories of human behavior for
diverse populations, and consider alternative and possible theories
that change or extend traditional theories.
- three semester hours
- offered in fall semester

•SWK 212 Human Behavior and the
Social Environment II (SS)
Prerequisites: SWK 100, BIO 101, SOC 101, PSY 101 and SWK 211
This course is a continuation of SWK 211. The course provides
students with basic descriptive knowledge about how biological,
social and psychological systems affect the human person from
middle adulthood through late life. In addition, students assess the
strengths and limitations of various theories of human behavior for
diverse populations, and consider alternative and possible theories
that change or extend traditional theories.
- three semester hours
- offered in spring semester 

•SWK 240 Selected Topics in Social Work and Social Welfare
Prerequisite: SWK 100
Areas of special interest to students are offered. Examples of topics
include: crisis intervention, school social work, poverty, industrial
social work, social work and technology, social work and the law,
and domestic violence. Emphasis will be placed on student research,
presentations, and participation through a seminar format.
- three semester hours

•SWK 250 Human Sexuality (SS)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
This course will present a survey of contemporary issues and
problems in human sexuality from a social, psychological, biological,
cross-cultural, and clinical perspective. Topics such as sexual orientation,
adolescent sexuality, teen pregnancy, infertility, family planning, sex
research, coercive forms of sex, and treatment of sexual problems will
be explored.
- three semester hours

•SWK 252 Death and Dying (SS)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
This course deals directly with the psychological, social, and
behavioral dynamics inherent in confronting the issue of death and
dying, from both the personal and professional perspectives. Aspects
related to euthanasia, refusing life-sustaining medical treatment, factors
influencing grief and bereavement among people from diverse
populations, and hospice care are some of the topics explored. This is
a required course for the gerontology minor.
- three semester hours

•SWK 253 Women’s Issues and Social Work Practice (SS)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
In this course, students will explore the impact of gender, race and
ethnicity, and social class on women’s mental, physical, and economic
well-being. Through investigation of their own experiences as women
and men, and through readings and classroom activities, students will
become familiar with a variety of contradictions confronting women
social workers and women clients. Gender inequality within the
social work profession and strategies for change will be highlighted.
- three semester hours

•SWK 300 Social Policy Analysis
Prerequisites: SWK 100, SWK 200 and POL 101 (majors only)
This course focuses on teaching the skills and tasks of policy
practice. The first half of the course reviews the economic and cultural
underpinnings of social policy in the United States with emphasis on
populations at risk. The second half is devoted to learning the tasks
of policy practice: agenda setting, problem defining, proposal writing,
policy enacting, policy implementing, and policy assessing.
- three semester hours
- offered in spring semester 

•SWK 310 Basic Helping Skills
Prerequisites: SWK 100, SWK 200, SWK 211, SWK 212
(majors only)
This course is the first part of a two-semester sequence on social
work methods with individuals, families and groups. The course
focuses on developing the necessary skills for generalist social work
practice from an empowerment perspective. Areas explored include:
theories and models of social work practice with populations at risk,
skills of effective social work practice, and effective social work practice
with individuals. This course requires 25 hours of service learning.
- three semester hours
- offered in fall semester

•SWK 320 Practice Methods I: Individuals,
Families, Groups
Prerequisite: SWK 310 (majors only)
This course is a continuation of SWK 310. The course specifically
focuses on social work practice with families and groups, with
an emphasis on populations at risk. Content areas that are explored
include: professional values and ethics, family practice in the social
work context, problem-centered family practice, social work practice
with groups, and helping clients to negotiate social systems. This
course requires 25 hours of service learning.
- three semester hours
- offered in spring semester

•SWK 330 Social Work Research Methods
Prerequisites: MAT 102 and CIS 233 and SWK 310 (majors only)
Students will acquire the knowledge and basic skills necessary
to evaluate generalist social work practice activities. Students will
develop an understanding of factors affecting research results including
the political and ethical context of research, the impact of diversity
as it affects the research process, and the reporting of social work
research.
- three semester hours
- offered in fall semester

•SWK 351 Social Work and Health/Mental Health Care (SS)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
This course focuses on individual and family needs in the areas of
physical and mental health. Issues of access, quality and cost of care,
especially as they affect populations at risk, are explored from a social
work context. Topics to be considered include the impact of physical
and mental illness on individual and family functioning and the
development of individual and family coping mechanisms.
- three semester hours

•SWK 352 Social Work with the Aging (SS)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
This course provides an overview of issues in the field of gerontology
as well as an introduction to various intervention techniques for
working with the elderly. Social service programs and social policies
affecting the aged will be examined. (Methods of empowering the
aged will be explored.) Appreciation for and empowerment of longliving
people will be emphasized. This is a required course for the
gerontology minor.
- three semester hours 

•SWK 353 Children’s Services (SS)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
This course provides an overview of the problems, needs and rights
of children and their families. Emphasis will be placed on increasing
sensitivity to gender, racial and cultural factors that affect the provision
of child welfare service to populations at risk. Basic counseling
techniques that can be used in empowering children in child welfare
settings will also be presented.
- three semester hours

•SWK 354 Social Work with Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse (SS)
Prerequisite: SWK 100
This course will examine the role of the social worker in the treatment
and prevention of alcoholism and substance abuse. Such topics
as client assessment, counseling issues and techniques, self-help and
recovery, and social policy issues will be examined. The efficacy of
preventive efforts with diverse populations will be analyzed.
- three semester hours

•SWK 405 and 406 Honors Thesis I and II (WI)
This course allows a social work honors student to engage in
substantive research related to the field. The research will conclude in
a written thesis or an original project, and an oral defense.
- three semester hours

SWK 420 Practice Methods II:
Groups, Organizations, Communities
Prerequisites: SWK 310, SWK 320, co-requisite: SWK 425 and
SWK 427 (majors only)
This course focuses on developing the skills necessary for effective
generalist social work practice with large groups, organizations and
communities. The course teaches the skills of community organizing
from an empowerment perspective. Content areas that are explored
include: historical goals of community organizing, empowerment
and community organizations, mobilization and social action, feminist
perspectives on community organizing, and social workers as managers.
- three semester hours
- offered in fall semester
134

SWK 425 Field Practicum Seminar I (WI)
Prerequisite: SWK 320, co-requisite SWK 427 (majors only)
Students attend a weekly two-hour seminar that integrates the
field practicum with the social work curriculum. Students present
and analyze their own client cases. Special topics such as brief solution
therapy, crisis intervention and policy advocacy will be discussed.
- three semester hours
- offered in fall semester

•SWK 426 Field Practicum Seminar II (WI)
Prerequisite: SWK 420, SWK 425 and SWK 427;
co-requisite SWK 428 (majors only)
This course is a continuation of SWK 425. Students attend a
weekly two-hour seminar that integrates the field practicum with the
social work curriculum. Students present and analyze their own client
cases. A variety of topics, such as group techniques, art therapy, treatment
of sexual problems, and elements of mediation will be discussed.
- three semester hours
- offered in spring semester 

•SWK 427 Field Practicum I
Prerequisite: SWK 320, Co-requisites SWK 420 and SWK 425
(majors only)
Students must complete a field practicum application process.
Students spend two full days per week in the fall semester in a
community agency working under the supervision of a qualified
social work practitioner. Students apply the theoretical social work
material learned in classes to real life situations.
- three semester hours
- offered in fall semester

•SWK 428 Field Practicum II
Prerequisites: SWK 420, SWK 425, SWK 427;
co-requisite SWK 426 (majors only)
This course is a continuation of SWK 427. Students spend two
full days per week during the spring semester in a community agency
working under the supervision of a qualified social work practitioner.
Students apply the theoretical social work material learned in classes
to real life situations.
- three semester hours
- offered in spring semester

•SWK 450 Social Work with Families (SS)
Prerequisites: SWK 100, recommended SWK 310
This course introduces the student to social work methods of
working with family dynamics and family counseling. Various aspects
of family functioning will be explored with an emphasis on social
problems confronting families, issues of ethnic and cultural difference,
and efficacy of social work intervention methods and techniques.
Ways of supporting and empowering families will be actively examined.
- three semester hours

SWK 493 and 494 Social Work Internship/Co-Op
Prerequisites: SWK 100 and SWK 200
A work-study program providing relevant employment experience.
The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and
practical work experience, thus lending relevancy to learning and
providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities.
Registration is to be arranged through the Chairperson.
- three to six semester hours
- offered in summer