Skip to Main Content

Social Work (SWK)

SWK 2310 - Introduction to Social Work - 3 credits

Fall Semester

Social work practice is guided by ethics, knowledge, and skills. This course provides an overview of the history and philosophical values of social welfare in the United States. Emphasis is placed on various roles of social workers, the generalist method, cultural competence, ecological and systems theory, the strengths perspective, and responses to the needs of poor families and populations at risk such as the elderly, children, sexual minorities, and people of color. Also addressed are changing trends in society and how they affect social work practice.

SWK 2410 - Working with Individuals - 3 credits

Spring Semester

Introduces students to the systems model, which enables them to view individuals in relation to family, social network, privilege, race, gender, and community. Knowledge of both historical and current social trends is examined as it relates to providing mental health services to men, women, children, and culturally diverse populations. The student will develop basic interviewing, assessment, relationship building, and goal-setting skills. The theoretical value-based and skill-oriented learning is integrated using case studies. Students will learn to plan and implement intervention strategies.

SWK 2420 - Working with Groups and Communities - 3 credits

Alternate Spring Semesters

Develops intervention skills in small groups. advocacy and community organizations. Methods and skills designed to help both the group as a whole and individual members are explored and analyzed. The course also provides an introduction to community, organizational analysis and intervention. Locally based organizing and social planning techniques are studied. (Same course as SOC 2420).

SWK 3000 - Advocacy in Social Work Practice: Community Organization, Management and Policy Evaluation - 3 credits

Fall Semester

This course complements SWK 2310 where students are exposed to social welfare concepts, policies and approaches as well as the impact of social welfare programs on populations at risk for oppression and marginalization.  This course explores macro practice in the context of community organization, management and policy analysis.  Emphasis placed on the development of intervention and advocacy strategies to achieve change and build capacity in organizations and communities in order to influence social welfare policies and political processes. This is a required course in the Social Work minor but can be taken by any student at the college. 

This course meets the General Education Information Literacy Enhancement requirement.

SWK 3390 - Crisis Intervention - 3 credits

Alternate Spring Semesters

Designed to familiarize participants with a definition of crisis from the standpoint of the individual, the family, and a larger social context. Students will develop a specialized understanding of life crises such as adolescence, family violence, and disaster from the perspective of systems theory, learning theory, and developmental theory, using ethnographic materials. Operational models of intervention will be examined. (Same course as SOC 3390).

Prerequisite: Any 2000-level Sociology course.

SWK 3450 - Experiential Learning (Internships) - 3 credits

Requires students to work weekly in field placement and to participate in a seminar or conferences with faculty supervisor. Field experience sites are selected jointly by the student and instructor.

Corequisite: SOC 3450SM.

Prerequisites:

  1. Completion of SOC/CJ 2340 with a grade of C- or better;

  2. A 2.5 cumulative average overall;

  3. No outstanding “Incomplete” in an earlier field placement.

SWK 3450SM - Sociology Internship Seminar - 0 credits

This seminar is required for all students doing an internship in Sociology settings and must be taken during the semester of the Internship. Students must arrange an Internship with the guidance of the Sociology and Criminal Justice Internship Coordinator. In addition to spending time each week in the field supervised by placement personnel and the faculty member/ course instructor students will integrate that learning with weekly on campus course meetings and assignments, discussing practice based learning, reviewing their field experiences, and documenting their learning.

Corequisite: SWK 3450.