COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
SCWK 111: Introduction to Social Work
3 credits, fall
This is the first course in the Social Work program and is required for all other courses in the
Social Work Sequence. It provides the student an opportunity to learn about Social Work and
exposes him/her to the field of Social Work Practice. Students are also required to participate
in field observation in an agency setting for 3 hours per week.
SCWK 211: Intro to Gerontology
3 credits, fall
An overview of the study of gerontology. Examines aging in America, stereotypes, theories on
aging, adult development, work and living environments, and selected problems of the
elderly. This course has a service-learning component.
SCWK 212: Social Problems, Services and Issues
3 credits
This is the foundation course of the Social policy sequence and is required for admission to
the Social Work Program. It is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the
nature and scope of social welfare service in the United States. In addition to its primary
purpose of introducing students to the social policy process, this course provides students
with an opportunity to evaluate their career choices. There is a 20 hour volunteer component
to this course.
SCWK 220: Dying, Death and Bereavement
3 credits
This course explores dying, death and grief, a topic of interest to personnel in the human
service and related professions. Issues discussed are theories of dying, death and bereavement
with aged, and assessments and interventions with clients and their families. Social cultural
differences in attitude and behavior toward death as well as ethical, legal issues, resources
and support services are explored.
SCWK 221: Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
3 credits
This is the introductory course to understanding human behavior. Here we focus on the social
environment and apply theoretical frameworks in order to put human behavior into
perspective. In this course students begin to study the person from a biological perspective,
looking at the major systems of the human body. We also examine psychological and
sociological theories and knowledge by looking at cognition, emotion, the self as well as stress
and coping. This course also examines the impact of culture, spirituality, the physical
environment and social institutions in shaping human behavior. Finally, this course addresses
different sized social systems from formal organizations, communities, groups and the family.
Students begin to see how social systems promote or defer health and well being.
SCWK 222: Human Behavior and the Social Environment II
3 credits
This is the continuation of HBSE I. This course takes a person-in-environment focus across the
life span. For each stage in the Life Cycle biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual
variables that influence development are identified. This course addresses the impact of
various size systems on human behaviors as well as issues of discrimination and social/
economic justice.
SCWK 223: Human Behavior and the Social Environment III
3 credits
Human Biology. Examination of the major human biological systems with a special emphasis
on understanding the brain and the effects of drugs and alcohol.
SCWK 230: Human Diversity
3 credits
This course studies the impact of discrimination and inequality on specific and generalized
collectivities (groups) in our environment. Particular and specific attention will be given to
the more vulnerable populations of women, gay and lesbians, and minorities of color. The
course will examine the response(s) offered by specific disciplines (i.e., professional social
work) and by the larger society, as they relate to discrimination and inequality. Methods to
celebrate differences are explored.
SCWK 315: Bio Medical Aspects of Aging
3 credits
This course is designed to acquaint students with the biological and medical changes
occurring in the organs of man during the aging process. Course will include a layman's
discussion of the aging and pathological process of the organs as well as common medical
pharmacological, and surgical treatments of these organ systems.
SCWK 316: Counseling Older Adults
3 credits
This course will identify various areas impacting lives of the "young" old, "middle" old, and
the "old" old. Misconceptions, stereotypes, and biases toward the aging process will be
explored. The course focuses on assessment, counseling interventions, and techniques
designed to enrich the world of the mature adult and their families.
SCWK 322: Correctional Counseling and Case Management
3 credits
An examination of strategies for affecting offender behavior change by correctional
counseling and case management in both institutional and community based settings.
Emphasis will be on functional and contemporary approaches. CRJS elective.
Prerequisite: CRJS 201
SCWK 328: Drugs of Abuse
3 credits
The U.S. has the highest rate of drug abuse of any industrialized country in the world. This
course is designed to provide the student with a broad understanding and insight into drug
abuse within American society and it's impact upon society in general. The primary focus
will be on how the criminal justice system, health care system, and other institutions attempt
to deal with the nations' drug problem. The course will focus on what has been done in the
past by society about the drug problem, what is and what is not working now, and what
needs to be done in the future.
SCWK 330: The Juvenile Justice System
3 credits, Spring and Distance Learning (Internet)
An analysis of the justice system as it relates to the disposition of cases involving the juvenile
offender. Where appropriate, a comparative analysis with the adult process will be
emphasized.
SCWK 332: Balance and Restorative Justice
3 credits
This course introduces the student to the state of the art in juvenile justice. It provides the
student with an understanding and a working knowledge of the key principles in balanced
and restorative justice. Key issues that will be addressed are how to implement and measure
these principles.
SCWK 333: Victimology
3 credits
This course will examine the plight of victims including child maltreatment, domestic violence,
victimization at work and school. It further explores the extent of homicide victimization. In
reviewing the above mentioned topics, guest speakers with expertise in these areas will present
their viewpoints on the extent of victimology. Throughout this course, the BARJ principle will
be the focus in balancing the victim's role in the criminal justice system.
SCWK 336: Mental Health and the Elderly
3 credits
Factors involved in successful aging and maintenance of healthy personality functioning are
investigated. The most common psychological disorders of the elderly are considered from
etiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects.
Prerequisite: GERO 211
SCWK 355: Seminar in Emotional and Behavior Disorders
3 credits
This course is designed to identify the characteristics, terminology, etiology, and definition of
children identified with emotional and behavioral disorders. Focus will be given to the
methods and techniques utilized to diagnose and categorize children identified in this
category. This course will discuss the perceptions, controversies, incidence, and prevalence of
children with emotional and behavioral disorders.
SCWK 358: Instructional and Therapeutic Interventions for Treatment Design
3 credits
This course is designed to identify the instructional and therapeutic interventions for children
with emotional and behavioral disorders in the home, community and in the schools. This
course will provide hands-on experience with assessments, evaluations, curriculum, treatment
plans, and individualized educational programs. Content includes evaluating therapeutic and
instructional interventions, social skills development, group and individual counseling
techniques, positive behavioral support plans, and conflict resolution techniques.
SCWK 360: Interviewing Skills
3 credits
This course introduces students to the basic interpersonal helping skills using a problem
solving model. Students are expected to demonstrate understanding of the relationship of
interpersonal skills to social work practice and to demonstrate initial mastery of the basic
helping skills.
SCWK 361: Introduction to Generalist Practice
3 credits
Emphasis is placed on introducing students to a generalist problem-solving practice framework
that is applicable across a wide range of settings, problems and different size systems.
Prerequisite: SCWK 360
SCWK 362: Generalist Practice with Families/Groups
3 credits
This is a continuation of SCWK 361. It is designed to reinforce, deepen and expand the
student's knowledge of the generalist problem-solving practice framework with particular
emphasis on recognizing its utility in working with groups and the family size systems.
Prerequisite: SCWK 361
SCWK 363: Generalist Practice with Organizations/Communities
3 credits
This course, continuing with the generalist problem-solving practice framework, focuses on a
generalist approach to practice with community and institutional systems. This course is
designed to be taken concurrently with H1 490 (Field Placement I) and facilitates the
integration of field experience with course content.
Prerequisites: SCWK 361 and SCWK 362
SCWK 364: Social Welfare Policy, Programs and Issues
3 credits
This course analyzes social welfare policy, programs and services. In addition to developing
conceptual understanding, students will begin to develop skills in policy analysis using the
policies of local community agencies as case illustrations. The impact of State, Federal, and
global policies on social welfare are explored.
Prerequisite: SCWK 212, SCWK 361
SCWK 365: Applied Behavioral Analysis and Intervention
3 credits
This course is designed to identify the components of applied behavioral analysis and the
development of effective behavioral interventions, pertaining to children and adolescents
with emotional and behavioral disorders. Focus is given to identification of the causes and
functions of behaviors, the assessment and diagnosis of behavioral issues, and the
development and implementation of effective behavioral and therapeutic plans. The students
will be able to assess, develop, implement, and evaluate effective behavioral and therapeutic
plans using a variety of positive behavioral support and management techniques.
SCWK 370: Interagency Collaboration and Consultation
3 credits
This course is designed to develop the role of the behavior specialist as an effective
collaborator in the various agencies, within the home, community, and school setting. The
course will develop communication skills, differentiate between the roles of collaboration and
consultation, develop effective resolution skills, and discuss the ethical and legal
responsibilities of the behavior specialist.
SCWK 380: Social Work Research Methods
3 credits
In addition to familiarizing students with the evidence-based practice model, this course will
assist students in developing beginning knowledge and skill in evaluating their practice and
in conducting evaluation research. The relationship between epistemological approaches,
theory, and research methods are explored. Students will be challenged to compare traditional
or dominant paradigms that guide research to less known and seldom used alternative
paradigms that may provide a different perspective to learning or generating research
knowledge. Within the generalist practice framework students will learn that they are both a
consumer and a producer of empirically based knowledge. The elements of ethical scientific
inquiry and research practice also will be taught from a historical context that highlights the
necessity for NASW Code of Ethics Standards for Research. (Pre-requisite SCWK361) Students
will learn research methods by "doing" research. Participating in a semester long research
project, they will incorporate a variety of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, an
extensive literature review and description of research methods and analytic designs.
Students will learn how to effectively communicate the results of their research to both
academic audiences and program-based practitioners. Students will be challenged to critically
think about and discuss their findings and the implications their results may have in
improving service delivery and program outcomes, initiating change in social policy or
adjusting the perception of problems associated with particular populations.
Prerequisite: SCWK 361
SCWK 390-394: Special Topics in Social Work
3 credits
Topics of special and/or current interest in all areas of Social Work will be covered. The topics
will vary from year to year, depending on the faculty resources and the needs of the students.
SCWK 395-399: Independent Study
3 credits
SCWK 400: Social Work Senior Integrating Seminar I
2 credits
This course is intended to help students integrate knowledge along with developing and
refining skills for beginning professional Social Work practice. Students will use specific
episodes of services (live cases) from their field experience in this course.
Concurrent with SCWK 363, SCWK 490
SCWK 401: Social Work Senior Integrating Seminar II
1 credit
A continuation of SCWK 400 intended to facilitate the integration of knowledge, along with
the development and refining of skills for beginning Social Work Practice. Taken concurrently
with SCWK 491.
Prerequisite: SCWK 400.
SCWK 475: Behavioral Specialist Practicum
6 credits
This course is an opportunity for criminal justice, education, social work, and psychology
majors with a Behavior Specialist minor to engage in participant observation, Skill Streaming
and Applied Behavior analysis or other related activities as tutors/mentors that place the intern
in direct contact with the juvenile clients in a supervised setting. The intern is required to
engage in such activities for a minimum of 6 credit hours during an entire semester or over
several semesters to satisfy 300 hours. Open only to students with a minimum of 2.5 GPA and
have fulfilled all prerequisite courses. A maximum of 6 credits can be attributed to this field
placement. The Alternative Education Program is designed to provide the behavioral, emotional
and educational needs of the disruptive secondary level student in a school setting. Through the
use of small groups, academic instruction, technology enhancement, mentorship and life skills
counseling, each student's most severe behavioral and academic needs will be addressed.
Prerequisite: SCWK 355, 358, 365
SCWK 490 & 491: Social Work Field Placement I and II
6 credits
In field placement, students are expected to demonstrate in specific and concrete ways taht
they are prepared as beginning professional generalist practitioners to work with all size
systems from individual, family, group, organization and community. It is the program's
expectation that students will not only use the values and ethics that they have acquired
through their liberal arts foundation and the social work curriculum but that they will
actively promote these values and ethics in agency settings. The field component by its very
nature of exposing students to real and complex life situations demonstrates and requires
students and field instructors to seek new social work knowledge in order to find the best
solutions to meet the client systems needs.
Corequisite: SCWK 363, 400
SCWK 495: Advanced Interviewing Skills
3 credits
This course will focus on two very similar approaches to interviewing: solution focused and
motivational interviewing. Both approaches are similar and reinforce each other and both
approaches are aimed at what professionals label difficult clients. The course requires a basic
understanding and skill in using basic interviewing skills. These skills will be quickly reviewed
and then students will learn both solution focused and motivational interviewing.
Prerequisite: SCWK 360
Social Work Curriculum
(Numerals in front of courses indicate credits)
FRESHMAN
Fall Semester
3 College Composition/LENG 111
3 Political Science/POLI 111
3 Social Work/SCWK 111
3 Sacred Scriptures/LTHE 121
3 Introduction to Philosophy/LPHI 131
15
Spring Semester
3 Crit Analysis & Comp/LENG 112
3 Hist of West & World/LHST 111
3 Philosophy II Series/LPHI
3 Psychology/PSYC 111
3 PC Applications/CIS 170,171,172,173
3 Social Problems, Services, Issues/SCWK 212
18
SOPHOMORE
Fall Semester
3 Literature Series/LENG
3 Theology II Series/LTHE/THEO
3 Hum Beh & Soc Env I/SCWK 221
3 Human Diversity/SCWK 230
3 Electives
3 Fine Art Series/LFIN
18
Spring Semester
3 Elective
3 Political Science/POLI 122
3 Math
2 Electives
3 Interviewing Skills/SCWK 360
3 Hum Behav & Soc Env II/SCWK 222
17
JUNIOR
Fall Semester
3 Statistics/SOCI 351
3 Hum Beh & Soc Env III/SCWK 223
3 Intro to Generalist Practice/SCWK 361
3 Theology or Phil III Series/LTHE or LPHI
3 Elective
15
Spring Semester
3 Generalist Practice with Families/Groups/SCWK 362
3 Social Welfare Policy, Prog & Issues/SCWK 364
1 LibrRsrch/Info Skills/LIBR 111
3 Social Work Research Meth/ SCWK 380
3 Organizational Behavior/MGMT 316
or Ethical & Social Responsibility/MGMT 360
2 Electives
15
SENIOR
Fall Semester
6 Social Work Field Placement I/SCWK 490
3 Generalist Pract with Organiz/Comm/SCWK 363
3 Electives
2 Social Work Senior Integrating Sem I/SCWK 400
14
Spring Semester
6 Social Work Field Placement II/SCWK 491
1 Social Work Senior Integrating Seminar II/SCWK 401
9 Elective
16
THE NEXT STEP
Baccalaureate Degree Program for Graduates of Two Year Colleges
Social Work
(Numerals in front of courses indicate credits)
Pre-Senior Year
3 HBSE I/SCWK 221
3 Human Behavior in the Social
3 Environment II/SCWK 222
3 Intro to Generalist Practice/SCWK 361
3 Generalist Practice with families/groups/SCWK 362
3 Social Welfare Policy, Programs and Issues/SCWK 364
3 Human Diversity/SCWK 230
3 Statistics for the Social Sciences/SOCI 351
1 Libr Rsrch/Info Skills/LIBR 111
3 Intro to Philosophy/LPHI 131
3 Sacred Scriptures/LTHE 121
3 Literature Series/LENG
3 Fine Art Series/LFIN
34
Senior Year
3 Interviewing Skills/SCWK 360
3 Generalist Practice with Organization/Communities/SCWK 363
6 Social Work Field Placement I/SCWK 490
6 Social Work Field Placement II/ SCWK 491
2 Social Work Senior Integrating Seminar I/SCWK 400
1 Social Work Senior Integrating Seminar II/SCWK 401
3 HBSE III/SCWK 223
3 Elective
3 Theology or Phil III Series/LTHE or LPHI
3 Social Work Research Methods/ SCWK 380
33
**Academic credit is not given for Life Experience.
A minor in social work is intended to expand the knowledge and skills of individuals who
hope to work in correctional settings, probation, group homes, mental health agencies, and
other human service settings.
3 SCWK 111 Intro to Social Work
3 SCWK 212 Social Problems, Services, and Issues
3 SCWK 230 Human Diversity
3 SCWK 360 Interviewing Skills
3 SCWK 361 Intro to Generalist Practice
3 SCWK 362 Generalist Practice with Families/Groups
18 credits
