Elective courses are open to all students.
SWK 230 Global Peace and Social Development
This course offers a framework for understanding sustainable social and economic
development and non-violent social change. Case studies present examples
of how social work and human services function in a global context and
are vital to fostering peace, human rights, and well-being.
SWK 257 Exploring Human Services
In this service learning course, students explore human services and especially
social work as a major and as a career. In addition to attending class, students
work alongside helping professionals in the community. Students gain a foundational
understanding of the intersections between basic human needs, allocation
of resources, and political structures, and they examine how the allocation
of resources affects diverse groups.
SWK 260 Humans Developing
This course helps students to examine critically factors influencing human
growth and development within diverse and oppressed groups. Students come
to understand human growth throughout life and the biological, psychological,
and socio-cultural factors that influence the development of individuals,
groups, and families.
SWK 280 Diversity and Inequality in Professional Practice
This course explores diversity and social inequality as they relate to professional
practice in social work and other helping professions. Building cultural
competence in work with diverse populations, students learn through dialogue,
reading, experiential exercises, and community observation. (Prereq. or
concurrent registration: SOC 265 Race, Class and Gender)
SWK 301 History and the Analysis of Social Policy
The history of social workers, social movements, and changing social norms in
Europe, North America, and globally profoundly affects social welfare policy
today and tomorrow. In this course, students learn how historical events, policies,
and programs influenced today’s social responses to human needs.
(Prereq.: junior standing or consent of instructor)
SWK 406 Social Work Practice III: With Communities and Policies
Students learn how community organizations, human service agencies, and
social policies emerge in western society. Students study how to organize communities
for empowerment, how to assist human service agencies to adapt,
and how to influence local, regional, and national policies. (Prereq.: senior
standing or consent of instructor)
Courses Reserved for Social Work Majors Only
SWK 306 Social Work Practice I: With Individuals
Students develop foundational social work practice knowledge, skills, and values
while learning to interview, assess, set goals, and work with individual
clients. Course readings, class participation, simulations, and role-plays provide
learning opportunities for students to build skills necessary for generalist
social work practice with individuals, families, and groups. Emphasis is on
holistic practice applying the strength-based problem solving approach and
working with diverse populations.
SWK 307 Field Work I: Integrative Seminar
Students begin applying practice knowledge and skills in their first social
work practicum. Social work professionals in regional human service agencies
supervise students in a full-year field placement. Students also synthesize their
course-based learning with their supervised training through participation in
weekly integrative seminars. Students complete a minimum of 120 hours of
supervised practice in the fall term. (SWK 307 is concurrent with SWK 306
and is the first of two courses required in the junior year practicum, P/N grading
only.)
SWK 316 Social Work Practice II: With Families and Groups
Students continue to develop generalist social work practice knowledge, skills,
and values while learning to interview families and facilitate groups. Emphasis
is on holistic practice applying the strength-based problem solving approach
and working with diverse groups and families.
SWK 317 Field Work II: Integrative Seminar
This course is a continuation of SWK 307. Students apply practice knowledge
and skills in their first social work practicum. Students synthesize their
course-based learning with their supervised training through participation in
weekly integrative seminars. Students complete a minimum of 120 hours of
supervised practice in the spring term. (SWK 317 is concurrent with SWK 316
and is the second of two courses required in the junior year practicum, P/N
grading only.)
SWK 402 Research I: Fundamentals of Social Work Research and
Evaluation (.5 course)
Students are introduced to basic social research methods commonly used in
social work research. Students learn how to access and understand current
knowledge and evidence for effectiveness in social work practice and programs.
Students also learn the foundational skills in planning and proposing
research strategies as applied to practice evaluation. (This half course is in
sequence with SWK 403 and is concurrent to SWK 406.)
SWK 403 Research II: Evaluation of Social Work Practice and
Programs (.5 course)
Building on the work in SWK 402, students plan and complete an evaluation
of agency-based social work interventions. Students learn to gather and interpret
evidence for change using data analysis strategies for both quantitative
and qualitative information. (Prereq.: SWK 402 and MPG 3)
SWK 407 Field Work III: Integrative Seminar
Social work professionals in regional human service agencies supervise students
in a senior year field placement. Students synthesize their advanced
course learning with their supervised training through participation in weekly
integrative seminars. Students complete a minimum of 120 hours of supervised
practice in the fall term. (SWK 407 is concurrent with SWK 406 and is
the first of two courses required in the senior year practicum, P/N grading
only.)
SWK 417 Field Work IV: Integrative Seminar
This course is a continuation of SWK 407. Social work students synthesize
their advanced course learning with their supervised training through participation
in weekly integrative seminars. Students complete a minimum of 120
hours of supervised practice in the spring term. (SWK 417 is concurrent with
SWK 419 and is the second of two courses required in the senior year
practicum, P/N grading only.)
SWK 490 The Social Worker as Professional
This course, which meets the senior keystone course requirement in the
Augsburg Core Curriculum, is the summative seminar in the social work
major. Students learn organizational analysis and methods for agency change
as well as reflect on vocation in social welfare, engage in career planning,
study ethical practice principles, and prepare to engage in professional social
work practice. (Prereq.: senior social work status required)
Internships and Independent Study Courses:
SWK 295 Topics:
Special themes in social work specified in subtitle.
SWK 499 Independent Study/Research