Social Work Department
- Course Descriptions
COURSES OPEN TO ALL STUDENTSSWK 210 Environmental Justice and Social Change
This course examines the relationship between environmental justice issues and principles and methods of social change. It explores the relationship between environmental damage and damage to human populations, the differential effect of environmental damage on specific populations, and the ways social change agents can mobilize action to correct these injustices. (Elective credit)
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. (Elective credit)
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 3: 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 1: 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 1: 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 2: 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 2: 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 1: Fundamentals of Social Work Research and Evaluation (0.5 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 with SWK 406 and SWK 407.)
SWK 403 Research 2: Evaluation of Social Work Practice and Programs (0.5 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. This course is concurrent with SWK 417 and SWK 490.)
SWK 407 Field Work 3: 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 402 and SWK 406, and is the first of two courses required in the senior year practicum, P/N grading only.)
SWK 417 Field Work 4: 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 403 and SWK 490, 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. This course is concurrent with SWK 403 and SWK 417.)
Internships and Independent Study Courses:
SWK 199 Internship
SWK 295 Topics:
Special themes in social work specified in subtitle.
SWK 299 Directed Study
SWK 399 Internship
SWK 499 Independent Study/Research