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Enjoy learning practical insights from some of the best social work practitioners and professors in the field. In Roberts Wesleyan's accelerated Bachelor's of Social Work program in Rochester, your faculty and advisors will take a personal interst in your success and support you every step of the way.

SOWK 1030 | Introduction to Contemporary Social Work | 3 credits

This course is the beginning level course that acquaints students with the development of social work as a profession; the philosophy and value base of the profession; a generalist method of social work practice; and the diversity of settings in which generalist social work is practiced. Though it will introduce the student to all ten of our profession's core competencies, three will be given special attention. Course fee applicable.

SOWK 2050 | Diversity and Oppression | 3 credits

This foundation course is designed to provide students with knowledge of human diversity and social and economic justice in our nation and the world. Its goal is to help produce a culturally sensitive professional by increasing one’s cultural awareness, promoting one’s knowledge acquisition, and assisting in one’s skill development. A goal is for students to complete this course with a better understanding of themselves and of the diverse groups that will be examined. Also listed as SOCS 2050.

SOWK 3010 | Social Welfare History and Services | 3 credits

This course helps examines the history of U.S. social welfare policies and programs in the context of economic, political, religious, and social systems. In addition, this course examines the underlying implicit and explicit values of social welfare efforts. During this course, students will understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination considers social as they engage in the advancement of social and economic justice. Students will also analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance social well-being. Attention will be given to considering economic, ethical, religious, and/or personal values as they affect and are affected by social welfare. Prerequisite: PSYC 1010.

SOWK 3020 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 credits

This course is designed to provide students with knowledge about the complexities of the human experience in relation to various macro systems. The course begins with an orientation to key social systems theories to help students understand dimensions of human behavior in the social environment. Students will then learn to apply social systems theories as they critically think about the macro systems impacting communities, families, and individuals. During this course, students will critically examine how various systems impact individuals from a psycho-social and spiritual perspective. In addition, students will learn about changing locales, populations, scientific and technological developments, and emerging societal trends so that they are equipped to provide leadership in promoting sustainable changes to improve the quality of social services. Assignments are designed to 1) help students assess and integrate multiple sources of information; 2) utilize conceptual frameworks to guide the processes of assessment, intervention, and evaluation; 3) critique and apply knowledge to understand person and environment; and 3) demonstrate effective oral and written communication.

SOWK 3080 | Social Welfare Policy | 3 credits

This course focuses on basic concepts underlying the creation of social policy and its analysis. It examines the interaction of social policies and programs. Students will be introduced to the analysis of legislation and the legislative process and apply critical thinking to advance social and economic justice. Students will engage in an advocacy project utilizing social work ethical principles as a guide for professional practice. During this course, attention will be given to understand how personal and societal values impact social policy. Students will also examine how their own values impact their views on social policy. This course builds on previous learning. Students will be expected to employ their knowledge from the Social Welfare Services course where the historical groundwork was laid for current policy directions. Prerequisite: SOWK 3010.

SOWK 3100 | Social Work Practice: Individuals | 3 credits

This course applies the generalist model to practice with individuals in a variety of social work settings. The content covers basic communication skills, treatment planning, and intervention skills that can be applied to working with individuals. Self-awareness; professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication; recognizing the impact of diversity; and the skills of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation are highlighted in the course content. Prerequisites: SOWK 1030 and completed application to the major.

SOWK 3110 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | 3 credits

The primary focus of this course is to help the student understand the interaction of the biological, social, and psychological systems with human behavior, as they impact the life span from infancy through late adulthood. Also, special attention is given to specific issues and life events, diversity, and theory, as related to each of the phases of the life span.

SOWK 3120 | Social Work Practice: Families | 3 credits

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with social work practice within diverse family settings. Building upon the knowledge base provided by earlier courses, Practice with Families will apply five core competencies and six operationalized practice behaviors. In this course, students will identify and explore family compositions, their rules, roles, relationships, and rituals. They will be trained and evaluated on their ability to work ethically, think critically, engage sensitively, assess and intervene in class and in the emergency room trauma simulation lab. Prerequisite: SOWK 1030 and completed application to the major.

SOWK 4040 | Social Work Research Methods | 3 credits

The techniques and methods of social work research are introduced and studied through course materials and the completion of an agency-based, group research project. Included are formulating research questions, understanding and implementing research design, measurement, constructing surveys, writing research reports, dealing with ethical issues, and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. This course prepares the student to understand and implement aspects of Evidence-based Practice in social work settings.

SOWK 4050 | Social Work Practice: Groups | 3 credits

This course includes social work theory, knowledge, and practice with the dynamics of groups, to gain the practice skills needed to prepare the student for generalist level social work with small groups. The skills of self-awareness; attending to professional roles and boundaries; ethical decision-making; analyzing and applying different practice approaches; effective communication; and the ability to engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate within a group setting are all highlighted. It includes content on the knowledge, values, and skills to enhance the well-being of people and to aid in the reformation of the environmental conditions that affect people adversely. Prerequisite: SOWK 3100 or permission of instructor.

SOWK 4070 | Social Work Practice: Communities & Organizations | 3 credits

This course concentrates on the history, philosophies, principles, and intervention strategies common to community organizations, social planning, and administration of social welfare agencies. Case materials are presented to highlight some of the techniques used in these practice areas. Various forms of macro practice are highlighted for discussion and learning purposes. During this course, students will conduct a community needs assessment to engage and assess communities and organizations. Students will then initiate a macro intervention project using the knowledge gained from their needs assessment to intervene as change agents in community practice. Students will also evaluate the effectiveness of their completed intervention. Throughout this course, students will utilize critical thinking, engage in research-informed practice, and respond to the community context from a psycho, social, spiritual perspective. Prerequisite: SOWK 3080.

SOWK 4100 | Spirituality and Social Work Practice | 3 credits

This capstone course endeavors to assist students to integrate spirituality with the professional social work perspective on helping. It provides a comparative analysis of social work values and ethics with Biblical ethics and teachings. A major emphasis of this course is placed on helping students to integrate their unique spirituality/worldview with their practice as a social work professional. Emphasis is also placed on ethical decision making; spiritual self-awareness; analysis of models of spiritual assessment; the demonstration of sensitivity, awareness, and understanding of the client’s spirituality; and the ability to engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate in practice settings in spiritually sensitive ways.

SOWK 4500 | Field Instruction II | 12 credits

Field Instruction is a supervised block placement completed in the practice field 30 hours a week, with a 2-hour seminar class for theoretical integration held one day a week. The seminar will have weekly assignments, designed to facilitate the integration of the program’s core competencies and learning from the classroom and field. This course has specific assignments which integrate theory and field experience from the student’s internship. This course addresses the development of the core competencies of social work practice within the field setting. Significant emphasis is placed on the professional roles and boundaries of social work; the importance of difference in providing services to clients; the policy contexts of services; the application of aspects of Evidence-based Practice; the demonstration of effective oral and written communication in working with client systems; understanding and utilizing conceptual frameworks to guide the processes of assessment, intervention, and evaluation; and the function of social workers in the engagement, planning, intervention, and evaluation phases of planned change.

Total credits: 48


Related Majors

Social Work, MSW - The MSW program has a vision to lead the advancement of integrating Christian faith with social work practice, scholarship, and service en route to an MSW degree.
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