Social Work


LOWER DIVISION

SW 104. Introduction to Social Work & Social Work Institutions (3). Central ideas, values, and methods from perspectives of historical background and contemporary fields of service. Emphasis: human diversity. GE. DCG.

SW 255. Beginning Social Work Experience (2). Beginning experience in social service. Acquire skills and develop understanding of social work ethics, values, and roles in a diverse society. 80-minute weekly seminar; 60 hrs volunteer work per semester.


UPPER DIVISION

SW 330. Social Work Policy (4). Development, formation, implementation. Ecological perspective. Analyze major social legislation and develop strategies for improving policies and services. Prereq: SW major. Coreq: SW 341, SW 351, SW 356.

SW 340. Social Work Methods I (4). Generalist method: build relationships, gather information, assess, formulate interventions. Build on ecological theory. Explore personal processes involved in becoming a helper. Prereq: SW major. Coreq: SW 350, SW 382.

SW 341. Social Work Methods II (4). Expand understanding of generalist method. Emphasis: intervening, evaluating, and terminating the helping relationship. Build on ecological theory while preparing for practice. Case recording. Develop as self-helper. Prereq: SW major. Coreq: SW 330, SW 351, SW 356.

SW 350. Human Behavior & the Social Environment I (4). Using ecological model, integrate biological, psychological, social, and cultural approaches in understanding experiences from conception to early adolescence. Diversity from individual, familial, and cultural perspectives, including gender, sexual orientation. Foundation course. Prereq: SW major. Coreq: SW 340, SW 382.

SW 351. Human Behavior & the Social Environment II (4). Build on SW 350. Focus: late adolescence through advanced age/dying process. Developmental life cycle in context of family and environment. Prereq: SW major. Coreq: SW 330, SW 341, SW 356.

SW 355. Social Agency Experience (2). Skills, knowledge, values, and roles as practiced by professionals. Social work as helping endeavor. 80-minute seminar weekly; 60 hours volunteer work per semester. SW major. Junior standing.

SW 356. Social Work Field Preparation (1). Lab to prepare senior field experience. Prereq: SW major. Coreq: SW 330, SW 341, SW 351. Weekly: twice for 2 hrs.

SW 382. Social Work Research (4). Use research (policy development; professional wisdom using the general method) to enhance knowledge, methods, and skills. Ethics; question formulation; measurement; sampling; design methodology; evaluation and analysis. Prereq: SW major. Coreq: SW 340, SW 350.

SW 431 / SOC 431. Juvenile Delinquency (4). Contemporary knowledge. Community response; prevention; rehabilitation.

SW 440. Family Social Work (3). Strategies for intervening in the structures/processes of families and other systems. Prereq: Junior standing.

SW 442. Special Issues in Social Work Methods (3). Practice-oriented topics, such as work with particular populations (aged, children) or practice orientations (mental health, medical social work). Rep. Prereqs: Junior standing.

SW 455. Field Experience (5). Two-semester sequence. Develop/apply generalist work skills through guided experience in a social service agency. Supervised by experienced agency field instructor. Weekly: 15 hrs structured agency practice. Rep once. Prereq: senior major. Corequisite: SW 456.

SW 456. Field Experience Seminar (2). Integrate theory and practice. Learn community resources, monitor progress in the agency. Process experiences on practical, conceptual, and ethical levels. Corequisite: SW 455. Rep once.

SW 480. Special Topics (.5-4). Department course schedule has topics. Rep.

SW 494 Social Work Workshop (1-3). Experiential learning by participation. Topics vary across social issues and social work interests. Focus often intensive and short-term. CR/NC. Rep.

SW 499. Directed Study (1-3). Independent study of defined problems through library and/or field research. Rep. Prereq: IA.


GRADUATE

SW 500. Values & Ethics: Philosophy of Social Work (3). Explores value dimensions of social work, ethical decision-making, alternatives to western cultural values/practices with focus on possibilities and limitations inherent in any system of values. Prereq: MSW program admission.

SW 530. Social Welfare Policy & Services (3). Examines economic, historical, political, socio-cultural aspects of social welfare policy; values and ideologies that shape social welfare policy, programs and services; policy formation, advocacy and analysis. Prereq: MSW program admission.

SW 540. Generalist Social Work Practice (3). Applies knowledge and skills for advanced generalist practice guided by the values of social justice and empowerment. Includes skill building lab. Prereq: MSW program admission.

SW 541. Social Work Practice: Native American Communities (3). Builds understanding of the spiritual, historical, and cultural variables affecting the well-being of Native American communities. Includes a lab for learning culturally relevant skills. Prereq: MSW program admission.

SW 550. Human Development, Diversity & Relations (3). Theories in human ralations/development, indigenous and other cultural ways of knowing are examined in the context of shifting paradigms and meaning for daily life experiences. Prereq: MSW program admission.

SW 555. Foundation Internship (3). Foundation community internship, demonstrating students’ knowledge, values, and skills in developing partnerships to benefit people and environmental conditions. Concurent model. 480 total internship hours. Prereq: Completion of “Foundation Year” courses. (C) CR/NC. Rep. once.

SW 570. Dynamics of Groups, Agencies, Organizations (3). Theories of development, and dynamics of larger social systems are examined. Emphasizes diversity, indigenous cultures, social justice and the role of the social worker. Prereq: MSW program admission.

SW 582. Methods of Social Work Research (3). Explores the philosophical, ethical, theoretical and political aspects and methodologies of research, including implications for practice and policy, particularly on rural, indigenous and impoverished communities. Prereq: MSW Program admission.

SW 630. Legal & Political Social Work (3). Examines current law/policy that promotes or inhibits societal development. Explores ways in which community involvement can lead to the realization of social justice. Prereq: complete first year Foundation coursework.

SW 640. Adv Gen Pract Child Welfare/ICW (3). Examines child welfare policies/practices from historical, political, cultural, economic contexts. Emphasizes conceptual, interpersonal, skill building for improving services to indigenous and rural families. Prereq: complete first year Foundation coursework.

SW 641. Adv Gen Pract Mental Health (3). Presents philosophy/theories in mental health practice. Skills/methods in partnering for change with emphasis on intervention/prevention in multi-level practice as they relate to diversity. Prereq: complete first year Foundation coursework.

SW 642. Adv Gen Pract Prblm Subst Use (3). Provides knowledge and theories that explore substance use/abuse problems, and skills for prevention and treatment. Addresses social policies and the prevalence of substance abuse within diverse groups of people. Prereq: Complete first year Foundation coursework.

SW 643. Community Work (3). Prepares students to focus on working with community/social systems to support individual, family, community well-being with emphasis on mobilization/participation of people. Prereq: complete first year foundation courses.

SW 644. Advanced Practice Public/Private Tribal Organizations (3). Emphasizes principles/methods of social work practice for organizational planning, administration, management. Students develop knowledge, values, skills for intra- and inter-agency capacity building. Prereq: complete first year foundation course work.

SW 655. Advanced Internship. Foundation Internship Seminar (3). Advanced community internship demonstrating students’ knowledge, values, and skills in developing partnerships to benefit people and environmental conditions. Concurrent model. 480 total internship hours. Prereq: completion of “Foundation Year” courses.

SW 680. Seminar in Social Work Topics (3). Intensive study. Department course schedule has topics. Rep.

SW 687. Capstone Seminar (3). Culminating experience of MSW Studies designed to unite curriculum areas with each student’s evolving and unique style of practice. Includes development and presentation of a portfolio. Prereq: advancement to candidacy.

SW 699. Independent Study (1-3). Directed study of problems/issues or special theoretical/analytic concerns. Requires IA. Rep.


Abbreviations for Course Descriptions

activ = activity section

(C) = may be concurrent

CAN = California articulation number (for a more complete explanation, see section 3 under Transfer Requirements).

coreq = corequisite(s)

CR/NC = credit/no credit grading

DA = department approval

DCG = diversity & common ground elective course

disc = discussion section

F, S, Su = fall, spring, summer. To help in long-range academic planning, these letters signify that a course is regularly offered in a fall, spring, or summer term.

GE = general education elective course

IA = instructor approval

lect = lecture section

prereq = prerequisite(s)

rep = may be repeated