Eastern Connecticut State University

Department of

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work

Social Work:
Degree Requirements

Students who complete the Social Work Program at Eastern Connecticut State University earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work. This degree is commonly identified as a BSW. Course requirements for the BSW degree at Eastern conform to curriculum standards set by the Council on Social Work Education, the national accrediting body for social work education. (See Appendix D for the CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards for undergraduate social work programs.) CSWE curriculum standards require that social work education be grounded in the liberal arts and contain a coherent, integrated professional foundation in social work. Foundation content in eight curriculum areas must be included: social work values and ethics, diversity, populations-at-risk and social and economic justice, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social work practice, social research, and field education. The CSWE undergraduate social work program content requirements are summarized below (CSWE, 2003):

Pre-Social Work Major (Freshman and Sophomore years)

Pre-social work majors are expected to work on the University's general education requirements, the Social Work Program liberal arts foundation areas (SOC 100, PSY 100, PSC 110, ANT 106, and BIO 202, or equivalent courses) and SWK 200 - Introduction to Social Work.

University General Education and Liberal Arts Core Curriculum Requirements:

Eastern's General Education Requirements (GER) require students to select from lists of approved courses to complete six areas of study. Pre-social work majors will complete three GER sections (IIIB or C - Natural Sciences, IVA - Society and the Individual, and IVB - Economics, Political Science, Geography) through completion of social work foundation courses. The remaining GER areas must be completed with courses approved for GER use. Students should consult the University Catalog for a complete description of the University's GER and the lists of approved GER courses. Completion of ENG 100 - College Writing and two additional GER courses (Cultural Traditions recommended) is required for program admission. Full completion of the GER is not required for acceptance into the Social Work Program.

Eastern's Liberal Arts Core Curriculum (LAC) will apply to all first time first year students beginning in fall 2007. Tier I Natural Science will be fulfilled by completing BIO 202 and Tier I Social Science will be fulfilled by completing LAC courses such as SOC 100, PSY 100 or PSC 110. See the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum website and your advisor for more information.

Social Work Program Liberal Arts Foundation Courses:

Sociological foundation: A course or courses providing a foundation for understanding the organization and functioning of human societies, social institutions, and groups. Typical courses used to fulfill this requirement include: SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology, SOC 300 Sociological Theory
Anthropological foundation: A course or courses providing a foundation for understanding of, and appreciation for the diversity of human ways of life and cultural perspectives. Typical courses used to fulfill this requirement include: ANT 106 Cultural Anthropology, ANT 337 Urban Anthropology
Human biology foundation: A course or courses providing a foundation for understanding the biological bases of human physical development and behavior. The course typically used to fill this requirement is: BIO 202 Human Biology.
Psychological foundation: A course or courses providing a foundation for understanding the psychology of individual perception and behavior. The typical course used to fulfill this requirement is PSY 100 General Psychology
American government foundation: A course or courses providing a foundation for understanding the American political system and government. Typical courses used to fulfill this requirement include: PSC110 American Government and Politics, PSC 200 State and Local Politics and Government.

Completion of at least four of the five Social Work Program liberal arts foundation areas is required for program admission.

Sophomore year: (Fall semester) and continuation of social work major professional foundation courses
Subject	Course	Title	Credits
SWK	200	Introduction to Social Work	3
An overview of the social services and the profession of social work introducing students to the history of the field; knowledge, values and skills necessary for social work practice; and the variety of social service programs and agencies characterizing the field today. Human rights principles are explored. Includes a twenty hour field experience.
Note: Required for admission to the social work major Complete program foundation requirements Recommended: A statistics course such as MAT 203 or 216, or PSY 227

Substantial completion of the GER (at least eleven courses including the computer competency requirement) is expected by the end of the junior year. All liberal arts foundation and professional foundation courses must be completed prior to admission to senior year practice and seminar courses.

Junior year: (Fall semester)
Subject	Course	Title	Credits
SWK	311	The Social Environment and Human Behavior	3
SOC 100 and ANT 106 must be completed prior to, or concurrently with SWK 311
Provides the theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding the influence of macro systems on human behavior. Examines sociological, social psychological, economic, and cultural theories that are relevant to understanding organizations, communities, social institutions, society and the world at large. Highlights the forces of social exclusion and the consequences of social injustice. Develops students' awareness of self and others as shaped by these forces.

SWK	325	Social Welfare Policy	3
PSC 110 must be completed prior to, or concurrently with enrollment in SWK 325.
Exploration of the use of social policy for meeting human needs and achieving social ideals. Introduction to the process of policy making and implementation emphasizing the impact of the political, economic, and cultural climate on social welfare policy and the roles of the public and private sectors in the delivery of social welfare services.

SWK	330	Research for Social Work I	3
Note: Open only to social work majors
Introduction to research methods in social work, with particular emphasis on the ethics of social work research, single system design, experimental design, surveys, program evaluation, and professional writing. A research proposal for studying an aspect of community practice is developed. To be carried out the following semester in SWK 333.

Junior year: (Spring semester)
Subject	Course	Title	Credits
SWK	312	Human Behavior and the Social Environment	3
PSY 100 and BIO 202 must be completed prior to, or concurrently with SWK 312.
An overview of micro-level empirical and theoretical perspectives for understanding human behavior across the life cycle including the biological, psychological, and social factors which shape human lives. Includes discussion of individual, family, and group systems and evaluation and practical application of theory for generalist social work practice.

SWK	300	Generalist Practice with Communities and Organizations	3
Prerequisites: SWK 325, SWK 311 Co-requisite: SWK 333 Note: Open to social work majors only
Generalist social work knowledge for practice with communities and organizations is integrated with professional values and skills. The skills of assessment, goal setting, intervention, termination, and evaluation are taught. Major themes include social justice, social change, and empowerment. Includes a forty-hour macro practice field experience.

SWK	333	Research for Social Work II	3
Prerequisites: SWK 330 Co-requisite: SWK 300 Note: Open only to social work majors
This course is a continuation of SWK 330 and is designed to give students practical, supervised experience in social work research. In this course, students will carry out research projects in a field setting using the proposals developed in SWK 330. Students will be introduced to SPSS and other data management and analysis techniques.

Senior year: (Fall semester)
Subject	Course	Title	Credits
SWK	320	Generalist Practice with Individuals and Families	3
Prerequisites: SWK 200, SWK 312, SWK 300, SWK 333 Co-requisite: SWK 350 Note: Open to social work majors only
Generalist social work knowledge for practice with individuals, couples, and families is integrated with professional values and skills. The skills of assessment, goal setting, intervention, termination, and evaluation are taught. Major themes include the strengths perspective and cultural competence.

SWK	350	Field Instruction and Seminar I	6
Co-requisite: SWK 320 Note: Open only to social work majors
Provides a minimum of 200 hours of generalist practice experience under the supervision of a social work professional. Weekly seminar sessions integrate knowledge, values, and skills gained from classroom instruction and the field experience.

Senior year: (Spring semester)
Subject	Course	Title	Credits
SWK	420	Generalist Practice with Groups and Organizations	3
Prerequisites: SWK 320, SWK 350 Co-requisite: SWK 450 Note: Open to social work majors only.
Generalist social work knowledge for practice with groups and organizations integrated with professional values and skills. The skills of group development, assessment, goal setting, intervention, termination, and evaluation are taught. Emphasizes the power of the group as a mutual aid system and the use of task groups in organizational settings.

SWK	450	Field Instruction and Seminar II	6
Prerequisite: SWK 350 Co-requisites: SWK 420 Note: Open to social work majors only
Provides an additional minimum of 200 hours of generalist practice experience under social work supervision. Students are expected to build on their SWK 350 experience by assuming new responsibilities and challenges. Weekly seminar sessions integrate knowledge, values, and skills gained from classroom instruction and the field experience.

SWK	475	Social Work Senior Seminar	3
Prerequisites: SWK 300, SWK 320, SWK 350 Note: Open only to social work majors. Fills writing-intensive course requirement.
SWK 475 must be taken concurrently with, or following completion of SWK 420 and SWK 450
Capstone seminar for social work students. Promotes critical thinking, the development of professional identity, and the integration of the knowledge, values, and skills of the social work curriculum. Content is related to central social work perspectives, systems change, human rights, the role of social work in the United States and the world, and emerging issues in the profession.

Social Work Electives:
Subject	Course	Title	Credits
SWK	245	Aging in Society	3
Social, cultural, and physical factors which influence the process of aging. Special emphasis is given aspects of society which tend to improve or lessen the quality of life experienced by elderly people.

SWK	344	Substance Abuse	3
Covers the causes, medical aspects, family dynamics, cross-cultural issues, and treatment modalities of drug and alcohol abuse. The course is designed with both undergraduate students and human service professionals in mind.

SWK	369	Working with Gambling Problems	3
Covers the fundamentals for understanding gambling problems in the U.S. including an overview of the public policies for the treatment and control of gambling, an examination of the epidemiology of gambling across diverse groups, theoretical frameworks for assessing and intervention with problem gambling, and an understanding of the available research.

SWK	365	Special Topics in Social Work	3
Note: Enrollment in some offerings may require consent of the instructor. One time offerings of social work elective courses. SWK 365 may be repeated for credit with a topic change.