The request for multiple revisions to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) curriculum

Date: December 12, 2012
To: College of Health and Human Services
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: November 20, 2012
Approved by: Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee
Implementation Date: To Be Determined 2014

Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

Summary

Implementation Date is Fall 2013, with the exception of SOWK 3683, SOWK 3684, SOWK 3482, and SOWK 3484 which will have an implementation term of Fall 2014.

Catalog Copy

SOWK 1101 The Field of Social Work. (3) Historical development and philosophy of social work as a profession: personal and societal needs; methods and organizational arrangements; and roles and tasks of social workers. Students will learn about the social work profession, including its history, values, and areas of professional practice. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

SOWK 2182 Human Behavior and the Social Environment. (3) Prerequisite: BIOL1110, BIOL 1110 Lab, SOCY 1101, and PSYC 1101. Prerequisite or corequisite: SOWK1101. Human behavior in the social environment in relation to developmental theory and transitions across the life span. Students will focus on human development within the biological, psychological and social structure as it occurs throughout the life span. (Fall, Summer)

SOWK 2183 Human Behavior and the Social Environment. (3) Prerequisite: BIOL1110, BIOL 1110 Lab, SOCY 1101, and PSYC 1101. Prerequisite or corequisite: SOWK 2182. Human behavior in the social environment in relation to developmental theory and transitions across the life span. Students will learn the foundational frameworks for understanding human interaction between individuals, families, communities, and larger social systems. (Fall, Summer)

SOWK 3090. Topics in Social Work. (1-3). Specialized topics in social work. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (A list of specific courses offered each term is available through campus course listings.) (Fall, Spring, Summer)

SOWK 3100 3900 Social Work Research I. (3) Prerequisite: Upper Division standing. Introduction to research methods and skills used in social work. Students will be introduced to scientific and ethical approaches to building knowledge while focusing on quantitative and qualitative research methods, research design and sampling techniques. (Fall)

SOWK 3120. Diversity and Populations-at-Risk. (3) Prerequisite: Upper Division standing. Issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, and ability in social work practice. Students will analyze issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, and ability within social work practice. (Fall)

SOWK 3181 Practice Methods I. (3) Prerequisite: Upper Division standing. Corequisite: SOWK 3482, SOWK 3482. Corequisite 3900. Generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with individuals. Students will develop competencies in generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with individuals. (Spring)

SOWK 3182 Practice Methods II (3). Prerequisite: Upper Division standing, SOWK 3181. Corequisite: SOWK 3484, SOWK 3484, SOWK 3482. Generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with families and groups. Students will develop competencies in generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with families and groups. (Fall)

SOWK 3184 Practice Methods III (3). Prerequisite: Upper Division standing and SOWK 3181. Corequisite: SOWK 3484, SOWK 3484, SOWK 3484. Generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with communities and large systems. Students will develop competencies in generalist social work practice methods with an emphasis on working with communities and large systems. (Spring)

SOWK 3201 Foundations of Social Welfare (3). Prerequisite: Upper Division standing. History of and current trends in social welfare; values and conflicts that influence social welfare programming. Students will learn about the history of and current trends in social welfare, as well as values and conflicts that influence social welfare programming. (Fall)

SOWK 3202 Social Welfare Policy (3). Prerequisite: Upper Division standing and SOWK 3201. Nature and development of social welfare policy; implications of policy for program design and service delivery. Students will learn to critically analyze social welfare policy, including policy development and reform processes and outcomes. (Spring)

SOWK 3133. Community Engagement and Outreach. (3). Prerequisite: Upper Division standing. Corequisite: SOWK 3120 and SOWK 3199. Students will engage in experiential learning in order to effectively prepare them for social work practice with vulnerable populations, and specifically to enhance their ability to build relationships and facilitate access. (Fall)

SOWK 3482 Field Placement Practicum I (6) (5) (O). Prerequisite Upper division standing, SOWK 3181. Corequisite SOWK 3181 3182. Directed field experience two days per week under supervision in selected community agencies. Classroom analysis and discussion of the student field placement experience. Students will complete an approved supervised field experience and concurrently participate in a field seminar to reinforce and enhance their field experiences. (Fall)

SOWK 3484. Field Placement Practicum II (9) (6) (O). Prerequisite: Upper division standing, SOWK 3181 3182 & SOWK 3482 SOWK 3683. Corequisite: SOWK 3184. A continuation of SOWK 3482, Students will complete an approved supervised field experience and concurrently participate in a field seminar to reinforce and enhance their field experiences. (Spring)

SOWK 3683. Field Seminar I. (1) (O) Prerequisite: Upper Division standing. Corequisite: SOWK3181. Classroom analysis and discussion of the student field placement experience. (Fall)

SOWK 3685. Field Seminar II. (1) (O) Prerequisite: Upper Division standing, SOWK 3181, SOWK 3482, SOWK 3683. Corequisite: SOWK 3182, SOWK 3184. A Continuation of SOWK 3683, classroom analysis and discussion of the student field placement experience. (Spring)

SOWK 3988. Research II. (3). Prerequisite: Upper Division standing, SOWK 3900. Corequisite: SOWK 3182 and SOWK 3482. Students will comprehend quantitative and qualitative research and understand scientific and ethical approaches to building knowledge. (Fall)

SOWK 3199. Professional Behaviors, Ethics, & Communication (3). Prerequisite: Upper Division standing. Corequisite: SOWK 3120 and SOWK 3133. Students will explore issues related to professional values, professional identity, continual learning, and best practices for social workers in a variety of practice situations. (Fall)

Department of Social Work

socialwork.uncc.edu

The Department of Social Work offers a major in Social Work leading to the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. On the graduate level, the Department offers the Master of Social Work degree.

BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK (BSW)

Social work is a profession devoted to helping people function as effectively as possible within their environment. The UNC Charlotte BSW Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the national accrediting body for social work education programs. The BSW degree prepares students for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Generalist practice relates to utilizing multiple types of intervention that would be useful for different types of social systems and client populations. BSW graduate provide services such as assessment and intervention, counseling, crisis intervention, referral, mediation, and advocacy with diverse populations across all age groups. BSW graduates work in a broad array of settings including: hospitals; group homes; mental health, substance abuse, child welfare, and youth and family service agencies; nursing homes, and schools. The degree is centered in professional social work values and ethics within an increasingly global environment and is designed to affirm the human rights of diverse groups of people, especially populations-at-risk and groups which have historically been oppressed due to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, age, and ability. BSW education also provides an excellent foundation for those who wish to pursue graduate study in social work.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The major in Social Work leading to the BSW degree consists of 76 62 credit hours made up of 53 50 credits in required SOWK courses and 23 12 credits in required courses from other disciplines.

The core courses for the social work major are: SOWK 1101, 2182, 2183, 3100, 3120, 3181, 3182, 3184, 3201, 3202, 3482, 3484, 3482, and 3484, one social work elective and one other social work or gerontology elective. Other required courses for the social work major are SOCY 1101, BIOL 1110 and Lab; PSYC 1101, POLS 1110, PSYC 3151, SOCY 4156 and Lab, and a Foreign Language at the 2200 or 2201 level. SOWK 1101, 2182, 2183, 3900, 3120, 3181, 3182, 3184, 3201, 3202, 3133, 3482, 3484, 3988, 3199. Other required courses for the social work major are SOCY 1101, BIOL 1110 and Lab; LBST 1100 & 2200 series, LBST 2101, 2102, PSYC 1101, 3151, POLS 1110, STAT 1222 and Writing Intensive elective. Students are required to complete four 3 hour courses examining population groups of interest to social work such as women, sexual orientation, religion, international populations, human challenges (physical/mental health), study abroad course, gerontology, and child welfare from among AFRS 1100, AFRS 2120, AFRS 2215, AFRS 2170, LTAM 1100, LTAM 2116, ANTH 2010, ANTH 2111, ANTH 2112, ANTH 2114, ANTH 2115, ANTH 2116, ANTH 2117, ANTH2122, and ANTH2123, as well as other courses as approved by the BSW Coordinator.

**For a detailed description of BSW degree requirements, please refer to the BSW Program Student Handbook online at socialwork.uncc.edu under “Degree Programs and Admissions.”