Bachelor of Arts
Department of Social Work
Mission
The primary program's mission is to prepare students for beginning practice in the profession of social work. The primary goal of the Bachelor of Arts, Social Work program at Northwest Nazarene University is to prepare students for generalist social work practice in a variety of settings, both domestic and international. Students are required to complete a minimum of 38 credits of core social work courses and 18 credits of support courses included in the 124 credits needed to graduate. In addition, students will complete a minimum of 520 hours of supervised field experience in the community in settings such as child welfare, corrections, developmental disability services, health care, mental health, schools, and other agencies.
Faculty
Maja Ledgerwood, Nikki Bodenstab-Lee, Lawanna Pierce, Scott Slater, Janet Stellway, LeAnn Stensgaard (Social Work Department Chair and Social Work Program Director), John Stennett (MSW Program Director).
Northwest Nazarene University's social work program is nationally accredited at the undergraduate and graduate level by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Student Learning Outcomes
- To nurture in students a Christlike worldview which embraces the values and ethics of the profession, including personal integrity, global diversity, a just society, and spiritual enrichment
- To cultivate in students a passion for alleviating discrimination, poverty, oppression, and all other forms of injustice for at-risk populations
- To prepare students for advanced social work practice through the presentation of a comprehensive curriculum [1] for working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- To provide students with a high-quality education and field experience in a creative learning environment that promotes the development and application of the Council on Social Work Education core competencies at the generalist levels (www.cswe.org)
Admission to Methods Courses: To qualify for entrance into upper-division courses applicable for completion of a degree within the Department of Social Work, students must complete the following requirements:
- Be officially admitted to Northwest Nazarene University.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5.
- Declare a major in Social Work.
- Complete SOWK1720 and SOWK2110.
- Be enrolled in or have taken SOWK2850 and SOWK2851.
- Make application to take methods courses.
- Be interviewed by the Department of Social Work faculty.
- Be accepted by the Department of Social Work faculty to take methods courses.
The student will be placed on probationary status if a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 is not maintained.
Please note: Academic credit is not given for life or work experiences.
Degrees and Certificates
-
Social Work, -
Social Welfare, Minor
Courses
SOWK1720: Social Justice and Modern Society
Credits 3This course is an introduction to the recurrent needs of citizens and how society is organized to respond to these needs with an emphasis on small towns and rural communities. The course is organized around the major themes of poverty, socioeconomic class differences, and other major differences among people that interact with poverty and classism. The course includes a review of the history and current nature of social welfare services.
SOWK2110: Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare
Credits 3This course is an introduction to the profession of social work and the role of social work in the social welfare system. This course serves as an orientation to the nature of social work practice, the issues that confront social workers, and the types of client systems served by social workers with an emphasis on small towns and rural communities. The course is organized around the major themes of poverty, socioeconomic class differences, and includes a review of the history and current nature of social welfare services. This course will include a service learning component.
SOWK2850: Human Behavior in the Social Environment I: Theoretical Approaches Throughout the Lifespan
Credits 3This is the first of two courses in human behavior in the social environment which will focus on a cell to society approach, paying special attention to small towns and rural communities. This course will review the processes for biological, psychological, intellectual, emotional, and life-course development. An ecosystems framework will be employed to give special attention to diversity issues such as ethnicity, social class and discrimination as factors affecting human development.
SOWK2851: Human Behavior in the Social Environment II: Issues of Diversity
Credits 3The second of two courses in human behavior in the social environment, this course will continue the examination of human behavior as it relates to the life-course development. An ecosystems framework will be employed to give special attention to diversity issues such as ethnicity, social class, and discrimination as factors affecting human development. This course will include a service learning component. Fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.
SOWK2970: Urban Field Experience
Credits 1This course is a several-day urban immersion experience, including coordinated readings. The foci for this course will be to look at services for the homeless and programs for the development of housing stock for low income people in one major urban area. May be repeated for a maximum of two credits. Fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.
Prerequisites
SOWK2110 or instructor's approval, Program admission required.
SOWK3250: Substance Abuse, Prevention, and Intervention
Credits 3This course is an overview of the phenomenon of addictions in general and addictions to substances in particular. This course will focus on the role of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in American society, the abuse of these substances, and strategies and policies for prevention and intervention of abuse. The skills required to work with substance abusers will be considered. Special attention will be given to the role of macro policies, societal values, and the support systems required for effective intervention and prevention strategies.
Prerequisites
SOWK2110 or instructor's approval, Program admission required.
SOWK3350: Child Welfare Services
Credits 3This course is an exploration of the nature and range of child (up to age 18) welfare services offered in the United States with some comparative studies from international social work. Material covering social work intervention strategies, governmental child welfare policies, and societal values regarding these strategies and policies will be introduced.
Prerequisites
SOWK2110 or instructor's approval, Program admission required.
SOWK3450: Social Work in Health Care
Credits 3An overview of the need for and the nature of social work practice as it pertains to the increasing need of social work services in health care settings. This course includes a review of the multiple dimensions of aging and the implications of these for social work practices across the lifespan. Material covering social work intervention strategies, governmental policies and programs, and societal values regarding services will be considered.
Prerequisites
SOWK2110 or instructor's approval, Program admission required.
SOWK3550: Social Work Methods I
Credits 3This course is a presentation of the basic skills, values, and knowledge bases for social work practice. Emphasis will be placed on the systemic contexts for the profession, its clients, and the nation's social welfare policies while introducing the student to an array of beginning social work practices. The ecosystems perspective for social work practice with an emphasis on rural communities and small towns will be used to focus on the individual and family client systems.
Prerequisites
Program admission required. Acceptance into Methods Sequence or instructor's approval.
Corequisite Courses
SOWK3551: Social Work Methods II
Credits 3Continuation of SOWK3550. Students will develop an understanding of social work intervention with a strengths-based model. The ecosystems perspective for social work practice with an emphasis on rural communities and small towns will be used to focus on the individual and family client systems as well as relational systems in organizations and communities.
Prerequisites
Program admission required. Acceptance into Methods Sequence or instructor's approval.
Corequisite Courses
SOWK3750: Social Welfare Policy
Credits 3This course offers an investigation of the history, development, and current nature of welfare policies in the United States. Some comparative material with other developed countries will be added for the purposes of teaching and analysis. The dynamic interaction of organizations, rationale, and perspectives behind the policies and programs developed by federal, state, local, and private entities will be reviewed. Strategies for developing, implementing, and influencing the development of policies will be studied.
Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisites
Program admission required.
SOWK3960: Field Practice I
Credits 1This course is an in-agency setting for observation of and engagement in social work practice under the supervision of a skilled practitioner. Students will log 60 hours. Attention will be given to identifying the knowledge, skills, and values bases of the social work profession. During this junior year practicum setting, each student shall practice using the change process approach (including assessment, goal setting, development of strategies, action plans, termination, and evaluation).
Corequisite Courses
SOWK3961: Field Practice II
Credits 1This course is an in-agency setting for observation of and engagement in social work practice under the supervision of a skilled practitioner. Students will log 60 hours. Attention will be given to identifying the knowledge, skills, and values bases of the social work profession. During this junior year practicum setting, each student shall practice using the change process approach (including assessment, goal setting, development of strategies, action plans, termination, and evaluation).
Corequisite Courses
SOWK3962: Field Practice III
Credits 1This course is an in-agency setting for observation of and engagement in social work practice under the supervision of a skilled practitioner. Students will log 40 hours. Attention will be given to identifying the knowledge, skills, and values bases of the social work profession. During this junior year practicum setting, each student shall practice using the change process approach (including assessment, goal setting, development of strategies, action plans, termination, and evaluation). This course is optional.
Prerequisites
Program admission required. Instructor's approval.
SOWK3970: Social Work Research and Statistics
Credits 3This course is an introduction to research and statistics as tools for understanding and improving social work practice. This course will include a review of traditional scientific research methodologies and alternative perspectives, such as the feminist approach to research. Attention will be given to evaluating descriptive, exploratory, explanatory, and evaluative research (and supportive statistical tools) to improve one's professional practice and agency programs, specifically in rural and small-town communities.
Prerequisites
Program admission required.
SOWK4094: Special Topics in Social Work
Credits 1This course is designed to cover current topics of interest in the field of social work. This course may be repeated for credit.
SOWK4960: Social Work Practicum I
Credits 3This course is a senior-level social work internship in a social service agency. The student is assigned to work under the supervision of a licensed social worker. The placement is chosen to assure that the student attains necessary competencies for entry-level social work. Normally the internship experience is spread across two terms and involves 200 hours of on-location time for each semester.
SOWK4961: Social Work Practicum II
Credits 3This course is a senior-level social work internship in a social service agency. The student is assigned to work under the supervision of a licensed social worker. The placement is chosen to assure that the student attains necessary competencies for entry-level social work. Normally the internship experience is spread across two terms and involves 200 hours of on-location time for each semester. Fee: Additional fee required.
SOWK4962: Social Work Practicum III
Credits 3This course is a senior-level social work internship in a social service agency. The student is assigned to work under the supervision of a licensed social worker. The placement is chosen to assure that the student attains necessary competencies for entry-level social work. Normally the internship experience is spread across two terms and involves 200 hours of on-location time for each semester. This course is optional.
Prerequisites
Instructor's approval
SOWK4980: Seminar in Social Work I
Credits 1This course is a senior-level seminar that runs concurrently with Social Work Practicum. This seminar is designed to help students integrate social work theory and social work practice. A small group format is used so that each student contributes to the learning of other students. The focus is for each student to be prepared for entry into generalist social work practice upon graduation.
Corequisite Courses
SOWK4981: Seminar in Social Work II/Capstone
Credits 1This course is a senior-level seminar that runs concurrently with Social Work Practicum. This seminar is designed to help students integrate social work theory and social work practice. A small group format is used so that each student contributes to the learning of other students. The focus is for each student to be prepared for entry into generalist social work practice upon graduation.
Corequisite Courses
SOWK4982: Seminar in Social Work III
Credits 1This course is a senior-level seminar that runs concurrently with Social Work Practicum. This seminar is designed to help students integrate social work theory and social work practice. A small group format is used so that each student contributes to the learning of other students. The focus is for each student to be prepared for entry into generalist social work practice upon graduation. This course is optional.
Prerequisites
Instructor's approval