Department of Social Work and Criminal Justice

This course examines the history and roles of police in American society, including the philosophy, policy, structure and methods of law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels. In addition, characteristics of effective police work, as well as contemporary issues facing law enforcement officers and agencies today will be scrutinized. Students will closely examine the two extremely important aspects of addressing crime through the building of partnerships with communities and developing critical thinking/problem solving skills of how to best address the issues and fear in communities where they serve.

This course will prepare students for field experiences and internships in criminal justice settings. All criminal justice students seeking field experiences or internships must satisfactorily complete this course prior to registering for CRIM4960.

This course provides an introduction to criminal law, including an historical overview and a survey of general legal principles. It covers basic elements of common and statutory law, and discusses specific categories of offenses and defenses used against prosecution for them.

This course provides students with a context for reflection and self-analysis regarding their educational experience at NNU. The approach in this course to self-analysis and critical reflection is two-fold: 1) students will reflect on their comprehensive educational experience through the lens of the four university outcomes, and 2) students will think about and discuss the integration of their learning with their future, post-university lives. (See HUMN4010, PSYC4010, SPAN4010)  Fee: Additional fee required.

This 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.  Fee: Additional fee required.

This 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.

Continuation 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.

This 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. Fee: Additional fee required.

This 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). Fee: Additional fee required.

This 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). Fee: Additional fee required.

This 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.

This 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.

This 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.

This 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.

This 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. Fee: Additional fee required.