Bulletin Year: 2023 - 2024 Undergraduate Bulletin | View the current NMU Catalog.

Courses

Search for courses listed in this bulletin. To find a semester course schedule (including instructors, meeting times and locations), go to mynmu.nmu.edu.

SW 100 Exploring Social Work 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall Winter
Introduces students to the social work profession. A broad survey course covering the educational requirements of the profession and fields of practice. The course assists students in making career choices about social work. Students are required to do 15 hours of volunteer work in addition to scheduled class sessions.
SW 230 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall Winter
  • Prerequisites: SO 101, PY 100 or instructor's permission.
Examination of social and behavioral science applications to practice. Presents social systems model for analyzing human functioning in the social environment. Notes:

Formally SW 330.

SW 308 Methods of Social Research II 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall Winter
  • Prerequisites: SO 208 or equivalent or instructor's permission.
Introduction to methods, concepts and techniques of social research, including sampling, questionnaire and interview design, experiments, observation, evaluation research and ethics. Involves research projects on social science issues. Computers and statistical software may be used as part of the instruction process. Notes:

Cross-listed with SO 308.

SW 331 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall Winter
  • Prerequisites: SW 230.
Theories and research literature on life stages are explored in a variety of historical, cultural, class, gender, racial and community contexts. Emphasis on how the self interacts with legacies of biological variables, cultural history, social system, life history and personal social environment.
SW 341 Social Welfare Policy 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall Winter
  • Prerequisites: SW 100 or instructor's permission. Primarily for social work majors and social welfare minors.
Study of issues in current social welfare policy and of the significance of social, economic and political factors that influence policy-making and implementation. In addition, students learn various techniques of policy evaluation and review. Notes:

Cross listed as PS 341.

SW 370 Generalist Practice Methods I 4 cr.
  • Offered: Winter
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission.
Introduction to a generalist practice perspective including a common set of values, skills and tasks essential to helping people in their social environment. Emphasizes assessment skills and intervention strategies. Requires participation in skill practice including 16 lab hours of videotaping for classroom criteria.
SW 371 Apprenticeship 1-2 cr.
  • Offered: Contact department for information
  • Prerequisites: SW 370 and written department permission.
Directed apprenticeship activities in the human skills laboratory. Apprentices work with lab groups supervising lab sessions and assist in the feedback process. Notes:

May be taken twice.

SW 372 Generalist Practice Methods II 4 cr.
  • Offered: Winter
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission and SW 370.
Taken concurrently with SW 370. This course covers practice methods content from mezzo- to macro-level perspectives. Systems of families, groups, organizations and communities will be highlighted. The use of video labs provides students with relevant practice situations.
SW 401 Child Welfare 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, junior standing or instructor's permission.
Study of program and social work procedures related to child welfare, particularly in reference to dependent and neglected children, children of unwed parents and children with behavior problems and special needs.
SW 405 Aging Public Policies and Programs 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall semester of even-numbered years
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission or gerontology minor, junior standing or instructor's permission.
An overview of aging public policies and programs. The course examines the origin, current program structure and delivery system of various policies such as Social Security, Medicare and the Older Americans Act that provide income security, health care and social services to older adults in the United States.
SW 411 Social Work in the Health Fields 4 cr.
  • Offered: Contact department for information
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, junior standing or instructor's permission.
Examination of the role of social work in relation to health care services. Considers social policy issues associated with health services and the application of social work practice principles to a variety of case situations, such as adolescent pregnancy and terminal illness.
SW 412 Domestic Violence 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall Winter
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, junior standing or instructor's permission.
Study of spouse abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse of children and other forms of violence within the family. Emphasis is on understanding the dynamics of violence, the victim and perpetrator, and service delivery issues including legal sanctions, protective services, crisis intervention and long-term treatment of both victims and perpetrators.
SW 415 Addictions: Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, junior standing or instructor's permission.
Alternative conceptualizations of addictions, such as alcoholism, the impact of alcohol abuse on the individual, and the family and social relationships. Skill is developed in recognizing situations in which alcoholism is a factor and in selecting appropriate intervention strategies.
SW 417 Social Work in Mental Health 4 cr.
  • Offered: Contact department for information
  • Prerequisites: BSW program admission, junior standing or instructor's permission.
An elective course that deals with social work functions within psychiatric settings. This course will include theoretical concepts, yet is designed for practical social work applications. Three distinct social work involvement stages will be addressed: preadmission/admission screening procedures, interdisciplinary treatment team planning and discharge planning. Both community-based and institutional care will be emphasized.
SW 421 Family Intervention in Social Work Practice 4 cr.
  • Offered: Winter
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, junior standing or instructor's permission.
A course designed to address the needs of helping professionals understand and deal with family problems. Focus is on societal influences on the family, defining what constitutes a healthy family system, learning how to intervene with families to enhance their problem-solving skills, and learning how to understand and intervene with families with specific problems.
SW 440 Social Work Policy Analysis 4 cr.
  • Offered: Winter
  • Prerequisites: SW 341, social work major or social welfare minor.
The study of the impact of social policy at the local, state and national levels on the development, implementation and delivery of social/health services in fields of practice where social workers are employed. Emphasis will be placed on current policy changes directly impacting clients, practitioners, agencies and their communities.
SW 472 Social Work Practice with Diverse Populations 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall
  • Co-requisites: SW 480 or SW 481.
  • Prerequisites: Junior standing or instructor's permission.
The study of the impact of race, class and gender on the delivery of social services. The course emphasizes learning to work cross-culturally from a solution-focused, strengths perspective. Students will develop a multicultural perspective and multicultural competencies.
SW 473 Integrative Seminar I 2 cr.
  • Offered: Fall
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, SW 331, SW 370, and SW 372. Must be taken concurrently with SW 480, junior standing or instructor's permission.
Integration of field education experiences with an emphasis on the values and ethics of generalist social work practice. Specific topics will include role conflicts, values clarification and ethical practice concerns of beginning generalist social work practitioners with an emphasis on self evaluation. Individual field experiences will be shared and regularly processed within a seminar setting.
SW 474 Integrative Seminar II 2 cr.
  • Offered: Winter
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, SW 331, SW 370, SW 372, SW 473 and SW 480. Must be taken concurrently with SW 481, junior standing or instructor's permission.
Capstone seminar focusing on personal strengths in a professional role as a social worker. Individual field experiences are shared and discussed with an emphasis on differing roles and responsibilities in professional practice. Students assemble a professional portfolio integrating learning experiences in areas designated by the Council on Social Work Education.
SW 480 Senior Field Placement I 4 cr.
  • Offered: Fall
  • Graded: S/U
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of Social Work program admission, 2.50 grade point average and concurrent enrollment in SW 470, junior standing or instructor's permission. Application deadline for following fall: February 1.
Practice skill instruction provided through university-arranged placements in social work agencies. Emphasizes demonstration of skill mastery through agency-supervised practice experience of 15-20 hours per week.
SW 495 Special Topics in Social Work 1-4 cr.
  • Offered: Contact department for information
  • Prerequisites: Junior standing and instructor's permission.
Review of a topic of relevance to social work. The content varies according to expertise of the faculty member. Notes:

May be repeated if topic differs.

SW 498 Directed Study in Social Work 1-4 cr.
  • Offered: Contact department for information
  • Prerequisites: Junior standing and instructor's permission.
Independent study in an area of social work to be defined by the student and supervising instructor.