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.
The student develops a thesis with the help of a thesis committee. Appropriate thesis forms must be completed prior to enrollment. The thesis must be approved by the thesis committee and the College of Graduate Studies. The student should consult the department and the College of Graduate Studies for specific requirements.
- Offered: Fall
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: Acceptance into MSW Program
This course emphasizes a direct practice approach to social work, focused on techniques used during the intervention stage of a social work intervention. This course emphasizes knowledge and skill development relating to the direct-practice relationship, emphasizing work with individuals in a therapeutic setting.
- Offered: Winter
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: Acceptance into MSW Program
Clinical Methods with Couples, Families and Groups emphasizes a direct practice approach to social work, primarily focused on techniques used during the intervention stage. This course emphasizes knowledge and skill development relating to the direct-practice relationship, emphasizing work with couples, families and groups in a therapeutic setting.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course covers content from SW 511 and SW512 in an accelerated format and was designed for students who’ve previously earned an undergraduate social work degree from a CSWE accredited institution and been admitted to the Advanced Standing MSW Track. Clinical Methods reviews the direct practice approach to social work, focused on techniques used during the intervention stage of a social work intervention. This course emphasizes knowledge and skill development relating to the direct-practice relationship, emphasizing work with individuals, couples, families and groups in a therapeutic setting. Students will review foundational methods essential to effective intervention, and a variety of evidence-based therapeutic intervention methods that can be used in each setting.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course is a primary building block in an advanced generalist social work curriculum with a focus on macro-practice with organizations and communities. The course provides students with the opportunity to practice engagement and assessment skills and helps them develop an understanding of themselves as leaders in the macro-social environment.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course is designed for students who’ve previously earned an undergraduate social work degree from a CSWE accredited institution and been admitted to the Advanced Standing MSW Track. This course combines content related to leadership in communities and organizations with public welfare policy analysis and advocacy.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: Acceptance into MSW program or instructor approval
This course emphasizes an understanding of the ethical issues involved when working with individuals in the field of addiction. Students will familiarize themselves with the ethical codes National Association of Social Workers (NASW), American Psychological Association (APA), The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), and other helping professions with special attention given to the welfare of the clients. This course emphasizes knowledge and skill development relating to ethical and legal decision making in an addiction setting.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: Acceptance into the MSW program or instructor approval
This course will explore the neurochemical, physical and mental effects of commonly used psychoactive substances on the human biological system. Emphasis is placed on the basic pharmacology of psychoactive drugs, the medical consequences of compulsive illicit use, and therapeutic approaches for managing substance use disorders. This course will also review the four major classes of drugs that are of clinical significance in treating co-occuring disorders.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course introduces the student to scientific research methods used in generalist social work practice. Topics include the role of concepts and theory, problem formulation and definition, hypothesis formulation, operationalization and measurement, research design and causality, data collection and data analysis, measures of central tendency, and report writing.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course reviews major concepts in scientific research methods for students who have previously earned an undergraduate social work degree from a CSWE accredited institution and been admitted to the Advanced Standing MSW Track. Topics are presented in an accelerated format and include the role of concepts and theory, problem formulation and definition, hypothesis formulation, operationalization and measurement, research design and causality, data collection and data analysis, measures of central tendency, and report writing.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course introduces public welfare policy through lecture, discussion of the purposes of public welfare, and describes the most important programs created by those policies. It introduces students to the underlying values, assumptions and philosophical perspectives as well as the social, economic and political factors that have influenced the development of America’s social welfare system, including its goals, policies and programs.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course examines the phenomena of power, privilege and oppression and their effect on individuals, families and communities in the context of the values of social and economic justice and the social work profession. The course is intended to increase awareness of the intersectionality of multiple oppressions with a focus on race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation. Students will gain a beginning awareness of the influence of personal biases and values that impact practice with diverse groups.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course is designed for students who’ve previously earned an undergraduate social work degree from a CSWE accredited institution and been admitted to the Advanced Standing MSW Track. Since students will have foundational knowledge in social justice/human rights, and a beginning awareness of the influence of personal biases and values that impact practice with diverse groups, content is presented in an accelerated format. The course examines the phenomena of power, privilege and oppression using a framework of intersectionality with a focus on race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course provides students with an opportunity to integrate foundation, theory, and practice course material into experiential learning under the supervision of a trained and experienced professional in a social work field.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: None
This course provides students with an opportunity to integrate foundation, theory, and practice course material into experiential learning under the supervision of a trained and experienced professional in a social work field. This will be a continuation of the field placement and integrated seminar from SW 581.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor
The content of the course does not duplicate existing course content and provides the department with a mechanism for presenting unique and timely topics. Specific topics are announced via departmental and university publications.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: All 500-level foundational SW courses (SW 519, SW 529, SW 549, and SW 569 OR SW 511, SW 512, SW 521, SW 541, SW 551, SW 561, SW 581 and SW 582)
This course is the first part of a two-course specialization for MSW students who have an interest in pursuing a social work career in child welfare, or the system of domestic policies, programs and procedures intended to protect children in our country from abuse and neglect. Students will become familiar with the regulatory policies that inform child welfare practice in the United States and a variety of child welfare practice models.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 605
This course is the second part of a two-course specialization for MSW students who have an interest in pursuing a social work career in child welfare, or the system of domestic policies, programs and procedures intended to protect children in our country from abuse and neglect. Students will become familiar with the regulatory policies that inform child welfare practice in the United States and a variety of child welfare practice models.
- Offered: Fall
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 511 and SW 512, or SW 519
This course focuses on knowledge and skills necessary for clinical social work practice in therapeutic settings with individual clients across the lifespan. The course draws from applicable theoretical bases and builds on foundational skills addressed in SW 511 or SW 519. This course will address engagement through termination with individual clients, emphasizing comprehensive clinical assessments and treatment interventions. Students will be exposed to practice with several treatment models grounded in current research with diverse populations in varied contexts.
- Offered: Winter
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 611
This course focuses on knowledge and skills necessary for clinical social work practice in mezzo level therapeutic settings, emphasizing work with families and groups. The course draws from applicable theoretical bases and builds on foundational skills addressed in SW 511 and SW 512 (or SW 519) as well as clinical skills introduced in SW 611. This course will address engagement through termination with family systems, emphasizing treatment methodology based in family-focused theory and research. Additionally, the course will focus on clinical treatment with groups, exposing students to current evidence-based and best practice models for group intervention.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 511 and SW 512 OR SW 519
This course explores major forms of emotional distress in adults, children, and youth, including classification trends, issues, and models. The course introduces clinical syndromes in terms of diagnostic methodology, research and social concerns and their implications for at risk groups.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 521 and SW 551 OR SW 529
This course is designed for Policy, Planning and Administration (PPA) concentration students in the second year of their MSW program. Students will build on their knowledge of PPA to assess the social problems or needs of groups or communities, an organizations, and design both a policy and a program solution to address those needs and/or alleviate the social problem.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 521 and SW 551 OR SW 529
This course is designed for Policy, Planning and Administration (PPA) concentration students in the second year of their MSW program. Students will build on their prior knowledge of PPA to develop specialized knowledge and skill in community organizing.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 541 or SW 549
This course is designed for students who are pursuing the clinical concentration track in the second year of the MSW program. The course builds on their prior knowledge of social work research methods for the generalist practitioner, and provides more in-depth content in single-case and case-study research design methods. Students will draw on their work with clients in a clinical field placement setting to design and implement a research project for the purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of their clinical social work practice.
- Graded: A/F
- Prerequisites: SW 521, SW 541, and SW 551 OR SW 529 and SW 549
This course introduces the student to quantitative and qualitative evaluation of agency programs and individual practice. The class will focus on participation in hands-on individual and/or small-group research projects to experience all phases of the research process.