SWK 510 Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families
This beginning practice course introduces students to the basic processes of social work and
the roles and skills needed for foundation practice. Relevant theories of social work practice with
individuals and families are explored in relation to interviewing skills and assessment strategies.
The course integrates ethical/value standards, multicultural and diverse contexts, and populations
at risk including the elderly, refugees, immigrants, victims of torture, and societal violence.
Effective practice methods, ethical issues in domestic and international social work practice, and
the change process are incorporated from a strengths based empowerment perspective.
SWK 511 Field Practicum I
This is the first part of a yearlong seminar required of all first-year MSW students
completing a field internship. The course combines lecture, discussion, and personal reflection in
a small group format as means for students to integrate practice theory with practice
experience. This course begins the student’s journey to becoming a professional social worker
through skill development and use of self-examination and reflection as means to explore the
practical and ethical skills needed for social work practice in a globally focused, family-centered
framework.
SWK 512 Social Work Research Methods
This beginning research course introduces the fundamentals of conceptualizing, developing,
implementing, and evaluating research. Ethical standards of scientific inquiry, research designs,
sampling methods, and quantitative and qualitative methods for knowledge building will be
introduced. The course enables students apply social scientific methods to answer research
questions that have significant importance to social work practice and policy and to apply
knowledge that is developed from research to enhance and strengthen the knowledge base of the
profession. This course presents the conceptual foundations and methods of research in order to
help students integrate research knowledge with professional social work practice. The need for
increased awareness and sensitivity to the special research issues in relation to oppressed groups,
minorities, and other diverse groups will be discussed.
SWK 513 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE I)
The course reviews various theories about human behavior in the social environment. The focus
of this course is the reciprocal interactions between larger social systems--society, communities,
institutions, and organizations--and families or individuals. The course reviews basic ecological
concepts, introduces developmental theories, and examines how human needs are met, frustrated, or
denied within the broader developmental/ecological framework. The ways social systems promote or
deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being will be discussed. The course
stresses the importance of attending to the interrelatedness of contextual factors in the study of
human behavior and diversity, paying attention to the impact of isms, cultures, class and
socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. The course is designed to
provide a person-in-environment perspective for social work assessment and to develop and expand
students’ knowledge base for social work practice.
SWK 514 History of Social Work and Social Welfare
The first of three required courses in social policy defines social policy; examines the
social, economic, and political circumstances that give rise to social problems and their policy
solutions, and explores frameworks for analyzing these solutions and reviews a history of the
profession of social work and its relation to social welfare policy. Special emphasis is given to
social and economic justice as reflected in historical social welfare policy decisions made in
America.
SWK 550 Social Work Practice with Groups
The course describes social work practice with groups. It begins by delving into the history
of group work in social work practice. Pioneers in the field of group work are discussed.
Essentially, this course explains the stages of group development, as well as concepts and theories
related to group work treatment. In addition, different styles of group leadership are presented,
as well as group member roles. Students are expected to role-play various stages of group
development. Group process also incorporates an ecosystems perspective, with overall emphasis on
empowerment utilizing a strengths perspective. Special attention is given to human rights, social
justice, and cultural and global issues with respect to social work practice with groups.
SWK 551 Field Practicum II
This is the second part of a yearlong seminar required of all first-year MSW students
completing a field internship. The course combines lecture, discussion, and personal reflection in
a small group format as means for students to integrate practice theory with practice experience.
This course begins the student’s journey to becoming a professional social worker through skill
development and use of self-examination and reflection as means to explore the practical and
ethical skills needed for social work practice in a globally focused, family-centered
framework.
SWK 552 Community and Evaluation Practice
The course focuses on community practice and program evaluation principles. The course
provides students with the research skills to conceptualize, facilitate, and implement change at
the agency, neighborhood, state, and federal or international level. The program evaluation
component will provide information about techniques and procedures involved in the application of
research methods to social services and programming. Program evaluation will cover general
evaluation issues, evaluation models, and ethical and political issues in carrying out research in
human service settings. The processes involved in outcome evaluation research that affects change
at the agency level will be stressed. The application of these principles will also be discussed in
conjunction with community practice, the second component of the course. Students will be
introduced to a spectrum of macro social work practice models, macro level practice skills,
community needs analysis, and ethical issues in macro practice. Students will have opportunities to
apply these evaluation principles at the macro level. Additionally, students will be introduced to
specific global examples of macro practice.
SWK 553 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
This is the second in a series of three courses directed toward the examination of human
behavior in the social environment. The purpose of this course is to educate students on issues of
human diversity and develop a framework for social work practice in the international culture in
which we live. An eco-systems approach is utilized, in addition to readings and class discussions
regarding issues facing women, gay men and lesbians, people of color, the disabled, and
international problems such as human trafficking, poverty, and cultural issues of involving
immigrants.
SWK 554 Social Welfare Policy Analysis
This course will examine and analyze contemporary social welfare policy development in the
United States. A major emphasis in the course is the development of a social welfare policy
framework that emphasizes dimensions of choice in the functional areas of social allocations,
social provisions, delivery system structure, program financing and program planning. Throughout
the course there is an emphasis on the impact of values on policy and resulting programs. In
addition, international policies and perspectives of social welfare are examined to increase
student awareness of alternative views and applications of social welfare.
SWK 610 Advanced Social Work Practice with Families: Models within a Global
Context
The course on advanced social work practice with families contains an historical and global
perspective on family centered practice. It introduces major theories and intervention types that
underpin work with diverse families.
SWK 611 Field Practicum III
This course is required for advanced-standing students and those in the second year of the
MSW program who are in field placement. The course focuses on advanced skills and particular
globally focused, family-centered techniques used with vulnerable and oppressed populations at each
stage of the direct practice helping process and with difficult practice situations, such as
resistant and involuntary clients, broken families, child abuse and neglect, and other serious
social problems affecting individuals, client groups, dyads, and family systems. Case examples
representing complex client situations are drawn from the populations served by students in their
fieldwork placements with a specific emphasis placed on working from a social justice and human
rights perspective in the field.
SWK 612 Practice Evaluation
This course focuses on the development of knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate clinical
practice with individuals, groups, and communities within a global context. Ethical practice
includes an ongoing and systematic evaluation of practice. Building upon foundation research
principles, this course examines methods for measuring clinical outcomes using multiple measurement
methods, and determining change in client outcomes using single-system designs. The course teaches
students how to use single-case evaluation methods to guide decision-making and assess the
effectiveness of their social work practice. The emphasis of the course would be the utilization of
a strengths-based, empowerment approach in addressing client’s problems within the context of
personal strengths, social work values, strengths-empowerment approach, and social welfare services
and policies.
SWK 613 Violence Across the Lifespan
This course is designed to provide an overview of violence, its causes and consequences on
the developmental course of individuals, families, communities, organizations and nations. The
course examines violence across the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and explores alternatives to and
prevention of the use of violence as a means of conflict resolution.
SWK 614 Family Centered Policy in a Global Context
This course is a policy course for advanced level MSW students. It continues to build on
foundation year policy courses, SWK 514 and SWK 554, as well as foundation level knowledge, values
and skill development. The class format offers students an arena in which to critically analyze
with growing sophistication the theoretical base underlying their work and the interplay of their
own personal value frameworks with core social work ethics and values and their impact on family
centered policy in a global context.
SWK 650 Seminar in Advanced Practice with Families
This is an advanced practice course in the family-centered concentration. This course focuses
on contemporary evidence-based practice with families facing problems such as marital discord,
addiction, chronic illness, mental illness, family violence and death and dying. These issues
facing families will be examined from systemic, ecological, gender and cross-cultural perspectives.
In addition, practice with families within a multicultural and global perspective is examined in
light of our nation’s increasing ethnic diversity, as well as the spread of social work
internationally. Students continue to examine the use of and influence of self in practice within a
multicultural, ethnically diverse society.
SWK 651 Field Practicum IV
This course is required for advanced-standing students and those who are in their second
field placement in the MSW program. It focuses on advanced skills and particular globally
focused, family-centered techniques used with vulnerable and oppressed populations at each stage of
the direct practice helping process and with difficult practice situations, such as resistant and
involuntary clients, broken families, child abuse and neglect, and other serious social problems
affecting individuals, client groups, dyads, and family systems. Case examples representing complex
client situations are drawn from the populations served by students in their fieldwork placements
with a specific emphasis placed on working from a social justice and human rights perspective in
the field.
*SWK 652 Integrated Learning Seminar
This is a capstone course which provides students the opportunity to integrate their
knowledge of social work concepts and theories into a comprehensive paper on family-centered
practice.
*SWK 659 Master’s Research Project
This course is designed to assist students who take the research project option to fulfill
their graduation requirement. The course is organized as an individual study, in which the student
meets with a faculty member who becomes the research project advisor. The format allows the student
to explore existing research literature on a chosen topic, explore the state of current knowledge,
the practice implications of a selected topic, and formulate a proposal which conforms to
prevailing standards of scientific inquiry, professional requirements from social work, and the
structure and requirements of Dominican University.
*Research and Non-Research Project Option
Students in the Dominican University MSW Program have the choice of pursuing one of two
curricular options in order to complete degree requirements. One of these options requires students
to develop, conduct, and submit a master’s research project consisting of original research in a
substantive area relating to social work. The other option does not entail the production of a
research project, but does require students to participate in a comprehensive capstone seminar
devoted to an integrative examination of social work practice with special attention paid to
student’s field practicum experiences. Students are advised to promptly consult with their
academic advisor regarding the choice of option to pursue.
Electives
SWK 653 Psychopathology and Social Problems
The course introduces students to biologic, developmental and environmental sources of mental
illness and to empirically recognized risk, mediating and protective factors that influence these
sources. The course addresses current methods of diagnosis and treatment. Students will learn to
utilize the DSM IV TR (2000) multi-axis diagnostic system. Students will learn a method for
assessing mental health in families and will study the nature of mental illness in terms of
correlation, causation and consequences. The course will also address the economic structures
of the mental health system and the impacts of managed care and welfare reform on mentally ill
adults, adolescents and children. Students will examine the efficacy of commonly employed treatment
methods and of various social work programs and interventions. The course will emphasize relational
aspects of psychopathology for the individual in his or her family, among friends, at work and in
the community.
SWK 660 Substance Abuse: Treatment and Prevention
This course provides an overview of the problem of substance abuse for the individual, the
family and society. The course will focus on the concepts of drug pharmacology, alcohol
pharmacology, drug and alcohol use and history, treatment approaches from various theoretical
perspectives, research and evidence based practice, and special populations including adolescents,
family, individuals with mental illness and substance use and the elderly. The course will provide
a model for effective social work treatment and intervention at different levels of practice.
SWK 661 Practice and Policy Issues in Child Abuse and Neglect
This course provides a historical and theoretical framework for social workers to understand
the ecological context for child abuse and neglect in our society. Beginning with the societal
values that shape current child welfare policy, social worker roles, expectations and resources for
working with child abuse and neglect will be discussed. Differential intervention strategies
will be presented. Special attention will be given to federal and state initiatives to redirect
child welfare resources toward prevention services, especially family preservation and family
reunification.
SWK 662 Spirituality and Family Centered Social Work
This course teaches students how to integrate spirituality and family centered clinical
practice to create an open, trusting environment where clients feel accepted, respected and
spiritually affirmed. Students will be guided to meet the needs of families and clients,
irrespective of their diverse views.
SWK 663 Social Work with the Elderly
This course is designed to help students develop the knowledge, information and skills
necessary for successful and competent practice with older adults, their families, agencies, and
communities. It provides content on current and future demographic contexts. This course provides
analysis of current psychological, social, programs/services, and intervention approaches with
older persons. Tools for applying the strengths perspective to work with older adults are examined
and implications of each of these elements for culturally competent practice are explored. Students
will examine and assess mental health practice methods and related research in accordance with the
values and ethics of social work.
SWK 664 School Social Work
This course covers the development of social work practice in school settings, provide the
historical development of schooling in American society, discuss relevant education laws, discuss
issues of race, class and gender in schools and society, and focus on special issues related to
school social work practice. Students will be introduced to readings from literature in social
work, education, and the law as they pertain to the needs and rights of students in an academic
setting. This elective course is designed for students interested in the delivery of social work
services in a K-12 educational setting upon completion of the MSW program. It is relevant for
students who are interested in pursuing a Type 73 Certification in Illinois or licensure for school
social work practice outside of Illinois.
SWK 665 Seminar in International Social Work
This seminar is designed to broaden student’s exposure to world problems and to the existence
of alternative solutions to social problems through an economic and social justice approach. The
interrelationship between domestic and international social welfare issues will be highlighted and
the functions and contributions of social work internationally will be examined. The course will
also make students aware of the opportunities for international collegial exchange through
participation in international social work organizations.
SWK 666 Self-Help Literature as a Tool in Advanced SWK Practice
This course enables the student to explore the role, purpose and use of self-help literature
in the process of change with their clients. Students are asked to critically analyze
self-help literature from a theoretical perspective as well as learn to incorporate the literature
and techniques into their intervention strategies with their clients.
SWK 669 Crisis Intervention
Designed to introduce students to the theoretical foundations and practice techniques of
crisis intervention in family centered clinical social work practice. This course incorporates
multicultural perspectives of crisis intervention.
SWK 670 Human Trafficking
This course examines the global phenomenon of human trafficking. Issues for discussion will
include how human trafficking occurs in a global context and in the U.S. Topics will include
recruitment, enslavement, rescue and restore. The psychological impact on men, women, and children
who are victims of traffickers and the impact on countries, communities, and families. The
discussions will be supported by selected readings, videos, and speakers.
SWK 671 Grant Writing
This practical course will teach students important principles, concepts, and practices of
grant writing. Students will acquire the knowledge and writing skills necessary to develop an
independent project, as well as a program for their field internship agency, which is dependent on
competitive funding.
SWK 673 Play Therapy With Children and Families for the Social Worker
This course is designed to provide introductory training on play and other expressive therapy
techniques designed for various populations including children, adolescents and families. This
course focuses on encouraging the unique development and emotional growth of children through the
process of counseling using expressive therapies. The content of the course introduces a
distinct group of interventions including play and other skills as integral components of the
therapeutic process. A major focus of the course involves instructional and experiential
opportunities for the student to develop skills that provide children with appropriate
developmental materials and facilitate a safe relationship for the child to express models that can
be applied to children of various ages.
SWK 699 Independent Study
A contract is made between a student and an instructor, with whom the student works on an
area of social work interest and develops an independent project.
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