IU Indianapolis Campus Bulletin 2024-2025

Bachelor of Social Work

• SWK-S 102 Understanding Diversity in a Pluralistic Society (3 cr.) This course covers theories and models, which enhance understanding of our diverse society. It provides content about differences and similarities in the experiences, needs, and beliefs of selected minority groups and their relation to the majority group. These groups include, but are not limited to, people of color, women, and gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons. This course addresses self-socialization and analyses the working relationship and interrelationship of race, class, age, ethnicity, and gender and how these factors influence social values regarding economic and social justice. Course content will be integrated through student writing and experiential exercises.

• SWK-S 141 Introduction to Social Work (3 cr.) This course is an introduction to the profession of social work and the philosophical, societal, and organizational contexts within which professional social work activities are conducted. This course provides the opportunity for students to explore their interest in and potential for a career in social work. It introduces the knowledge, skills and values of social work as a profession and explores the role of social workers within the broad area of social welfare and social services. Social work practice requires extensive knowledge about the human condition, problems in living, problem solving, the delivery of human services, and the institutions that comprise today's social welfare system. Cognitive and interaction skills necessary for competent practice are introduced in this course. This course emphasizes the value base of social work practice and its commitment to social and economic justice. It assists students in assessing the congruence between their own values and those of the profession. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the accrediting body for School's of Social Work, requires Social Work Programs to demonstrate how each course in the curriculum helps students develop competencies expected of all who seek entry into the profession. Programs must document a match between course content and CSWE competencies defined in Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). This course contributes to building knowledge and skills for students to demonstrate the following CSWE competencies: EPAS 2.1.1 (identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly), EPAS 2.1.2 (values and ethics), EPAS 2.1.3 (critical thinking), EPAS 2.1.4 (engage diversity and difference in practice), EPAS 2.1.5 (advance human rights and social and economic justice), EPAS 2.1.6 (research informed practice) and EPAS 2.1.9 (respond to contexts that shape practice). Introduction to Social Work (S141) is one of seventeen social work courses required for the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. Students who seek admission to the BSW degree program must complete this course prior to applying to the Indiana University School of Social Work. As this course introduces students to knowledge pertaining to the characteristics, functions, and requirements of the social work profession, it prepares those formally admitted to the BSW degree program for further study in the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for effective generalist social work practice.

• SWK-S 180 Exploring Child Welfare in Indiana (3 cr.) The analysis of issues and application of principles in specific areas of human services. Focus varies with the educational needs of special groups. An introductory level course.

• SWK-S 201 Introduction to Case Management (3 cr.) Given current changing demographics, complex social problems, human service providers will serve a more diverse and perhaps more vulnerable population. A large number of clients will find it challenging to access the maze of increasingly decentralized social services. Case management may help to address some of these issues. This course will introduce various case management models and the roles and functions of case managers. It will highlight the nature of client participation and the mutuality of the helping process. Ethics and ethical dilemmas will be addressed. Skills for client centered, culturally competent case management will be explored.

• SWK-S 202 Intro to Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling (3 cr.) This course provides students with a basic overview of the physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects of substance abuse. Further, the course explores the effects of substance use and abuse on the body.

• SWK-S 221 Human Growth and Development in the Social Environment (3 cr.) This course assists the undergraduate social work student in building a foundation for understanding human behavior and development in diverse contexts across the life course. The course emphasizes the interdependence of dynamic interactions between a person and that individual's environment, and thus introduces students to implications for human development through a person-in-environment lens. S221 Human Growth and Development in the Social Environment explores influences of the biological, social, cultural, psychological and spiritual dimensions on individual human development and behavior. Students examine how the diverse contexts in which individuals live impact the range of human development and behavior in themselves and others. Understanding human behavior and development from a multidimensional perspective builds a strong foundation for development of skills later in the curriculum. Specifically, foundational concepts presented in this course help students apply critical thinking to an understanding of the diversity of human functioning and implications for the processes of social work assessment, evaluation and intervention. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the accrediting body for School's of Social Work, requires Social Work Programs to demonstrate how each course in the curriculum helps students develop competencies expected of all who seek entry into the profession. Programs must document a match between course content and CSWE competencies defined in Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). This course, required in the BSW curriculum, draws upon basic knowledge and understanding of our diverse society. Course content contributes to building knowledge and skills for students to demonstrate EP 2.1.2 (apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice); EP 2.1.4 (engage difference and diversity in practice); and, EP 2.1.7 (apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment. S221 Human Growth and Development in the Social Environment serves as the first of three courses in the Human Behavior in the Social Environment sequence within the curriculum. The courses should be taken in sequence or concurrently.

• SWK-S 251 History and Analysis of Social Welfare Policy (3 cr.) This course is designed to provide a historical perspective on the evolution of social welfare policies and programs and allow students to develop beginning policy analysis skills so that students will be able to identify gaps in the service delivery system and inequitable or oppressive aspects of current policy delivery. Students acquire knowledge of the prevailing social, political, ideological, and economic contexts that gave rise to the various social welfare policies and programs and have influenced how programs and policies have changed over time. In addition, the students acquire knowledge of manifest and latent functions of social welfare organizations' activities, their relationship to each other. In addition, the interrelationship and sources of conflict between the evolving profession of social work and social welfare services are explored. In this class students will build critical thinking skills as they consider forces and influences that have lead to the social service delivery system that exist today which will allow them to explore practical methods to influence policy in S 352. A particular emphasis in this course is to increase students understanding of how social welfare policies impact vulnerable people and build a passion for advocating for social and economic justice. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the accrediting body for School's of Social Work, requires Social Work Programs to demonstrate how each course in the curriculum helps students develop competencies expected of all who seek entry into the profession. Programs must document a match between course content and CSWE competencies defined in Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). This course, required in the BSW curriculum, draws upon basic knowledge and understanding of our diverse society. Course content contributes to building knowledge and skills for students to demonstrate the following CSWE competencies: EP 2.1.1 Identify with the social work profession; EP 2.1.2 Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice; EP 2.1.3 Apply critical thinking; EP 2.1.4 Engage diversity and difference in practice; EP 2.1.5 Promote human rights and social justice; EP 2.1.7 Apply knowledge of human behavior; EP 2.1.8 Engage in policy practice to deliver effective social work services.

• SWK-S 300 Sel Topics in Social Work (3 cr.) Study of selected topics in social work.

• SWK-S 305 Intro to Child Protection (3 cr.) This course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to child abuse and neglect from psychological, social, cultural, legal, and economic perspectives. Social workers in all professional work settings must know how to identify child maltreatment and family violence. Students must also be able to practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to the clients' age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Students will learn the family dynamics and indicators of maltreatment and effective interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro level, with an emphasis on strengths based, family-centered intervention strategies. Additionally, students will learn the extent of reported maltreatment of children, effects on children, treatment issues, the social worker's role in a multidisciplinary team approach, how to advocate for individuals and families, and will be introduced to the concept of personal accountability for outcomes. This course will also introduce to students the values and ethics of the social work profession in the child welfare arena, specifically the right of children to appropriate care, to be free of abuse and neglect, and to grow up in a safe environment. This course is available as an elective but is also the first of two specific course requirements for the child services certification available through public universities in Indiana and the Indiana Department of Child Services. These two courses include components of the Core Training curriculum for all new employees of the Department of Child Services.

• SWK-S 306 Crisis Intervention (3 cr.) This is an elective, issue-oriented course at the undergraduate level offered as part of the Certificate in Case Management. This course focuses on the increasing number of complex and painful personal, couple and family crisis situations encountered by professional social workers in the course of service delivery. Crisis events are characterized by high stress responses in one or more persons within a short period of time, usually in response to some difficult social, interpersonal, intrapsychic, medical or developmental triggering events. In some instances, stressful forces may have been present over a substantial period of time and an overt crisis has suddenly been triggered by some precipitating event (i.e., a lengthy distressed marriage that ends destructively and suddenly after the children are grown). In other instances, a crisis may be unexpectedly precipitated in the ordinary life of an individual, couple or family by an intense life stressing and/or threatening event such as a death of a loved one or catastrophic event. Students will learn the various theories and practice approaches that inform practice in crisis situations. Attention will be given to budget cuts of programs and staffing of social agencies with the resultant contraction in resources available to professionals. Since many forms of social stress are becoming increasingly compelling among the poor, ethnic, racial minorities, and gay and lesbian people the course will focus on the required competency to quickly establish an effective helping relationship and meaningful communication across these groups. Similarly, the course will address the new evolving roles of women and men in modern society and its implications intervening in crisis situations, current trends, and cultural forces. This course encourages students to use the classroom process and written assignments in conjunction with the assigned readings to develop a working, professional helping approach selected from the available theoretical formulations about crisis and therapeutic crisis intervention which appear most appropriate for their practice. Based on the nature of the crisis, the kind of agency setting, the program within which they function, and the characteristics of their "professional style" in crisis intervention.

• SWK-S 307 Grief & Loss across the Life Span (3 cr.) This is an elective web-based course that will explore the complex components of grief and loss throughout the life span from an ecological and strength based theoretical perspective. The focus of the course will be to increase understanding, knowledge and compassion related to the impact of grief and loss on individuals, families, and communities at large. In addition, the course gives students an opportunity to explore and understand their perceptions and beliefs on death and dying, and how individual cultural differences influence that experience. The course also prepares students to work with clients dealing with feelings of grief and loss. Throughout the course, students will be challenged to apply critical thinking skills related to ethical dilemmas surrounding decision making as related to advance directives. A portion of the class will investigate the issues associated with disenfranchised grief as it relates to divorce, suicide, unfinished business, and relationships not accepted by society, i.e. same sex partners or extramarital affairs. In addition the course will explore environmental aspects of grief and loss as they relate to unemployment, natural disasters and chronic illness. Societal values of this country impose a belief system that suggests one's grief should be contained within a minimal time frame. This worldview only increases a mourner's emotional turmoil, and lengthens the time in which a mourner may experience turmoil, behavioral changes, mood swings, forgetfulness, and loss of concentration. Connecting these personality changes to the events, whether psychosocial or symbolic, is often complicated by the time frame associated with the loss. Throughout the class an in-depth review of the current research as it relates to grief and loss will be examined. Examining the issues associated with unresolved or complicated grief can be an underlying force for a grieving person's current behavior. A well-trained professional's ability in making the connection between current behavior and unresolved grief is a delicate balance of understanding grief and possessing the skill to decipher the hidden challenge to a grieving person's return to emotional stability. Students will experience an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and proficiency in the area of grief and loss.

• SWK-S 311 Alcohol and Drug Use: The individual (3 cr.) P: swk-s202 C: swk-s202 This course explores theories, principles, terms, procedures, and techniques related to the biopsychosocial dynamics that contribute to and maintain addictive behaviors. Because the focus is on biopsychosocial dynamics, emphasis is on the individual. The course will include discussions on assessment, recovery, and relapse.

• SWK-S 314 Basic Counseling Skills (3 cr.) This course design introduces students to basic counseling skills and techniques. Skills such as listening, attending, interviewing and treatment planning will be discussed and practiced by students. Students will be introduced to motivational interviewing techniques. The course utilizes didactic and experiential teaching methods to enhance students' learning.

• SWK-S 322 Small Group Theory and Practice (3 cr.) This course design introduces students to basic counseling skills and techniques. Skills such as listening, attending, interviewing and treatment planning will be discussed and practiced by students. Students will be introduced to motivational interviewing techniques. The course utilizes didactic and experiential teaching methods to enhance students' learning.

• SWK-S 324 Social Systems of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (3 cr.) P: swk-s202 This course explores social systems that frame cultures of addiction and recovery. Discussions will include family, peer groups, and cultural systems as they interrelate with substance abuse and recovery.

• SWK-S 331 Generalist Social Work Practice I: Theory and Skills (3 cr.) This course focuses on the beginning phase of the problem-solving process and the application of basic generalist social work skills that demonstrate an understanding of the continuum of social work practice. The course is based on the assumption that professional practice is built on knowledge, skills, and values.

• SWK-S 332 Generalist Social Work Practice II: Theory and Skills (3 cr.) P: SWK-S331 This course examines the middle and ending phases of the helping process and focuses on the application of related generalist social work practice skills. Students learn to conduct assessment, identify interventions, apply theory, and develop and implement measurable goals and specific action steps to resolve client problems.

• SWK-S 352 Social Welfare Policy and Practice (3 cr.) P: SWK-S251 This course explores social welfare delivery systems and the impact on people through an emphasis on critical thinking, policy analysis, policy-practice skills, and social work values. Students learn how to influence social welfare policies at all levels, while centering a commitment to social, economic, and environmental justice.

• SWK-S 371 Social Work Research (3 cr.) The goal of this course is to introduce skills to conceptualize a research problem, find and integrate new and existing research literature, and derive solutions based on empirical evidence. Attainment of this goal prepares students to engage in practice-informed research as social workers.

• SWK-S 372 Statistical Reasoning in Social Work (3 cr.) This introductory statistics course is designed for students who wish to master some very important tools used by contemporary social work practitioners to better understand the world of practice. The primary purpose of the course is to enable students to gain an understanding of the basic principles that guide statistical reasoning, especially as they relate to making informed decisions about the quantitative aspects of their practice. Students will learn how to collect and organize data, examine it for patterns and relationships, and analyze it for purposes of drawing plausible and defensible conclusions. We do not "prove" in social work research, but look for relationships between variables. The basic philosophy upon which this course is grounded is the belief that statistical reasoning (i.e., thinking, meaning, and interpretation) should precede statistical methods. It is assumed that, for most beginning students, many of the concepts and principles used by statisticians are likely to be experiences as foreign and confusing. Complex computational formulas and mathematical notations have been known to intimidate many students, and when that occurs, it can interfere with learning. Therefore, the course is based on pedagogy of active learning that engages students in a problem solving process that enables them to gain an understanding of the kinds of questions in relation to which statistics can help. It emphasizes the use of statistics in the real life situations. It attempts to engender in students an understanding of basic statistical concepts and the ability to synthesize the components of their statistical efforts in ways that will enable them to communicate their results in a clear and convincing manner. It should be noted that this course meets the prerequisite requirement for students wishing to apply for admission to the IU MSW program. It is classified as a BSW elective, and as such, it may be taken as either a graded or as a pass/fail option. If this course is taken for the BSW Math/Physical Science requirement, it should be taken as a graded course.

   

• SWK-S 400 Special Topics in Fields of Practice (1-6 cr.) In-depth study of a special field of social work practice, such as family and child welfare, health care, mental health.

• SWK-S 403 Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Seminar (3 cr.) P: swk-s202; swk-s311; swk-s324; swk-s332 or swk-s314 This capstone course merges objectives from each of the four prerequisite courses. Students develop and complete a case study to demonstrate

• SWK-S 423 Organizational Theory and Practice (3 cr.) This course provides an overview of organizational structure, processes, culture and outcomes necessary for generalist social work practice and leadership within organizations. The theoretical foundation is informed by systems theory, the ecological and strengths perspectives, organizational change and leadership theories and the concepts of power, empowerment, and culturally competent practice.

• SWK-S 433 Community Behavior and Practice within a Generalist Perspective (3 cr.) This course helps students build a theoretical foundation for community practice and competencies needed to promote social change and mitigate socio-political and economic injustice. The course orientation is primarily based on sociological theories, the ecological and strengths perspectives and concepts of conflict, power, empowerment, corporate domination, global interconnections, and advocacy.

• SWK-S 442 Integrated Practice-Policy Seminar in Fields of Practice (3 cr.) This course focuses the student upon a specific field of social work practice in increased depth. It provides further opportunity for synthesis of student learning from previous courses, and seeks to integrate social welfare policies and policy analysis with social work practice.

• SWK-S 472 Social Work Practice Evaluation (3 cr.) This course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate their own practice and the effectiveness of social service programs within which they work, as well as to become critical consumers of the professional literature to guide their practice.

• SWK-S 481 Social Work Practicum I (6 cr.) Field education provides the opportunity to demonstrate competency in practice, integrating knowledge, values, and skills gained in the BSW curriculum. Social Work Practicum I allows the student to develop and demonstrate beginning practice competency. Students complete 240 hours in the agency and receive weekly supervision from a field instructor.

• SWK-S 482 Social Work Practicum II (7 cr.) Social Work Practicum II allows the student to demonstrate proficiency in practice competency integrating knowledge, values, and skills gained in the BSW curriculum. Students complete 320 hours in the agency, receive weekly supervision from a field instructor, and present a Case Analysis as a capstone assignment.

• SWK-S 490 Independent Study (1-6 cr.) P: Permission of instructor. An opportunity to engage in a self-directed study of an area related to the school's curriculum in which no formal course is available.

M.S.W. Courses

• SWK-S 502 Research I (3 cr.) This foundation research course assists students in developing the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of social work practice. Emphasis is placed on knowledge of qualitative and quantitative designs, methodologies, and techniques that inform students of best practices in social work. Students will recognize the impact of ethnicity, gender, age, and sexual orientation on the research process and be able to critically review published studies with attention to researcher bias.

• SWK-S 505 Social Policy Analysis and Practice (3 cr.) This course examines the processes that influence the development of social policy and social services. Included are legislative and political processes, models of policy analysis, service delivery and policy implementation. Effects of these on people are considered from global, political, economic and social policy perspectives. This course is developed around the general proposition that social workers utilize knowledge and skills to carry out roles and functions critical for practice. Such knowledge and skills include the application of social policy analysis, the legislative process, the role and impact of politics and political choice on the quality of life of people, and the effect of economic-social policy decision and judicial actions on social services. In addition, the course examines the variability of the common and uncommon attributes of service delivery systems.

• SWK-S 506 Introduction to the Social Work Profession (3 cr.) This foundation research course assists students in developing the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of social work practice. Emphasis is placed on knowledge of qualitative and quantitative designs, methodologies, and techniques that inform students of best practices in social work. Students will recognize the impact of ethnicity, gender, age, and sexual orientation on the research process and be able to critically review published studies with attention to researcher bias.

• SWK-S 507 Diversity, Human Rights, and Social Justice (3 cr.)

  This course will introduce MSW students to human rights and social justice perspectives in order to examine the shifting landscape of diversity, oppression, power, and privilege. The fundamental goal of the course is for students to develop critical consciousness in order to gain competencies to address diversity, privilege and oppression in social work practice. The importance of power and the dynamics of domination and subordination in multiple manifestations of oppression, particularly among historically oppressed groups, will be explored. An understanding of these concepts integrated with an understanding of one’s self within these systems is essential for social work practice.

• SWK-S 508 Generalist Theory and Practice (3 cr.)

  This course focuses on reciprocal relationships between human behavior and the social environment with selected theoretical perspectives and their associated empirically-based theories, including strengths/empowerment, ecological/systems, behavioral, critical, and developmental perspectives and theories. Learners will use micro interviewing skills to apply these perspectives and theories throughout the planned change process to service diverse client needs and experiences. The integration of theory and practice through the planned change process will be guided by the biopsychosocial and spiritual perspective.

• SWK-S 509 SWK Practice: Organizations, Communities and Societies (3 cr.) This course provides students with knowledge, values and cognitive skills focused on social work practice at organizational, community and societal levels. Social work interventions at these levels include involvement of relevant stakeholders in the development and/or modifications of organizational, community and societal policies, programs and practices.

• SWK-S 517 Assessment in Mental Health and Addictions (3 cr.) Recognizing the social, political, legal, and ethical implications of assessment, students enrolled in this course critically examine various conceptual frameworks and apply bio-psychosocial and strengths perspectives to understand its multidimensional aspects. Students learn to conduct sophisticated mental status and lethality risk interviews, engage in strengths and assets discovery, and apply the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association and other classification schemes in formulating assessment hypotheses. They gain an understanding of the application of several relevant assessment instruments and learn to evaluate their relevance for service to at-risk populations, including persons affected by mental health and addictions issues. Students learn to collaborate with a diverse range of consumers and other professionals in developing meaningful assessments upon which to plan goals, intervention strategies, and means for evaluation.

• SWK-S 518 Clinical Theory and Practice (3 cr.)

  This course builds on Generalist Theory & practice; Practice and focuses on developing further knowledge of clinical practice theory and its application to prepare students for competent social work practice with individuals and groups. A transtheoretical model of change is emphasized, and motivational interviewing methods and interventions are the focus for practice. Underlying theory, including behaviorism and person-centered therapy, are introduced to provide a foundation for the skills necessary for implementation of motivational interviewing techniques. Solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) is also introduced to students, which stresses a strengths based approach to practice and client empowerment. SFBT has roots in cognitive theory and this is reviewed to strengthen student understanding of both theory and practice skills. Students will be prepared to use intervention skills that can serve diverse populations and gain an understanding of how theory influences interventions with individuals and groups.

• SWK-S 519 Community and Global Theory and Practice (3 cr.)

  This course aims to build competencies in the areas of theory and practice, preparing students to work with communities in a global context.  With local communities facing increased global socio-economic and political forces, community constituents, especially marginalized groups, are facing unprecedented challenges ranging from widespread increases in refugee migration, poverty, human trafficking, substance abuse, natural disasters, gender violence, civil conflict and wars, and environmental social injustices.  More than ever, social work professionals need to understand global issues and their impact on local communities, and be ready to design appropriate and effective interventions for community and global practice.  Building on the core values of the social work profession, this course consists of five major topics: 1) Macro-practice and international social development; 2) Civil society and local capacity building; 3) Local and international agencies and legal frameworks; and 4) International social work community practice in different contexts (from global to local); and 5) Cultural relativism and the power of a rights-based discourse to affect positive change in global communities.

• SWK-S 555 Social Work Practicum I (3 cr.) The M.S.W. Social Work Practicum I is an educationally directed practice experience under the direct supervision of an approved field instructor. The assigned faculty liaison oversees the practicum to ensure that course objectives have been met. The practicum provides opportunities for the application and integration of classroom concepts and principles for the development of core skills in generalist social work practice with selected social systems using a strengths perspective. It builds upon the knowledge and skills learned and developed during the immersion and intermediate course work of the program. Learning opportunities emphasize the values and ethics of the profession, foster the integration of empirical and practice-based knowledge, and promote the development of professional competence. Field education is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated on the basis of criteria by which students demonstrate the achievement of program objectives. The Field Practice Seminar is designed to assist students in integrating classroom learning with the experience of an internship. Students will also be introduced to assessment systems including the DSM and SWOT. The seminar provides a supportive setting for students to discuss practice issues raised in the field placement related to their Learning Agreement and field experience. This involves recognizing/exploring professional and personal biases, discussing ethical dilemmas and supervisory issues, and increasing cross-cultural competencies.

• SWK-S 600 Elective (3 cr.) Electives Vary in subject matter. Scheduling of these courses will be announced prior to semester registration.

• SWK-S 613 Special Instruction and Support Services for Diverse Populations (3 cr.)

  This course introduces students to the school social worker’s role as a specialized instructional support personnel (SISP), whose task is to enhance the ability of every school child to learn to his or her capacity.  Through the study of research, practice, and policy issues facing school children, especially those with exceptionalities, students in this course will learn to promote educational services and expand educational success for children with exceptionalities, their families, schools, and communities.  Students will learn the imperative for multidisciplinary collaboration that advances student well-being and supportive school environments.  Recognizing the influence of historical and cultural contexts, diversity and oppression as well as social and economic forces shaping educational experiences are examined, specifically focusing on the occurrence of educational disparities and academic outcomes. 

• SWK-S 614 School Social Work Practice with Children, Adolescents, and Families (3 cr.) This course is designed to build individual and family practice skills for school social work with children, adolescents, and families, with an emphasis on the impact of traumatic life events, including poverty, homelessness, child physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and/or family violence. Students will learn how to engage with community partners and various child-serving systems to meet the needs of children, adolescents, and families. A primary focus of the course will be acquiring knowledge and skills for culturally responsive practice, including assessment, interviewing, and engagement with children, adolescents and families in a school-based context.

• SWK-S 616 Social Work Practice in Schools (3 cr.) This advanced level practice course is designed to provide students with an overview of contemporary social work practice in school settings. Specific topical areas include the historical and contemporary contexts of social work service in school settings, legal mandates for social work practice in schools, social policies and trends in education affecting school settings and social work practice in schools, preventive and intervention methods and roles applicable to diverse populations in school settings, research issues and practice effectiveness, and multiculturalism and diversity issues in social work practice in schools.

• SWK-S 618 Social Policy and Services (3 cr.) A group of courses covering topics or content including social problems, special populations, particular social service delivery areas, and social indicators that predict areas of future social policy transformations.

• SWK-S 619 Social Work Practice with Children and Adolescents (3 cr.) This course is designed to develop and broaden student knowledge and skill in direct practice with children and adolescents. Social work practice will be examined within the context of meta-frameworks that include developmental stages/tasks, sexual development and orientation, gender issues, family context, culture, larger environmental systems, discrimination/oppression, and legal rights and responsibilities. Emphasis will be placed on practice methods including assessment, interviewing, comparative treatment models, and practice with special populations.

• SWK-S 623 Practice Evaluation (3 cr.) This course examines a number of single-system designs that can be used to evaluate practice or practice interventions with clients. The designs, which are n = 1 types of studies, can be used with any size system, e.g., individuals, couples, families, groups, or organizational (agency) units. Students in this course will learn a variety of single-system designs, the descriptive statistics that are used with such designs, graphing and plotting data, content on binomial and normal distributions, and tests of hypotheses with single-system designs. In addition, important issues for this course are the values and ethics that relate to the design selection, baseline and withdrawal phases, and appropriate analyses and reports of results. This course furthers the knowledge, skills, and values students develop in the foundation-year research course. Students will apply their knowledge and skills in research to evaluate practice or program effectiveness in their concentrations, using research methods that are sensitive to consumers’ needs and clients’ race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and additional aspects important to effective and ethical research.

• SWK-S 624 Program Evaluation (3 cr.)

  This course examines different types of program evaluation, including needs assessment, process evaluation, impact and outcome evaluation, and cost analysis.  The course has two major parts: 1) Students will develop a program evaluation plan that identifies appropriate program evaluation questions, develops designs suitable for addressing the program evaluation questions, 2) Students will carry out the evaluation plan that collects the necessary information (data), accurately analyzes the information, and effectively presents the findings in written and oral forms, while being sensitive to the political and interpersonal contexts in which the evaluation takes place.  In addition, students will explore the role of evaluators, funders, program staff, and stakeholders in planning, implementing and responding to program evaluation. This course furthers the knowledge, skills, and values students develop in the earlier practice and research courses. Students will apply their knowledge and skills in research to evaluate practice or program effectiveness, using research methods that are sensitive to programs’ needs and clients’ race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and additional aspects important to effective and ethical research.

• SWK-S 632 Child Welfare Practice I: Working with Children Impacted by Violence in the Family (3 cr.)

  This course is designed to build individual and group practice skills for work with children and families impacted by child physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and/or family violence. Emphasis will be placed on practice skills with children. Students will practice assessment and intervention skills guided by theories of child development, attachment and bonding, grief, and trauma. The goals of safety, permanency and well-being will be emphasized when assessing risk and trauma and intervening within the child welfare and school systems.   Students will explore cultural differences and issues impacting particular oppressed and underserved populations.

• SWK-S 633 Children, Youth and Families Practice II: Working with Diverse and Transitioning Families (3 cr.)

  This course will focus on the experiences of children and families in the child welfare system.  Content will include interventions with families through all stages of change including preparation for change, separation and loss, the changed family system, reintegration as children transition into a family, and adolescents transitioning into independent living.  Content will include the impact on families when the natural cycle of family development is disrupted.  Special consideration will be given to various family types including adoptive, foster care, kinship, extended, single parent, multi-generational, and homosexual families.  Practice content will emphasize strengths based and family-centered approaches and include knowledge and skill development to help children and families work through their family and personal crisis and grief in a timely manner to achieve permanency for children in safe and nurturing environments within 12 months after separation.

• SWK-S 634 Group and Community Based Practice with Children and Families (3 cr.)

  This course will examine the development of and build skills for the implementation of a wide range of prevention and intervention strategies to support child well-being provided at the community level.  Special attention will be given to the philosophy of empowerment-oriented and client-driven service models.  This course will provide content to build skills in developing and implementing mutual aid and self-help groups to support and educate children and families on issues such as parenting, domestic violence, grief/loss, conflict mediation and child abuse issues.  The course will explore the community as a resource and discuss strategies of collaboration and advocacy services for families and children to prevent out-of-home placement or involvement in other formal child protection/juvenile justice services, such as models of community-building, youth development and family group conferencing/restorative justice.  The course also provides frameworks for identifying and analyzing best practices in group and community-based services for children and families. 

• SWK-S 636 Social Work Practice with Children and Families: Involuntary Populations, Addictions and Domestic Violence (3 cr.)

  This course is designed to teach strategies and skills for working with families impacted by the challenges of addictions, domestic violence and mental illness. Building upon knowledge of assessment and intervention with diagnosed mental illnesses, students will analyze the relationships between and among the social problems of addictions, mental illness and domestic violence in relation to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical and mental ability, and other socio-environmental factors of vulnerability. The class will provide students with the opportunities to describe and demonstrate a theoretical understanding of both the dynamics of being an involuntary client and the legal and ethical dilemmas that abound for social work practitioners working with them. The class will provide students with the opportunities to describe and analyze power differentials between the client and worker, as well as, devise, assess and implement strategies to minimize the behaviors that have been identified as “resistance”. The class will provide students with the opportunities to demonstrate knowledge, skills, judgment, sensitivity, and self-awareness necessary to resolve the challenges of social work practice with involuntary populations when utilizing strengths-based, empowerment and eco-systems perspectives.

• SWK-S 651 Concentration Practicum II (4 cr.) Taken with S652, Practicum III. These courses together provide an in-depth practicum experience for M.S.W. Concentration students under the guidance and supervision of an approved field instructor. A faculty field liaison oversees the practica. Students complete both courses in the same agency although the students may use multiple departments or programs as sites for learning experiences. Practicum II and III build upon and deepen the practicum experiences and classroom knowledge gained in the intermediate year. The practicum courses provide students with experiences in the aforementioned curricular emphasis areas, which support the processes of synthesis, application, critical analysis, and evaluation of knowledge using a strengths perspective. The field practice seminar integrates concentration classroom learning with the experience of an internship. Students have the opportunity to apply their basic knowledge of group process as well as practice group leadership skills. This seminar will assist students in the identification and examination of significant practice and professional issues that occur in the last phase of the M.S.W. Program. A major instructional goal of the practicum is to increase students' competence in understanding and dealing with cross-cultural issues. Information and resources on diversity are discussed and applied in seminar and field placement, and students are encouraged to further explore and increase their own competence in dealing with cross-cultural issues. It is expected that students will develop an awareness of their own privilege in relationship to their client systems. Further, students are expected to use advocacy skills in a cultural context and carry these skills into action in their agencies and the wider community.

• SWK-S 652 Practicum III (5 cr.) Taken with S651, Concentration Practicum II. These courses together provide an in-depth practicum experience for M.S.W. Concentration students under the guidance and supervision of an approved field instructor. A faculty field liaison oversees the practica. Students complete both courses in the same agency although the students may use multiple departments or programs as sites for learning experiences. Practicum II and III build upon and deepen the practicum experiences and classroom knowledge gained in the intermediate year. The practicum courses provide students with experiences in the aforementioned curricular emphasis areas, which support the processes of synthesis, application, critical analysis, and evaluation of knowledge using a strengths perspective. The field practice seminar integrates concentration classroom learning with the experience of an internship. Students have the opportunity to apply their basic knowledge of group process as well as practice group leadership skills. This seminar will assist students in the identification and examination of significant practice and professional issues that occur in the last phase of the M.S.W. Program. A major instructional goal of the practicum is to increase students' competence in understanding and dealing with cross-cultural issues. Information and resources on diversity are discussed and applied in seminar and field placement, and students are encouraged to further explore and increase their own competence in dealing with cross-cultural issues. It is expected that students will develop an awareness of their own privilege in relationship to their client systems. Further, students are expected to use advocacy skills in a cultural context and carry these skills into action in their agencies and the wider community.

• SWK-S 661 Executive Leadership Practice (3 cr.)

  This course addresses administrative, management, leadership, and supervisory skills necessary for leadership practice. Included are staff hiring, supervision, evaluation, and termination; working with boards and volunteers, leadership styles, strategic planning, and current best practices in administration.

• SWK-S 662 Fiscal Management, Marketing, and Resource Development (3 cr.)

  This course focuses on knowledge and skills essential for developing core skills in fiscal management (which will include issues of budgeting, understanding balance sheets, audits, and theories of accounting) and resource development (including fund raising, grant writing and personnel policies) for social work leaders.

• SWK-S 663 Leveraging Organizational, Community and Political Systems (3 cr.)

  This course focuses on knowledge and skills essential for understanding, analyzing, and application in organizations, communities and political arenas. Such knowledge and skills include, but are not limited to: organizational theories, structures, and processes; examination and application of rural, urban and virtual community models, themes and practices; and, understand and involvement in political, social action and social change interventions and empowerment practices.

• SWK-S 664 Designing Transformational Programs (3 cr.)

  This course focuses on knowledge and skills essential for understanding, applying, and analyzing alternative, transformational models of program, organizational, and community planning. It is designed to enable students to achieve advanced mastery of the models, skills, and techniques of program planning. There is particular emphasis on inclusive, collaborative planning models that foster empowerment of diverse stakeholders in the planning processes. The course transcends a focus on the basic technology of program development. It is centered upon applying, analyzing, and evaluating the technology of designing transformational planning as a powerful vehicle for organizational, community, and social change. The methods, roles, functions, and values associated with this course emphasize models, themes, and practices that promote cultural competency, advocacy, ethics, and social justice. The students will master knowledge and skills including, but not limited to: creating a social work program grounded in evidence based practices; applying advanced proposal writing skills; identifying funding and other resources; and, analyzing philanthropic trends.

• SWK-S 683 Community-Based Practice in Mental Health and Addiction (3 cr.) Students enrolled in this course examine a wide range of community-based services provided for people with severe mental illness and/or severe addiction problems. Special attention is given to strength-based, client-driven, and evidence-based practice models. Content includes community-based services in areas of case management, employment, housing, illness management, family, dual disorder treatment, and consumer self-help. Students also examine a variety of issues involved in the provision of community-based services such as ethical and legal issues, quality and continuity of care, cultural competency, organizational and financial factors, and other relevant policy and practice issues.

• SWK-S 685 Mental Health and Addictions Practice with Individuals and Families (3 cr.) Students enrolled in this course develop knowledge, values and ethics, skills, and judgment necessary for competent application of selected evidence-based, best practice approaches for service for children, youth, adults, and families affected by mental health and addictions issues. Students explore topics such as risk and resilience, recovery, and relapse prevention, and consider implications of current social and policy factors affecting service delivery to persons affected by mental health and addictions issues. Students learn to discover, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate evidence of practice effectiveness and apply that knowledge in communication, strengths discovery and assessment, hypothesis formation, contracting, intervention and prevention planning, service delivery, and evaluation. Students develop professional understanding and expertise in the application of at least one evidence-based approach for service to individuals and families affected by at least one specific mental health or addictions issues.

• SWK-S 686 Social Work Practice: Addictions (3 cr.)

  The purpose of this course is to provide learners with knowledge and skills relevant to various aspects of social work practice in prevention, intervention, and treatment of selected addictions. Students draw upon previous and concurrent learning experiences and integrate values, knowledge, and skills acquired in other social work courses with the values, knowledge, and skills characteristic of addictions practice. The course assists students to develop a multidimensional understanding of prevention, intervention, and treatment needs of diverse populations and associated social work practice principles, methods, and skills. Students explore the relationships between and among addiction and socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical and mental ability, and other socio-environmental factors of vulnerability. Consistent with strengths and ecosystems perspectives, students consider the impact of social environments, physical settings, community contexts, and political realities that support or inhibit the emergence of addiction problems.

• SWK-S 687 Mental Health and Addiction Practice with Groups (3 cr.) Students enrolled in this course develop professional knowledge and skills for group work services to persons affected by mental health and addictions issues. The phases of group development and intervention during the various group work stages provide a conceptual framework for the course experience. Students learn to serve children, youth, adults, and families in groups that are therapeutic, growth producing, and life enhancing. Students examine a number of theoretical perspectives, including cognitive behavioral, communications, behavioral, and interpersonal approaches.

• SWK-S 690 Independent Study (1-6 cr.) An opportunity to engage in a self-directed study of an area related to the school's curriculum in which no formal course is available. (In order to enroll in S690, approval from an academic advisor and the director of the M.S.W. Program is required.)

• SWK-S 692 Health Care Practice I (3 cr.) This course will focus on the role of the social worker in a health care setting. Issues such as team building, professional identity, patient advocacy, ethics, and managed care will be addressed. Also, the impact of health care payment sources and health care choices for patients will be explored.

• SWK-S 693 Health Care Practice II (3 cr.) This course will examine the psychosocial impact of illnesses. Areas such as coping with chronic illness, caregiver stress, grieving and loss, medical ethics, and violence as a health care issue will be examined. The needs of at-risk populations (i.e., children, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, frail elderly, individuals living with HIV/AIDS, etc.) will be addressed.

• SWK-S 695 Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families (3 cr.)

  This course will focus on the development of professional expertise relevant to children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and their families. It is designed to provide social work students with an overview of disability within the developmental, historical, cultural, policy, treatment and research paradigms. Special emphasis on assessment of the impact of illness and disability on children with special health care needs and their families will be addressed. This course also aims to socialize students to their professional role(s) utilizing patient-centered and consumer driven strategies of disability advocacy and practice.  This course is an elective in the health care concentration however is open to all concentrations for students interested in focusing on children with special health care needs

Ph.D. Courses

• SWK-G 901 Advanced Research (6 cr.) This dissertation course is to be used once PhD candidates have completed 12 credits of S800.  Students may register for G901 up to 6 semesters.  

• SWK-S 710 Social Work Theories of Human and Social Behavior (3 cr.) This seminar focuses on the converging forces that have shaped the development, dissemination, and utilization of the human behavior knowledge base of social work. It specifically examines the social and behavioral science theory and research that provide the foundation for social work practice across a variety of system levels.

• SWK-S 718 Introductory Statistics in Social Science (3 cr.) The intent of this course is for PhD-level students to acquire an understanding of basic and intermediate statistical analyses that are used in the social sciences, the concepts and uses related to those statistics, and to be able to use a decision-making framework for selecting and computing appropriate statistical techniques for data analysis. The course content will assist students in developing knowledge and skill in selecting appropriate statistics to compute from a variety of univariate and bivariate statistics. Students will learn selected parametric and non-parametric statistics to examine research problems. Included in the learning process are hand computations of statistics, development of skills in using a comprehensive computer statistics package, and selection of statistical techniques based on levels of measurement and analyses of the assumptions of statistics.

• SWK-S 720 Philosophy of Science and Social Work (3 cr.) This course examines the nature and sources of social work knowledge and considers a range of epistemological issues involved in the selection, development, evaluation, and use of knowledge for social work.

• SWK-S 721 Preparing to Publish: Seminar in Advanced Scholarship Skills (3 cr.) This course prepares doctoral students for academic scholarship. Topics include expectations and standards for scholarly discourse, critical and analytic thinking skills, logical argument, scholarly writing publication, and the development of a research agenda. Web-based peer and instructor review of successive drafts of writing assignments culminate in a synthesized review of literature.

• SWK-S 724 Theory, Practice, and Assessment of Social Work Teaching (3 cr.) This course prepares doctoral students to effectively and competently teach social work courses. Content includes teaching philosophies; curriculum and syllabus development; teaching methods; technology related to teaching; assessment, testing, and evaluation of students; and research related to teaching.

• SWK-S 725 Social Work Research Internship (3-6 cr.) P: SWK-S 720, SWK-S 721, a foundation statistics course, and at least one of the following: SWK-S 710 or SWK-S 730. This supervised field internship provides practical experience in conducting research relevant to social work practice. Students participate in a new or ongoing faculty-supervised research project involving the design and implementation of a study, including the collection and analysis of data and the development of appropriate research reports. May be registered for up to three times.

• SWK-S 726 Advanced Social Work Research: Qualitative Methods I (3 cr.) This course provides an opportunity for students to initiate a research project using qualitative research methods. Topics covered will include developing the research question, exploring the literature, writing an interview guide, interviewing, analyzing data, computer analysis, writing reports, subjectivity and bias, ethics, role of theory, trustworthiness, and audits.

• SWK-S 727 Advanced Social Work Research: Quantitative Methods I (3 cr.) This course on quantitative research explores the similarities and differences in the various research methods and provides an opportunity to formulate and test a research question. Students will formulate and refine a research question based on interest and a thorough review of the literature. They will learn how to choose an appropriate design for answering testable problems, questions, or hypotheses. The role of theory, fundamentals of sampling, the role of informants, and steps of preparatory work will be explored. Students will generate, test, and refine interview questions or instruments appropriate to their chosen design. They will identify potential funding opportunities and current research through online data searches. Computer demonstrations and experiential computer exercises will expose students to research software and available databases. At the conclusion of the semester, students will have developed a research proposal and field tested their data collection instruments.

• SWK-S 728 Multivariate Statistics in Social Science (3 cr.) This is a course on multivariate statistics for doctoral-level students. The content of this course will include continued content on correlational and predictive statistics, including multivariate statistics. Students will learn how to select and compute statistics on the basis of a given statistic’s purposes, the number of independent and dependent variables, and tests of relevant assumptions of given statistics. Included in the learning process are (1) the development of a decision-making framework for selecting statistical analyses; (2) hand computations, from results provided in computer outputs, that are a part of understanding and presenting multivariate statistical results; and, (3) furthering skills in using a comprehensive computer statistics package. Large data sets on actual research conducted in social science will be used for computer computations of statistics. In addition to assigned reading materials from the required textbook, students will have assigned readings from articles that describe the uses, computations, interpretations, and test assumptions of each multivariate statistic presented in this course.

• SWK-S 730 Pro-seminar on Social Work Policy Analysis (3 cr.) This seminar focuses on the development and application of analytical tools necessary to critically examine and evaluate social policy theory and research germane to social work, including the values and ideologies that under gird social problem construction, social policy creation, and social program design. Specific attention is devoted to the application of this schema for diverse populations.

• SWK-S 732 Community-Engaged Participatory Research: Approaches to Implementation and Evaluation (3 cr.) This course reviews community engaged participatory research (CEPR) approaches and models of implementation science and evaluation in order to help researchers to create and sustain evidence-based programs and practices in collaboration with agencies and communities. Major topic areas include theoretical foundations, models, ethics, and development of a CEPR compliant project.

• SWK-S 737 Advanced Social Work Research: Quantitative Methods II (3 cr.)

  Quantitative Methods II is the second course in the research sequence designed to further develop students’ knowledge, skills, and application of research methods. Based on their research proposal developed in the first sequence class, students will conduct their own research project and learn data collection and management, statistical analysis, interpretation of data, and writing a research report. Their learning will be facilitated through demonstrations and hands-on sessions in the computer lab as well as careful examination of application of research procedures in their own project.

• SWK-S 790 Independent Study (1-3 cr.) P: Approval by appropriate instructor. This course provides students with an opportunity to engage in focused study of a substantive area of social work practice directly related to the student's identified area of theoretical and research interest. It is completed with the approval and under the guidance of a member of the Ph.D. faculty.

• SWK-S 791 Integrative Seminar I (1.5 cr.) This course acquaints incoming doctoral students with campus resources for graduate students and with the expectations for doctoral education, including the policies, procedures, and academic standards of the Graduate School and of the School of Social Work. Students register for this seminar in their first semester.

• SWK-S 792 Integrative Seminar II (1.5 cr.) This course is intended to support Ph.D. students as they finish their doctoral coursework and prepare for their qualifying paper, dissertation, and subsequent professional career.

• SWK-S 800 Ph.D. Dissertation Research (12 cr.) Students must be continually registered for dissertation credits every Fall and Spring semester once they are admitted to candidacy up to a total of 12 credits of S800. Students do not need to register for dissertation credits in the summer unless they graduate in the summer. You are considered graduated when you deposit your final formatted dissertation pdf with the Graduate School.

• SWK-S 805 Select Topics in Social Work (1-5 cr.) Variable title permitted.

Labor Studies

Core Courses

• LSTU-L 199 Portfolio Development Workshop (1 cr.) Emphasis for this course is placed on developing learning portfolios as foundation documents for academic self-assessment and planning and as applications for Prior Learning Assessment.

• LSTU-L 100 Survey of Unions and Collective Bargaining (3 cr.) This course includes coverage of historical development, labor law basics, and contemporary issues.  It also discusses a survey of labor unions in the United States, focusing on their organization and their representational, economic, and political activities. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 101 US Labor History (3 cr.) This course explores the struggles of working people to achieve dignity and security from social, economic, and political perspectives. It also explores a survey of the origin and development of unions and the labor movement from colonial times to the present. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 290 Topics in Labor Studies (1-3 cr.) This is a variable-title course.  L290 can be repeated for credit with different subjects.  The transcript will show a different subtitle each time the course is taken.  Some courses focus on contemporary or special areas of labor studies.  Others are directed toward specific categories of employees and labor organizations. See the list below or inquire at iulabor@iupui.edu Can be repeated for credit with different subjects. The transcript will show a different subtitle each time the course is taken.

• LSTU-L 104 Labor History (3 cr.) This course serves as an orientation for the study of labor history. It explores both critical and historical methodologies based on primary and secondary sources, biases, and interpretations. Discussion focuses on selective questions  and events.

• LSTU-L 110 Introduction to Labor Studies (3 cr.) This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary and advocacy approach of labor studies Exploring labor’s role in society, the class will look at how unions have changed the lives of working people and contributed to better social policies. Discussions will highlight the relationship of our work lives to our non-work lives and will look at U.S. labor relations in a comparative framework

• LSTU-L 200 Survey of Employment Law (3 cr.) This course explores statutes and common law actions protecting income, working conditions, and rights of workers. Topics include workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, fair labor standards, social security, retirement income protection, privacy, and other rights. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 201 Labor Law (3 cr.) A survey of the law governing labor-management relations. Topics include the legal framework of collective bargaining; problems in the administration and enforcement of agreements; protection of individual rights to representation. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 203 Labor and the Political System (3 cr.) Federal, state, and local governmental effects on workers, unions, and labor-management relations; political goals; influences on union choices of strategies and modes of political participation, past and present; relationships with community and other groups. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 205 Contemporary Labor Problems (3 cr.) This course examines some of the major problems confronting society, workers, and the labor movement. Topics may include automation, unemployment, international trade, environmental problems, minority and women's rights, community relations, and changing government policies.

• LSTU-L 210 Workplace Discrimination and Fair Employment (3 cr.)

  Examines policies and practices that contribute to workplace discrimination and those designed to eliminate discrimination. Explores effects of job discrimination and occupational segregation. Analyzes Title VII, ADA, and related topics in relation to broader strategies for addressing discrimination. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 220 Grievance Representation (3 cr.) Union representation in the workplace. The use of grievance procedures to address problems and administer the collective bargaining agreement. Identification, research,  presentation, and writing of grievance cases. Analysis of relevant labor law and the logic applied by arbitrators to grievance decisions. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 230 Labor and the Economy (3 cr.) Analysis of the political economy of labor and the role of organized labor within it. Emphasis on the effect of unemployment on workers, unions, and collective bargaining; investment policy and changes in technology and corporate structure. Patterns of union political and bargaining responses. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 240 Occupational Health and Safety (3 cr.) Elements and issues of occupational health and safety. Emphasis is on the union's role in the implementation of workplace health-and-safety programs, worker and union rights, hazard recognition techniques, and negotiated and statutory remedies—in particular the OSHA Act of 1970.

• LSTU-L 250 Collective Bargaining (3 cr.)

  The development and organization of collective bargaining in the United States, including union preparation for negotiations, bargaining patterns and practices, strategies and tactics, economic and legal considerations. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 251 Collective Bargaining Laboratory (1-3 cr.) P: or C: LSTU-L 250.

  Designed to provide collective bargaining simulations and other participatory experiences in conjunction with L250. Student must be currently enrolled or have taken L250. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 255 Unions in State and Local Government (3 cr.)

  Union organization and representation of state and municipal government employees, including patterns in union structure, collective bargaining, grievance representation, and applicable law. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 260 Leadership and Representation (3 cr.)

  Organizational leadership issues for union, community, and other advocate organizations. Analyzes leadership styles, membership recruitment, and leadership development. Examines the role of leaders in internal governance and external affairs including committee building, delegation, negotiations, and coalition building. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 270 Union Government and Organization (3 cr.) This course provides an analysis of the growth, composition, structure, behavior, and governmental processes of U.S. labor organizations, from the local to the national federation level.  It considers the influence on unions of industrial and political environments; to organizational behavior in different types of unions; and to problems in union democracy. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 280 Union Organizing (3 cr.)

  Explores various approaches and problems in private and public sector organizing Traditional approaches are evaluated in light of structural changes in labor markets and workforce demographics. Topics range from targeting and assessments, to committee building and leadership development.

• LSTU-L 190 The Labor Studies Degree (1 cr.) Required for all Labor Studies program majors.  This course introduces the Labor Studies degree and the knowledge and skills needed by students to progress toward a degree in a reasonable time frame.  Students will learn how to build a plan of study that takes advantage of both credit for prior learning and new learning opportunities.

• LSTU-L 231 Globalization and Labor (3 cr.)

  This course explores the globalization of trade, production, and migration and the effects of these processes on American workers. Through reading, discussion, and problem formation, students will critically think about the ways global processes and policies impact American workers' daily lives, analyze existing historical and current justifications for offshore production and the dismantling of barriers to trade and investment and explore alternatives to these policies. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 285 Assessment Project (1 cr.)

  Capstone experience for associate degree students. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 271 Framed: Labor and the Media (1 cr.) This course examines media (and, in turn, public) understanding of the U.S. labor movement and analyzes reaction to some specific, highly publicized strikes. News media have rarely served as independent storytellers of strikes. Instead, they have told stories that are aligned with the generally antilabor interests of corporate America (including their publishers and parent media corporations). Even among more liberal media, "ordinary" workers are often portrayed as a passive mass that is controlled and directed by unions and labor leaders. It is rare to see any news outlet sympathetic to the beliefs and causes of labor or to striking workers. This course will be driven by the overarching question of why that might be.

• LSTU-L 272 White Privilege in the Workplace: Origins, Culture, and Ideology (1 cr.) This course explores the origins of white privilege from the era of industrialization and the rise of the factory system in the US, the manifestations of white privilege in today’s workplace and the mechanisms by which white privilege creates workplace advantages and inequalities. The foundational materials include the scholarship of W.E. B. DuBois (1925), David Roediger (1999-2005), Herbert Gutman (1973), Edgar Schein (1990) and Nkomo (2014). The interrogation of white privilege in the workplace is viewed through the lens of organizational analysis and political economy theory.

• LSTU-L 275 Protecting Workers' Rights in Global Supply Chains (3 cr.) This course explores the impact of global supply chains (GSCs) on workers’ abilities to maintain adequate living standards, the regulatory frameworks under which trade, investment and taxation occur, and the strategies/tactics workers can use to create an alternative governing structure which promotes sustainable work and development within the GSC. (Core Course)

• LSTU-L 289 Work Like A Girl: Women's Evolving Workplace Role (3 cr.) This course, situated in political economy theory of discrimination, interrogates workplace challenges women experience. Discussions include women’s position and participation in the workforce within the context of race, class, and gender. Strategies and initiatives to correct gender and wage disparities, job insecurity, and sexual harassment and create inclusive workplaces follows.

• LSTU-L 291 The Bully in the Workplace (1 cr.) This one (1) credit will examine the dynamics of workplace bullying.  We will analyze the factors that contribute to bullying in the workplace. We will examine the types of personalities that allows bullies to perpetrate the harm and how bullies threaten, intimidate, humiliate, and sabotage both targets and workplace productivity.

• LSTU-L 292 Preventing Sexual Harassment (1 cr.) This one-credit course will briefly examine all aspects of workplace and academic sexual harassment, including but not limited to definitions, history, federal and state law, EEOC guidelines and procedures, employer and school liability, personnel, school and contract language and policies, and personal perspectives.  Reasons for and solutions to workplace and academic sexual harassment will be discussed.

• LSTU-L 293 Family Medical Leave (1 cr.) This class will examine the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act law that has given employees new rights to request leave from their employer.  We will review the history of the passage of the FMLA and will examine maternity leave, parental leave, sick leave, and protections for disabled workers in US and other countries.

• LSTU-L 294 Staffing as a Safety Issue (3 cr.) Health Care Staffing and Total Worker Health will explore the theory and practice of workforce staffing in health care considering the impact of health care management decisions related to staffing on quality of care for patients and occupational health for workers.  Theoretical perspectives, research, union contracts and definitional constructs will be examined and discussed.  Participants will work in individually and in pairs to research and explore health care staffing in specific segments of the health care industry and propose an action research project as a synthesis of their learning.

• LSTU-L 295 Crisis in Public Education (1 cr.) This course considers ways in which educational researchers and policymakers have identified, examined, and sought to address the goals and challenges of preK-12 public education in the United States. Key characteristics include accountability and testing; desegregation and diversity; school choice and the impact of charter schools; and teachers alternative certification programs. Designed to encourage a wide range of viewpoints, the course readings reflect a variety of disciplines including political science, public policy, sociology, anthropology, education, and media reports.

• LSTU-L 296 Preventing Workplace Violence (1 cr.) This course will examine the causes, preventions, and individual risks for workers from the real/perceived threat of violence in the workplace.  We will identify behavioral, environmental, and administrative factors that contribute or prevent the incidents of violence in the workplace.

• LSTU-L 297 Strike: Labor Revolt in America (1 cr.) This course explores the strike as a mechanism of worker power and worker threat in American culture. Through readings and discussion, the unequal balance of power between labor and management is the backdrop for worker action necessitated by the inadequacy of protective worker legislative, deregulation, and continued corporate assaults of workers and their well-being.

• LSTU-L 298 American Dream in an Age of Decline (3 cr.) American Dream in an Age of Decline is the interdisciplinary exploration of frameworks within which the notion of the American Dream has been constructed and changed over time in relation to the working class. What is the American Dream? How do the dreamers envision equality in their societies? How do perceptions of and struggles for equality impact definitions of success and happiness? There is no simple response that would be sufficient to these questions. In this course, we will examine what has happened to the American Dream and the life chances of working people.   We will focus on the present state of working Americans and see how the standard of living for Americans has been affected (defined) by the larger social, political, and economic environments.

Advanced Courses

• LSTU-L 314 Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace (3 cr.) The course explores the fundamental basics for ethical decision making in a workplace, both unionized and nonunionized. We will discuss specific considerations for making moral judgments within the work environment and explore the basis upon which those decisions are made.

• LSTU-L 315 The Organization of Work (3 cr.)

  Examines how work is organized and jobs are evaluated, measured, and controlled. Explores social and technical elements of work through theories of scientific management, the human relations school of management, and contemporary labor process literature.

• LSTU-L 320 Grievance Arbitration (3 cr.) P: Recommended only after L220 or with permission of instructor. The legal and practical context of grievance arbitration, its limitations, and  advantages in resolving workplace problems. Varieties of arbitration clauses and the status of awards. Participants analyze, research, prepare, and present cases in mock arbitration hearings. (Recommended only after L220 or with permission of instructor.)

• LSTU-L 330 Global Comparisons: Labor Relations Examples from Three Continents (3 cr.) This course uses a political economy framework to explore and compare countries' systems of labor relations, drawing from at least three continents. It analyzes the diverse approaches to the structure of twenty-first century labor law and social policy. It focuses on the role of organized labor in the global economy, patterns of breakdown in the enforcement of labor and employment law, and union and nonunion political and bargaining responses.

• LSTU-L 331 Global Problems, Local Solutions (3 cr.)

  This course addresses local manifestations of global problems confronting society, workers, and the labor movement. Students will cooperatively analyze issues, propose potential solutions, and engage in activities or practices that address globally driven local issues. Students will identify governmental, non-governmental, and charitable organizations that aid in ameliorating local problems. As a final project, students will design collaborative solutions based on our contemporary global situation in which work is characterized by flexibility, insecurity, and geographic mobility.

• LSTU-L 350 Issues in Collective Bargaining (3 cr.) Readings and discussion of selected problems. Research paper usually required.

• LSTU-L 360 Union Administration and Development (1-3 cr.) This course covers practical and theoretical perspectives on strategic planning, budgeting, and organizational decision making.  It addresses the needs and problems of union leaders by studying organizational change, staff    development, and cohesiveness within a diverse workforce.  This course may be repeated for up to 3 credits with department approval.

• LSTU-L 370 Labor and Religion (3 cr.) This course has primarily an historical focus. It looks at the relationship between religion and the labor movement as it developed in the United States over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. It attempts to uncover the tradition in which workers of faith have connected their religious values to their more secular concerns for social justice.

• LSTU-L 380 Theories of the Labor Movement (3 cr.) Perspectives on the origin, development, and goals of organized labor. Theories include those that view the labor movement as a business union institution; an agent for social reform; a revolutionary force; a psychological reaction to industrialization; a moral force; and an unnecessary intrusion.

• LSTU-L 384 Diversity and Inequality in America (3 cr.) This course explores the paradox between issues of diversity and income inequality in contemporary society and provides a critical focal point for examining the way in which claims for diversity and mounting inequality are interrelated. The continued and expanding inequality in American society despite expanding initiatives to address racial, gender, and ethnic inequality suggests the need to dive more deeply into political debates addressing inequality and its impact on employment and workers in the US through the critical examination of cause and effect of long-term inequality, benefits and limits of diversity policies, and identification of competing strategies to address these issues.

• LSTU-L 385 Class, Race, Gender, and Work (3 cr.) Historical overview of the impact and interplay of class, race, and gender on shaping U.S. labor markets, organizations, and policies. Examines union responses and strategies for addressing class, race, and gender issues.

• LSTU-L 389 Global Work-Family Conflict: Comparative Policy Solutions (3 cr.) This course provides an overview of work-family policy in the US and other high-income countries, comparing the problems and solutions experienced by working people who are caring for family members. This course takes the view that we will be a happier and healthier society if we find ways to make these two spheres compatible. This is an introductory analysis of how explicit and implicit policies impose stress and impossible roles on mothers, fathers, caregivers of all kinds, and low-income parents in particular.

• LSTU-L 390 Big Box Retailers: Impact on Community and Workers (1 cr.) This course explores “big box” retail stores and their impact on labor and local communities. The course examines how big box stores affect economics, environment, and the workforce and the ways in which a growing number of communities and independent businesses are effectively fighting back.

• LSTU-L 391 Essential Workers: Public Health and Labor (3 cr.) This course explores roles, expectations, and protections for essential workers during a pandemic.  The definition of an essential worker, protections and risk factors will be explored and discussed.  Guiding constructs include health equity, the precautionary principle and total worker health.  Participants will explore definitions of standard and non-standard employment and learn about the challenges and consequences for the health and safety of workers.  The course will conclude with case descriptions regarding the tools used by labor and outcomes for workers.  Participants will identify priority action steps to protect essential workers and policies that link with structures impacting health.

• LSTU-L 395 Women and Development (3 cr.) This course provides an overview of the field of women/ gender and development in low-income nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and will cover the main debates in this field, including the ways in which gender relations within households and communities affect women's employment and working conditions, the differential impact of globalization on women and men in agriculture, the informal sector, and the formal labor force, health issues, population control, climate change, and migration as seen through a gender lens, and effects of global financial crises on women.

• LSTU-L 398 The Industrial Workers of the World: Labor History Seminar (3 cr.) Through readings and discussions, this course explores the formation and demise of The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a radial union formed in Chicago in 1905 and was open to all races/genders of unskilled workers; Adopting the motto “An injury to one is an injury to all,” the IWW’s goal was to organize all workers into a single union and abolish the system of capitalism.

• LSTU-L 399 Prior Learning Experiences (Self-Acquired Competency) in Labor Studies (1-15 cr.) Prior learning assessment (PLA): This course involves PLA credit to be earned for equivalent college-level knowledge gained from previous work experience, military training, or community engagement and showcased in a comprehensive portfolio through written or digital reflections documenting competencies gained through prior learning experiences. Student work is certified/approved for credit by a faculty committee.

• LSTU-L 375 Comparative Labor Movements (3 cr.) L375: Labor movements and labor relations in industrial societies from historical, analytical, and comparative perspectives. Emphasis on interaction between unions and political organizations, national labor policies, the resolution of workplace problems, the organization of white-collar employees, and the issues of workers' control and codetermination.

• LSTU-L 420 Labor Studies Internship (1-6 cr.) This course applies classroom knowledge in the field.  L420 may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. The Internship course is designed to allow students interested in Labor Studies the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge of the discipline in a unionized setting.  Internships are completed in community based or unionized organization and students are required to observe and participate in a union-related capacity under supervision.  Students must complete the classroom component of the Internship credit as well as the unionized work-place requirements.  Admission to the Internship requires instructor approval.

• LSTU-L 430 Labor Research Methods (3 cr.) This course focuses on methods of research design, techniques, and procedures commonly used by social scientists. Students would learn basic research skills that include but are not limited to, how to collect, analyze, and interpret data specific to labor and or working-class issues. The primary objective seeks to produce more critical consumers of social science knowledge through the fundamentals of qualitative and quantitative design, data analysis, documentation, and presentation.

• LSTU-L 480 Senior Seminar or Readings (3 cr.) Designed as either a classroom seminar or directed reading. This course addresses current issues, historical developments, and other labor-related concerns. Topics vary each semester.

• LSTU-L 490 Power and Class in Politics (3 cr.) This course explores the political limits placed on working class power in the US over time and its effect on workers and their organizations. An essential part of the course will focus on the different ways in which power and class intersect in the American political structure, where socioeconomic limits are transformed into political constraints. Using the American political structure as the backdrop, students will examine basic concepts of power and how concepts of power translate into practical political boundaries that must be overcome if labor is to grow and expand its influence in the American political process. Essential for this discussion is the debate of how power is exercised in American society, power in our discussion is real, with deep rooted political implications and not simply an exercise of understanding how far we have come from the democratic premises of the countries’ founders.

• LSTU-U 490 Topics in Labor Studies (1-3 cr.) This is a variable-title course.  L490 can be repeated for credit with different subjects. The transcript will show a different subtitle each time the course is taken.  Some courses focus on contemporary or special areas of labor studies.  Others are directed toward specific categories of employees and labor organizations. Inquire at Labor Studies offices.

• LSTU-U 495 Directed Labor Study (1-6 cr.) This is a variable credit course.  L495 may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Students arrange to study with an individual labor studies faculty member, designing a course of study to suit their individual and varied needs and interests.  The contract might include reading, directed application of prior course work, tutorials, or internships.  Competencies are assessed through written papers, projects, reports, or interviews.