Courses

Ph.D.

In the following course listings, the abbreviation ‘‘P’’ refers to prerequisite and ‘‘C’’ indicates core requisite courses.  This bulletin lists only prerequisite and core requisite social work courses.  A list of the specific prerequisite and core requisite courses from the general and supportive area requirements needed for social work courses can be requested from the B.S.W. program office on the campus of your choice.  The number of hours of credit given to a course is indicated in parentheses following the course title.

  • SWK-G 901 Advanced Research (6 cr.)
  • SWK-S 700 Integrative Seminar (3 cr.) P: completion of specialization requirements, or consent of instructor. This seminar is scheduled at the conclusion of the didactic component of the program and is intended to provide an opportunity for students to examine within the context of a social work perspective the relevant research and practice issues that have emerged as a consequence of having participated in an educational program that includes content taken both within and outside the School of Social Work.
  • 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 Intermediate Statistics for Social Work (3 cr.) 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 (6 cr.) P: S720, S721, a foundation statistics course, and at least one of the following: S710, S730, or S740. 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 (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 (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 Advanced Statistics for Social Work (3 cr.) Students in this course learn how to evaluate statistical assumptions and select, compute, and substantively interpret a variety of multivariate statistics, using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) to analyze actual social work research data. Online resources, Web-based materials, and model applications of the statistics support students' learning.
  • 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 740 Social Work Practice: Theory and Research (3 cr.) This seminar provides students opportunities to refine the knowledge, skill, and judgment necessary for competent analysis and evaluation of various aspects of social work practice. During the seminar, students conduct an intensive analysis of the effectiveness of practice services to a distinct at-risk population affected by a contemporary social problem.
  • SWK-S 790 Special Topics in Social Work Practice, Theory, and Research (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 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 bound dissertation with the Graduate School.