SOW 200Z • Introduction to Social Work 4 Credits.

Overview of social work mission, core values, history, and fields of practice. Understanding dimensions of diversity, cultures, and structures that may oppress and marginalize people groups. Significant cross-cultural, community-based service learning in which students communicate and collaborate with diverse individuals. Consideration of social work as career choice.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing; major in social work or consent of instructor. Offered: Fall, Spring.

SOW 240 • Socioeconomic & Justice Issues in Market Economies 3 Credits.

Equips students with knowledge and skills for understanding and critically evaluating how market economies operate, their broad socioeconomic consequences, and their impact on the lives of socially disadvantaged people. Special Note: Carries cross-credit in sociology.
Offered: Spring.

SOW 250 • Social Welfare History 3 Credits.

Examines the historical movements of social welfare responses to the poor and oppressed from the colonial period to the present, with emphasis on economic, demographic, cultural, and political forces. Historical documents representing significant turning points in society are presented to gain appreciation of the linkage among past, present, and future reforms.
Offered: Spring.

SOW 304 • Social Work Practice I 3 Credits.

Generalist social work theory and practice with organizations and communities. Application of human behavior in the social environment. Research-based knowledge emphasized. Assignments in community settings focus on engagement and assessment; dimensions of diversity; interaction of social systems; and strategies to promote human and civil rights.
Prerequisites: SOW 200Z; major in Social Work. Offered: Fall.

SOW 305 • Social Policy Practice 4 Credits.

vInterrelationship of social problems, social welfare policies, and service delivery from historical, economic, political, and program perspectives. Social systems content applied to social policy analysis. Students develop, analyze, advocate, and provide leadership for policy and service delivery that promote economic and social justice through community-based projects.
Prerequisites: Major in social work. (Non-majors may take course only with consent of instructor.) Offered: Spring.

SOW 307Z • Intentional Urban Living I 2 Credits.

Intensive urban learning opportunity involving exploration and analysis of urban community, urban neighborhood social and political structures, and theological issues that arise in an urban context. Involves living in an urban neighborhood in Minneapolis or St. Paul and substantial interaction in the neighborhood.
Offered: Fall.

SOW 308Z • Intentional Urban Living II 2 Credits.

Intensive urban learning opportunity involving exploration and analysis of urban community, urban neighborhood social and political structures, and theological issues that arise in an urban context. Involves living in an urban neighborhood in Minneapolis or St. Paul and substantial interaction in the neighborhood. Involves an individualized research project and/or action project focused on a change initiative.
Offered: Spring.

SOW 313 • Social Work Practice II 3 Credits.

Generalist social work theory and practice with individuals and families. Beginning professional development, critical thinking, effective communication, Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE), ethical and evidenced-based practice is emphasized. Simulated case assignments provide student development of knowledge and skills of social work practice: engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, and termination.
Prerequisites: SOW 200Z; Major in social work. Offered: Fall.

SOW 326 • Restorative Justice 3 Credits.

Examines and analyzes the philosophy and principles of restorative justice, including its historical and theological roots by comparing and contrasting retributive and restorative paradigms. Applications of restorative justice examined from the perspective of victim-offender dialogue and the use of restorative justice principles in offender reintegration.
Prerequisites: SOC 324. Offered: Spring, odd # years. Special Note: carries cross-credit with sociology.

SOW 327G • Social Perspective, Human Worth, and Social Action 3 Credits.

Examines historical and current societal conditions and their impact on individuals and communities. Culture, power, oppression, exclusion, and the impact of diverse realities in the U.S. are explored. Engages students in a comparative examination through the synthesis of contemporary writings, social theory, and diverse voices. Experiential learning and dialogue promotes deepened understanding, justice seeking strategies, and social action.
Prerequisites: [GES 130; GES 160; Contemporary Western Life and Thought (L) course; World Cultures (U) course] or [GES 244; World Cultures (U) course]. Offered: Spring.

SOW 330 • Social Work Field Experience I 2 Credits.

Provides an introductory field experience in a multi-service community-based agency serving an ethnically diverse population. Students apply and integrate beginning knowledge, values, skills, and ethics for social work practice with an emphasis on developing a professional identity. Weekly on-campus field seminar supports this integration while students work a minimum of 80 hours in a field setting under agency supervision.
Prerequisites: SOW 200Z; consent of instructor; Major in social work. Corequisites: Must be taken concurrently with SOW 304; SOW 313. Offered: Fall.

SOW 331 • Social Work Field Experience II 2 Credits.

Field experience in which students apply and integrate beginning knowledge, values, skills, and ethics for social work practice with an emphasis on diversity, human rights and justice, and professional generalist practice. Weekly on-campus field seminar supports integration while students work a minimum of 100 hours in field setting under agency supervision.
Prerequisites: SOW 304; SOW 313; SOW 330; Major in social work; admission to the Social Work Program; admission to the Social Work Field Program. Offered: Spring.

SOW 351 • Methods of Applied Social Research 4 Credits.

Social research methods, including an emphasis on becoming proficient and critical consumers of research-based data, for the purposes of knowledge advancement, informed practice, and program and practice effectiveness evaluation.
Prerequisites: SOW 200Z; Mathematics (M) course (PSY 230M reconmmended); introductory course in the social and behavioral sciences. Offered: Fall.

SOW 405 • Social Work Practice III 4 Credits.

Generalist social work theory applied to integrated practice within client systems. Emphasis is on families and groups and on the planned change process. Student development of a group work project and case study review promote application of critical thinking, research-informed practice and culture competence.
Prerequisites: SOW 200Z; SOW 304; SOW 313; SOW 330; SOW 331; admission to the Social Work program. Offered: Fall.

SOW 431 • Conversations about End of Life 1 Credit.

Development of advance care planning (ACP) facilitation skills in the context of faith, cultural, healthcare system, and societal perspectives. A First Steps ACP Facilitator Certificate is available for students who successfully complete ACP Facilitator requirements.
Prerequisites: Senior standing in nursing or social work, or consent of instructor. Offered: Spring. Special Notes: Carries cross-credit in nursing.

SOW 432 • Social Work Field Instruction I 3 Credits.

Field practicum in a practice setting in which students perform the role of a professional social worker under supervision of a qualified field instructor. Weekly on-campus field seminar, facilitated by social work faculty, supports integration of theory with social work practice. Students work a minimum of 135 hours in field. A structured learning contract provides application of social work knowledge, values, and skills.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor; Admission to the Social Work Program; admission to the Social Work Field Program. Corequisites: Must be taken concurrently with SOW 405. Offered: Fall.

SOW 433 • Social Work Field Instruction II 3 Credits.

A continuation of SOW 432. Time involvement must total a minimum of 135 hours in the field. Satisfactory progress must be made toward competence in professional social work practice.
Prerequisites: SOW 432. Offered: Spring.

SOW 434 • Social Work Field Instruction III 3 Credits.

A continuation of SOW 433. Time involvement must total a minimum of 135 hours in the field. Satisfactory progress in SOW 432/433/434 on field assignments, learning contract, and 400 hours of supervised practice indicate student’s readiness to perform the role of a generalist social work practitioner.
Prerequisites: SOW 432. Corequisites: Must be taken concurrently with SOW 433; SOW 499. Offered: Spring.

SOW 499 • Senior Integrative Seminar 3 Credits.

Integration of generalist social work knowledge, values, and skills through ethics-based case studies and completion of practice/program evaluation research applied to field practicum setting. Critical thinking, leadership, and scholarship emphasized.
Prerequisites: SOW 405; SOW 432. Corequisites: Must be taken concurrently with SOW 433/434. Offered: Spring.