Social Work
Department Overview
The Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education at the baccalaureate level. The major has two primary objectives:
- to prepare students for beginning-level generalist social work practice; and
- to prepare students for graduate study in social work.
The social work curriculum stresses integrating knowledge of human behavior, social welfare policy and services, and research, with the values and skills of the social work profession.
Chair of the Department of Social Work: Kelly Melekis
Professor: Crystal Dea Moore
Associate Professor: Kelly Melekis
Assistant Professor: June C. Paul
Senior Teaching Professor and Director of Field Education: Peter McCarthy
Professor Emeritus: Thomas P. Oles
Social Work B.S.
The major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. The social work major must successfully complete the following eleven courses (40 credits) in social work:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SW 212 | Power, Privilege and Oppression: Advancing Social Justice | 4 |
| SW 222 | Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare | 3 |
| SW 241 | Research Methods for Social Justice | 4 |
| SW 253 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment | 3 |
| SW 320 | Service Learning in Social Work | 1 |
| SW 333 | Social Work Practice With Individuals and Families | 3 |
| SW 334 | Social Work Practice With Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 3 |
| SW 338 | Social Policy and Social Justice | 4 |
| SW 340 | Field Preparation Seminar | 1 |
| SW 381 | Social Work Field Practicum Seminar and Senior Coda | 3 |
| SW 382 | Social Work Field Practicum | 12 |
| Total Hours | 41 | |
Suggested Liberal Arts Courses for Prospective Social Work Majors
Students are encouraged to think carefully about how they approach the liberal arts requirement. A liberal education involves an appreciation of the relationship between the past and the present, an understanding of the social world, and the ability to communicate orally, in writing, and across cultures, as well as reasoning scientifically and quantitatively. Study in the liberal arts produces a deepened sense of self, and most profoundly, a commitment to lifelong learning. Social work practice rests on the liberal arts; the profession depends on broadly educated, reflective practitioners who integrate knowledge and ways of knowing from multiple disciplines, and who are committed to a life of curiosity, inquiry, and learning. Students considering a social work major are encouraged to consider the courses below as they fulfill the liberal arts requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Expository Writing | ||
| AM 230 | Born in America | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| EC 103 | Introduction to Macroeconomics (fulfills liberal arts requirement for social work majors) | 4 |
| EC 104 | Introduction to Microeconomics (fulfills liberal arts requirement for social work majors) | 4 |
| MS 104 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
| SO 228 | Statistics for the Social Sciences | 4 |
| Humanities | ||
| AM 262 | Civil Rights in Twentieth-Century United States | 3 |
| PL 102 | Introduction to Political Philosophy | 3 |
| RE 103 | Understanding Religions | 3 |
| Natural Science | ||
| BI 120 | Human Biology and Medical Decisions: Food, Disease, Sex, Sleep | 5 |
| HP 111 | Introduction to Exercise Physiology | 4 |
| NS 101 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 4 |
| Social Sciences | ||
| ED 115 | School and Society | 4 |
| PL 101 | Introduction to American Politics | 3 |
| PL 211 | Courts, Politics, and Judicial Process in the United States | 3 |
| HI 225 | Race and Ethnicity in American Thought | 3 |
| SO 202 | The Individual in Society | 3 |
| SO 203 | Femininities and Masculinities | 3 |
| SO 204 | Introduction to Race, Class, and Gender | 3 |
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| AM 231 | Ethnic and Immigrant Experience | 3 |
| AM 342 | Black Feminist Thoughts | 3 |
| HI 228 | Race, Class, and Gender in Latin America | 3 |
| RE 215 | Islam (A) | 3 |
Policies and Procedures
Admission
Students must apply for admission to the social work major during their sophomore year. Selection is based on demonstrated academic competence, a willingness to abide by the profession’s code of ethics, and suitability for beginning professional practice. Applications for admission are available from social work faculty. Students planning on going abroad should talk with the program director in their first year.
Senior-Year Field Experience
The social work major culminates in a field experience in the spring semester of the senior year. Students must complete all course prerequisites prior to enrolling in the field practicum. In addition, the nature of the field experience requires that the department reserves the right to deny enrollment in the field practicum to any student, if in the judgment of the faculty that student’s scholastic or professional preparation for beginning social work practice is insufficient.
Students serve as beginning social workers four days per week for a minimum of 400 hours over the course of the semester. This experience provides them with opportunities to apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom in an agency setting. They are integrated into the field experience as regular staff and assume the functions of beginning social work practitioners in such roles as counselors, advocates, and researchers. They receive supervision from agency field instructors and support through ongoing monitoring of the placement by the social work program. Students also meet in a weekly seminar to discuss their field experiences and professional development.
Writing Requirement in the Major
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Writing-Enhanced Courses | ||
| SW 241 | Research Methods for Social Justice | 4 |
| SW 333 | Social Work Practice With Individuals and Families | 3 |
The writing requirement prepares students to write effectively for a variety of professional audiences including researchers, clinicians, and supervisors. In these courses, students will:
- Develop a feasible research proposal that includes a well-integrated literature review, a thorough description of the selected research methodology, a discussion of the practice/policy implications of the proposed work, and an appropriate data collection instrument (SW 241 Research Methods for Social Justice);
- Develop a clinical portfolio that includes a well-defined learning contract for field work, clear and concise progress notes, an objective and comprehensive psychosocial assessment, and a self-assessment that demonstrates the student’s ability to reflect on their work with clients and connect field work to course concepts (SW 333 Social Work Practice With Individuals and Families).
Honors
To be eligible for departmental honors in social work, students must meet the minimum College GPA requirement of 3.000 overall and 3.500 in the major. Of students who are qualified, up to four students will be awarded departmental honors, each recognized for distinction in one of three areas:
- research
- practice
- overall academic achievement
Distinguished research performance is demonstrated by the completion of high quality research products in SW 241 Research Methods for Social Justice and subsequent superior independent or collaborative research; distinction in practice is demonstrated by superior performance evaluations of practice competencies in SW 333 Social Work Practice With Individuals and Families, SW 334 Social Work Practice With Groups, Organizations, and Communities, and SW 381 Social Work Field Practicum Seminar and Senior Coda; and overall academic achievement is demonstrated by the highest overall GPA.
Course Listing
This course explores social work values, provides opportunities to identify and clarify conflicting values and ethical dilemmas, and examines the impact of discrimination, economic deprivation, and oppression on groups distinguished by factors such as race, ethnicity, culture, class, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, national origin, etc. Students will consider linkages between various aspects of identity and inequality by evaluating existing systems of power, privilege and oppression, exploring theoretical debates, and examining multicultural and intersectional strategies of response. Specific attention is focused on critically analyzing and applying the social justice-based foundations of social work and the role of social workers in addressing unjust systems and structures that marginalize and disadvantage particular groups in contemporary America.
Analyses of death and dying from historical, cultural, and religious perspectives. Examination of theories of grief and mourning processes and of death-related practices, such as wills and funerals. Review of approaches to and strategies for working with the dying and their families. Students may examine their own attitudes toward death and dying.
Approaches to individual situations and cultural variations in compulsive and addictive behaviors related to such matters as drugs, gambling, love, work, and material success. This course uses a comprehensive view of human addictions that involves a person's expectations, values, sense of self-worth, and alternative opportunities for gratification and treatment.
A course designed to provide students with opportunities to engage with the broader community beyond Skidmore through service and to encourage critical reflection on their experiences. Students volunteer their services in local nonprofit agencies for six to eight hours a week and learn to assume the role of a volunteer to: understand the history of the nonprofit sector, research client needs, and demonstrate skills that promote effective and sensitive community service.
Service-learning through partnerships with community agencies. Service learning integrates academic work with community service. Students learn to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to "real life" by getting hands-on experience in the community. Service learning benefits students by enhancing their understanding of concepts learned in the classroom, promoting personal identity, fostering the development of civic responsibility, and giving them the opportunity to work with diverse populations in a "real world" setting. Community partners benefit from the relationships formed and the services students contribute in response to community needs. Students will engage in fieldwork with underserved and under-represented populations in local community agencies. Students will have the opportunity to practice basic communication and relationship skills, be introduced to social problems and issues, and learn skills relevant to social work theory and practice.
Introduction to social welfare and the field of social work from a historical, educational, and theoretical perspective. The course explores the values, knowledge, and skills required in the profession, along with their practical application in the field, and factors affecting social work practice, e.g., class, gender, race.
One topic of current interest in an area of social work. Topics will vary from year to year depending on interests of faculty and needs of students, and might include social work practice with alcoholism and narcotic addiction, social work in correctional settings, social work with the developmentally disabled, social work with the aged, advocacy in social work, or the dynamics of racism in social work practice.
Reviews conceptions of and approaches to working with troubled children and adolescents. Topics include divorce, child abuse, learning difficulties, substance abuse, delinquency, foster care, and parent-child conflict.
Examination of the research process used by human service professionals. Students learn about social science methodology from the perspective of a future practitioner and research consumer. Topics include: problem formulation, measurement, design, qualitative and quantitative modes of observation, data collection, and analysis. The course addresses practical issues such as single-subject design, program evaluation, and the ethical dilemmas involved in conducting human subject research. As part of the writing requirement for the major, students will develop a feasible and thorough quantitative research proposal.
The purpose of this course is to further develop students' ability to utilize and engage in research to advance human rights and social justice. Skills in research methodology (e.g., hypothesis generation, measurement, and instrument construction) will be reinforced and strengthened, with a focus on quantitative data analysis and interpretation. Students will learn and apply statistical techniques to analyze social issues. In addition to exploring how social differences (e.g., gender, race, class) can shape individuals’ life experiences, the course will focus on the use of statistics as a vehicle to better understand the injustices faced by certain individuals, groups, and communities. Students will consider the relationship between epistemology and methodology, with particular attention to the strengths and limitations of quantitative reasoning from a transformative perspective.
Social workers need to understand human behavior at multiple social system levels, including individual, family, group, organization, community, national, and international. This course provides students with basic concepts, theories, and empirical findings about human behavior in multiple system levels, considering biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of human behavior and experience. Students explore theoretical perspectives as relevant to an approach to social work practice that advances personal and collective strengths and resources, honors human diversity, promotes empowerment and justice, and reflects critical and creative thinking.
A topical workshop, seminar, discussion group, service learning experience, or research project that can link to a regular social work course or serve as a freestanding course.
Internship opportunity for students whose academic and cocurricular work has prepared them for professional activity related to social work. With faculty sponsorship and department approval, students may design experiences in such areas as direct work with specific populations, community organizations, and social welfare management, administration, and research.
Service-learning through partnerships with community agencies. Service learning integrates academic work with community service. Students learn to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to "real life" by getting hands-on experience in the community. Service learning benefits students by enhancing their understanding of concepts learned in the classroom, promoting personal identity, fostering the development of civic responsibility, and giving them the opportunity to work with diverse populations in a "real world" setting. Community partners benefit from the relationships formed and the services students contribute in response to community needs. Students will engage in fieldwork with underserved and under-represented populations in local community agencies. Students will have the opportunity to practice basic communication and relationship skills, be introduced to social problems and issues, and learn skills relevant to social work theory and practice.
An examination at the advanced level of current topics in social work not available in regular course offerings. Topics will vary from year to year depending on the interests of faculty and needs of students and will build upon previously completed coursework.
Part of a two-semester sequence designed to prepare students for entry-level generalist social work practice and to provide students with an overview of social work theory and its relation to practice. The course focuses on the knowledge, skills, and values needed for beginning social work practice with diverse individuals and families and addresses all phases of the helping process, including assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, termination, and follow-up. Students will be encouraged to examine the relationship between theory and practice, and contextualize particular practice methods within a general theoretical perspective. Assignments emphasize critical thinking skills and theoretically grounded, research-based practice strategies. Students learn to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to "real life" by getting hands-on experience in the community. Students will engage in fieldwork with underserved and under-represented populations in local community agencies.
Part of the practice sequence designed to prepare students for generalist social work practice. Student learn social work theory and practice methods employed by social workers in providing services to communities and organizations in a changing world. Special attention will be given to professional relationships characterized by mutuality, collaboration, and respect, and on practices aimed to advance human rights and social justice. Students learn to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to "real life" by getting hands-on experience in the community. Students will engage in fieldwork with underserved and under-represented populations in local community agencies.
The study of social policy, welfare program planning, and social service implementation, evaluation, and analysis. The class will interrogate the value, political, and societal issues that underpin policies and programs, giving specific attention to the evaluation of policies through research and application of principles of social justice. Students will examine reviews of selected policies on federal, state, and local levels as well as compare the social policies of the United States with those of other countries.
Provides historical and current context for understanding the requirement of field instruction in social work programs. Students explore social work partnership with community agencies, the supervision process, and ways to enrich the practicum experience. Through in-class discussion, individual meetings with the instructor, and on-site agency interviews, students assess their areas of interest, professional and academic goals, and potential field practicum placements for SW 382, offered during the spring semester.
Individual reading and/or research in social work under the guidance of a member of the department. Open with consent of the department to qualified students. Individual conferences to be arranged.
Provides discussion and analysis of practicum-related experiences and professional issues. A major purpose of the seminars is the development of professional judgment through examination of cases and practice situations encountered in field instruction.
Thirty-five hours per week spent in social service agencies and related organizations in Saratoga County and the surrounding area. Specific placements made according to academic interests and needs of individual students.
A topical workshop, seminar, discussion group, service learning experience, or research project that can link to a regular Social Work course or serve as a freestanding course.