Yeshiva University
Course Information:
SWK 6210
Advanced Policy Advocacy
Graduate
3 Credits |
The mission of the social work profession is “to enhance human well-being and help meet the
basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of
people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty” (NASW Code of Ethics, Preamble,
Revised in 2017). To further this mission, the NASW Code of Ethics implores social workers to
“engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the
resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs
and to develop fully (NASW Code of Ethics, 6.04(a), 2017). Social workers should also
“advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet
basic human needs and promote social justice” (NASW Code of Ethics, 6.04(a), 2017. In order
to effectively serve the mission of our profession, social workers need to be “aware of the impact
of the political arena on practice” (NASW Code of Ethics, 6.04(a), 2017).
The two-course policy sequence for the Master of Social Work program at Wurzweiler School of
Social Work is designed to competently prepare students to support the mission of the social
work profession. The current course builds on the theory, knowledge and skills of Social Welfare
Organizations (SWK 6201) and other foundational courses, to further develop student
understanding of social workers’ ethical responsibility to engage in social and political action,
and put newly acquired skills into action.
This Social Welfare Policy course prepares students to actively practice policy analysis and
advocacy through an exploration of theory, and the introduction and exercise of policy practice.
This course employs a problem-solving approach, similar to that explored in both practice and
research courses. This course builds upon theory introduced in Human Behavior and the Social
Environment courses and content infused throughout the curriculum related to social justice,
equity, and equality for populations in need and at-risk.
Students in this course learn how to use policy practice to address a social problem of importance
to them. Students choose a social problem that connects with the social work profession as a
whole. This problem may intersect with student field placement experiences, career/future
practice goals, and/or social problems of personal significance. Through a deeper exploration of
theory, knowledge and skills, students will develop an expertise in policy related to their chosen
problem that informs how they design and implement a strategy to impact policy to create
positive social change, in accordance with the NASW Code of Ethics. |
SWK 6201
Social Welfare & Social Change
Graduate
3 Credits |
Social Welfare and Social Change is part of the core curriculum of the online master of social work, teaching students about the history of social welfare services in the United States and contemporary issues related to client populations, programs and services, and policies. Topics covered include the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, the Social Security Act of 1935, the War on Poverty, health care reform, childcare services, the SNAP “food stamp” program, labor laws, and women’s suffrage. |
SWK 8296
Social Policy
Graduate
3 Credits |
This course introduces students to the world of policy analysis. It addresses postmodern challenges to
scientific ethos and their implications for social workers seeking to undertake policy analysis in a credible,
constructive, and critical manner. The course also provides working knowledge and requisite skills to
enable social workers and other helping professionals to analyze policies and programs, with client
advocacy, professional integrity, and social justice in mind. The course uses a framework (dubbed the 3Ps)
that classifies policies as Products (legislation, bills), Processes (making policy, implementing policy), and
Performance (policy outcomes, program evaluation). |
SWK 8010
Grant Writing & Administration
Graduate
3 Credits |
This experiential course will introduce social work doctoral students to the grant-development
process. The course will familiarize students with how to: Determine a marketable funding need,
Distinguish between programmatic vs. general operating support, Identify potential funders, Plan
and conceptualize a grant geared for specific funders, Write selected components of the grant
narrative, and Prepare ancillary documents: Budget, Budget justification, Biographical sketch, &
other resources. Students will develop their own draft sections of a grant application. This will
enable students, with instructor feedback, to sharpen their conceptualization and writing skills. |
SWK 6033
Community Social Work I
Graduate
3 Credits |
This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the role government and
institutions of community organizing play in field of Social Work. We will delve into the origins
of community organization practices in the United States, exploring foundational concepts and
ideologies, organizations and movements that have impacted the field of Social Work, beginning
with the emergence of the Social Settlement movement in post-Civil War America, and leading
through to the development of the clinic practice model of the present day. Students
will analyze these themes as a means of developing a framework for their own community-based
fieldwork and gaining the tools to maximize outreach efforts to relevant community stakeholders.
Special attention will be paid to the historical and societal contexts of community-based
organizations, movements and governmental entities of the New York City metropolitan region
and its diverse constituencies. |
Program Information:
Social Work
Wurzweiler School of Social Work
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Degree and Certificate InformationDegrees
Degree/
Level | Title/
English Correspondence | Subject | Credit Hours | Working
Language | History |
|---|
Master of Social Work
Graduate |
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60 Hours |
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No certificates listed.
Information on Training and Other Services
| Field Work |
Building skills for repairing the world one person at a time and supporting caring families, groups, and communities where everyone thrives is central to the field work experience. More than 600 placement sites in the Greater New York Area, and throughout the U.S., Canada, and Israel assure you will gain the experience you seek. |
| Peer Mentorship |
Learn alongside a second-year student who will help students navigate through the MSW experience. |
Additional InformationA leader in social work education since 1957, the Wurzweiler School of Social Work is consistently rated among the top MSW programs in the nation and attracts students from across the globe. We are devoted to the success of each and every one of those students and, ultimately, to the value of repairing the world.
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