University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Course Information:
SOWK 200 Introduction to Social Work and Social Justice
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
This course introduces students to the profession of social work. This course is intended to facilitate prospective social workers’ understanding of the vast breadth of professional practice while providing students with comprehensive knowledge of the profession’s historical evolution, scope of service, consumers of service, rewards, challenges, and commitment to social justice. Additional topics covered in this course include professional skills, values, ethics, practice settings, career patterns, and practice methods. |
SOWK 312 Introduction to Interpersonal Social Work Practice
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
This course introduces social work students to professional interpersonal practice specific to individuals, families, and small groups. This course integrates the social work code of ethics, theoretical models, and culturally responsive practice techniques with an emphasis on social justice, trauma-informed care, and interprofessional practice. The course assists students with identifying appropriate evidence-based service interventions with consideration to intersecting identities, professional standards, and ethical code. |
SOWK 313 Interpersonal Social Work Skills Lab
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
This experiential course will apply the essential skills of social work practice to simulated learning activities. Students taking this course will have the opportunity to model various service provision techniques related to empathy, engagement, assessment, intervention, evaluation, and termination. Students will understand the appropriate use of self in professional practice, and learn strategies to promote self-care. Skills are reinforced through multiple service frameworks integrating trauma-informed care, interprofessional practice, and social justice. |
SOWK 410 Foundations of Social Work Research
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
This course is designed to help students understand and appreciate the role of research in evidence-based practice. Students are introduced to quantitative and qualitative concepts and skills underlying a systematic approach to social work research, including basic research terminology, scientific methods and the value of research in social work. Students will learn about historical and present-day inequities in research and how to apply social work values to engage in ethical research. Students taking this course engage in research techniques such as problem formulation, measurement, design, sampling, data gathering, and use of analytic software. |
SOWK 417R Honors Foundations of Social Work Research
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
This honors course is designed to help students gain an understanding of and appreciation for the role of research in evidence-based practice. Students are introduced to methodological concepts and skills underlying a systematic approach to social work research, and the value of research in social work. Students learn about historical and present-day inequities in research and how to apply social work values to engage in ethical research. Students taking this course engage in problem formulation, measurement, design, sampling, data gathering, and use of analytic software. Students participate in each step of the scientific research process by designing and implementing an empirical study relevant to their practice interest. |
SOWK 425 Mental Illness and Generalist Social Work Practice
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
Examines the generalist social work role in working with individuals and families affected by mental illness. |
SOWK 435 Forensic Social Work
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
Provides an introduction to and overview of the field of forensic social work. Course content focuses on practice settings, generalist skills, ethics and trans-system interactions. |
SOWK 445
Introduction to Substance Abuse in Social Work Practice
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
Provides a generalist social work understanding of substance abuse related to etiology, epidemiology, neurophysiology, and behavioral consequences of specific drugs as well as explore screening, assessment and treatment/referral for substance abuse treatment. |
ENT 410S
Leadership in Nonprofits and Social Entrepreneurship
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
This course introduces students to obstacles facing nonprofit organizations and start-ups, provides students the tools and concepts essential to address these obstacles, and challenges students to use these tools and their own value systems in making “real dollar” grants to local nonprofits. The pedagogy is a blend of case studies, online learning (a six-module MOOC from Stanford), and service-learning work. In the service-learning portion of the course, students evaluate proposals from area nonprofits and award grants provided by the Learning by Giving Foundation and local philanthropists. |
REST 301 Religion and Nonprofit Leadership
Undergraduate
3 Credits |
An exploration of how religion plays a role in nonprofit leadership, including overviews of the historical background of religion and nonprofits, different kinds of nonprofit organizations, and specific leadership strategies. |
542
Generalist Field Practice I
Graduate
2-3 Credits |
A required generalist course with a focus on integrating social work theory and practice in an organizational setting. The first in a sequence of required field practicum courses. Includes an agency-based placement and a seminar. This experiential course gives students the opportunity to apply, practice, and refine generalist social work competencies, knowledge, and skills with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The seminar content, assignments, and activities prepare students for successful engagement and learning in a professional practice setting. |
544
Generalist Field Practice II
Graduate
3-4 Credits |
A required generalist course with a focus on integrating social work theory and practice in an organizational setting. The second in a sequence of required field practicum courses. Includes an agency-based placement and a seminar. Students continue and complete the agency placement that they commenced in Generalist Field Practice I. Students apply, practice, and demonstrate appropriate mastery of all generalist competencies in preparation for their concentration placement experience. The seminar focuses on processing student learning and content related to ethical and professional practice. |
545
Resource Development and Management
Graduate
3 Credits |
In this required course for the Organizational Leadership concentration, students will learn the fundamentals of organizational management in the social service sector. This course will provide an overview of the skills required by leaders of organizations and will discuss the purpose or mission of the organization and its place in society, including laws, regulations, and policies. The important logistics of nonprofit management are addressed including financial management, human resources, fund development, accreditation, resource management, trauma responsive systems, and grant acquisition and management. These concepts are all addressed through the lens of the NASW Code of Ethics with a special emphasis on the components of social justice such as contributive and distributive justice. |
547
Advanced Organizational Theory and Practice
Graduate
3 Credits |
In this required course for the Organizational Leadership concentration, students will be introduced to social service/nonprofit organizations through a trauma-informed, social, anti-racist, economic, and environmental justice lens. The students will gain the knowledge/skill needed for entrance into management positions in human service/nonprofit/governmental/quasi-governmental organizations. Topics addressed will include multi-organization initiatives such as partnerships, community coalitions and alliances, theories in economic development such as how economic factors affect the social sector with particular attention to entrepreneurship/venture philanthropy, and collective impact. The course will consider aspects of governmental relations, operational best practices including practical skills such as running meetings, employee development, advanced strategic planning and futuring, understanding and incorporating accreditation standards, organizational culture and ethical practice in organizations. Topics such as nonprofit governance and accountability, human resource development, supervision, compensation strategies, management theories and employment law will also be addressed. |
548
Advanced Change Management and Policy Practice
Graduate
3 Credits |
Instructs students in the traditions of social work change and the empowerment of clients from within an organizational system and as an individual change agent. Topics addressed will include advanced advocacy skills, coalition building in order to impact legislation, policy research, congressional testifying, policy development and analysis at organizational/local/state/federal levels, use of information technology and social media in bringing about change, and organizational government relations. Empowerment of recipients of service and implementation science will be addressed. |
549
Program Development and Continuous Improvement
Graduate
3 Credits |
In this required course for the Organizational Leadership concentration, students will address the important aspects of measuring and demonstrating the impact that social programming has on clients, organizations, and communities. Content includes the basic principles of program development, needs assessments, program implementation, impact measurements, applied data analysis, and dissemination of outcomes related to topics such as social justice, anti-racism, and trauma responsiveness. |
551
Generalist Seminar II: Macro Social Work Practice
Graduate
3 Credits |
A required generalist seminar is designed to provide incoming advanced standing students with the required foundation before starting the concentration program of study. Will learn the essentials of community-based social work practice, ethics, and leadership skills. Foundational aspects of macro practice through the lens of anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed theory are examined. Practice behaviors related to combatting systemic oppression in organizations and communities are addressed. |
Program Information:
School of Social Work
Social Work
Services
Internships
Degree and Certificate InformationDegrees
Degree/
Level | Title/
English Correspondence | Subject | Credit Hours | Working
Language | History |
|---|
Doctor of Social Work in Clinical Practice & Leadership Program
Doctorate |
DSW |
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16 Hours |
|
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Master of Science in Social Work
Graduate |
MSSW |
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|
|
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Bachelor of Science in Social Work
Undergraduate |
BSSW |
|
|
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No certificates listed.
Information on Training and Other Services
Additional InformationThe College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee has a special mission to serve the needs of the state for advanced social work education. The College provides professional social work education programs that prepare undergraduate and graduate students for social work practice and doctoral level graduate students for social work leadership, research, and academia.
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