Diana R. Garland School of Social Work
Dean: Jon E. Singletary Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Melody Zuniga Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development: Holly Oxhandler Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Kerri Fisher Ph.D. Co-Directors: Robin K. Rogers and T. Laine Scales
Social Work (SWO)
Examines theories and practices of social justice as related to oppressed groups in a multicultural society utilizing religious and nonreligious perspectives. Addresses issues of power, inequality, and privilege, and the diverse experiences of oppressed groups in framing strategies to promote social justice.
Specialized knowledge and skills for loss and grief and therapeutic interventions for the bereaved, including bereaved children. Preparation for work with loss of relationship and health across the lifespan. Emphasis on religious faith and grief, and the response of faith communities and religiously affiliated providers to suicide, divorce, loss of parental rights, and other disenfranchised grief.
This course is designed to help students gain a better understanding of contemporary human trafficking and modern day slavery. The roles that entities such as government, the media, faith-based organizations, organized crime, and culture play in this complex human rights and social (in)justice issue will also be explored.
Impact of aging upon individuals and society, as well as the reactions of individuals and society to aging. Social gerontology is the principal focus of attention of the course.
Mental health needs and related problems of aging individuals with considerable discussion of approved mental health treatments for such persons.
Provides instruction in areas of social work knowledge, values, and/or skills that are not available in the standard social work baccalaureate or graduate curricula. Course may be repeated up to six times with different topic of study, not to exceed a maximum of six semester hours.
Introduction to the advanced internship in a specialization
Through this course, students have the opportunity to synthesize learning from the explicit and implicit social work curriculum of the MSW program, identify major learning gleaned through the program, and prepare for reentry into their social work practice in international context.
Selection and implementation of outcome-based evaluation of practice protocols to inform intervention decisions by advanced practice social workers.
Selection and implementation of outcome-based program evaluation protocols to inform intervention decisions by advanced practice social workers.
Integrative seminar to demonstrate readiness to practice social work at an advanced level in the student's area of specialization.
This course prepares students for entrance into Baylor's Advanced standing MSW Program. Introduces the mission of the program with an emphasis on integrated faith and social work practice, the strengths perspective, and building communities. Overviews the professional foundation to include human behavior and the social environment and social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.
This course provides students the opportunity to conceptualize international social work practice in domestic contexts and abroad. Through four seminars and an experiential learning weekend, students explore social work within a human rights framework; develop cultural competency; grasp specific international social issues, strengths, and intervention strategies; and contextualize social work skills with international client systems.
In this course, students identify and analyze a global social issue of their choice, research systemic causality of the issue, explore best practice models, and create a strategic approach for addressing the issue utilizing accumulated research and governmental, non-governmental, and congregational resources. This multidisciplinary course explores community interventions informed by engineering, nursing, business, and public health.
Provides foundational content to understand better how diversity and difference shape the human experience and are critical to forming identity. Dimensions of intersectionality are explored and examined considering privilege and marginalization. Students learn to identify structural mechanisms of oppression and strategies for interrupting systems of power to create equity and inclusion in professional and community contexts.
Introduces the historical context of social policy and services in the United States, the analysis of current developments, and how social workers influence social welfare policy and provide social services.
Credit or concurrent enrollment in SWO 5491. Prepares students to perform managerial functions in public, nonprofit, and faith-based human service organizations. Specific attention is given to the topics of leadership, human resources, fundraising, grant writing, organizational development, resource management, structure and governance, and efforts to link human service organizations in an integrated community-wide service delivery system.
Guides advanced practice social workers in the evaluation and selection of frameworks for community change. Emphasizes values, professional role, and cultural influences on how change is envisioned, enacted, and evaluated.
Prepares students to learn and apply developmental, sociological, psychological, and therapeutic theories to the needs of individuals, families, groups, and communities. The course explores advanced clinical theories and empirically informed and emerging models for practice.
This course utilizes a strengths-based social work perspective to examine common diagnoses of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, associated assessment tools, and areas for professional, ethical, and cultural consideration in the diagnostic process.
This course prepares students to understand the foundational theoretical base of social work that drives and informs practice. Students gain applicable knowledge of the complex experiences of individuals, families, and informal and formal social networks and communities.
In this course, students practice skill development by applying the steps of the generalist intervention model (engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, and termination/transition) to create diversitysensitive care management plans for individuals and families. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master’s degree.
Knowledge, values, and skills needed for working with groups. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master’s degree.
A minimum grade of B or concurrent enrollment in SWO 5362. This course prepares students for ethical and effective social work practice with communities and organizations. Students will learn models and skills that relate to macro social work practice. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master's degree.
Prepares students with specialized knowledge of theories and practice models and skills for advanced clinical practice within a broad array of practice contexts. Students learn to assess and intervene at the levels of individual, family, and group with some discussion of organizational and community practice. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master's degree.
Prepares advanced-practice social workers to promote community problem-solving and development. Emphasizes community assets; leadership development; and change strategy selection, enactment, and evaluation. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master's degree.
Prepares students for practice within health contexts. Uses social work knowledge, skills, and values to prepare students to assess and intervene at individual, family, and group levels in healthcare settings. Discusses policy, justice, and equity issues related to health and healthcare access.
Credit or concurrent enrollment in SWO 5491. Emphasizes the application of theory, models, and skills in practice contexts with children and families. Includes instruction on models and theories and the impact of crisis and trauma on the family. Exposes students to various themes in child and family practice, such as grief, levels of need, strengths, and collaborative work.
Continuation of 5375. Prepares advanced practice social workers to promote community problem-solving and development. Emphasizes community assets; leadership development; and change strategy selection, enactment, and evaluation. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master’s degree.
A grade of B or better must be received in this course in order to complete the requirements for the master’s degree. Prepares students with specialized knowledge and skills for advanced clinical practice within a broad array of practice contexts. Uses social work knowledge, skills, and values to prepare students to assess and intervene at the levels of individual, family, and group with some discussion of organizational and community practice. The course provides an overview of major theoretical clinical practice models.
Students learn transdiagnostic clinical treatment models and skills. Emphasis is given to students demonstrating clinical skills that address a wide range of client contexts and goals. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master’s degree.
Critical evaluation and use of research and conducting research in one's own professional practice.
Emphasizes the importance of systematic, consistent monitoring of client outcomes as a critical part of effective clinical social work practice. Building upon skills of thorough, accurate assessment and effective client rapport, this course focuses on the next steps of collaborating with the client system (individual, family, group) to monitor feasible clinical outcomes that inform the treatment process and the continuous improvement of practice.
Apply systematically derived, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed decisions for continuous quality improvement of human service systems, programs, and congregations.
Integrative seminar at the end of the MSW process to provide students the opportunity to demonstrate key social work competencies at an advanced level in their area of specialization. Students develop a presentation that reflects competency in the goals and objectives of the social work program. Students create professional development plans to demonstrate readiness to enter, contribute to, and develop within the social work profession.
A grade of B or better must be received in this course in order to complete the requirements for the master’s degree. Knowledge, values, and skills needed for working with communities and organizations.
Second of two terms of the advanced internship in a specified area of specialization. This is the second part of SWO 5494.
Orientation and introduction to internship, at least 240 hours of applied learning, and an integrative seminar. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master's degree.
Social Work Internship, including at least 240 hours of applied learning and an integrative seminar. This is the second part of SWO 5491 with the addition of more sophisticated social work practice opportunities and expectations. A grade of B or better must be received in this course to complete the requirements for the master's degree.
Introduction and first of two semesters of the advanced internship in a specified area of specialization.
A grade of B or better must be received in this course in order to complete the requirements for the master’s degree. Knowledge, values, and skills needed for working with individuals and families.
Advanced internship in specialization area
Independent study in Social Work course may be repeated up to six times with different topics of study, not to exceed a maximum of six semester hours to fulfill elective credit.
Provides advanced instruction in areas of social work knowledge, values, and/or skills that are not available in the standard social work graduate curriculum. Special topics in social work. Course may be repeated up to six times with different topic of study, not to exceed a maximum of six semester hours.
Explores research, theory, and practices related to religion and spirituality as they can inform social work practice. Specific emphasis is placed on the role of religion in contemplating the meaning of well-being and social justice.
Through current research, congregations and religiously affiliated organizations are examined, specifically through the lens of history, social work practice, social capital, and organizational theories, behaviors, and identities.
Draws on the world religions to reflect on divergent cultural, ethical, and helping systems for believers. Offers the foundations for helping by looking within a wide variety of religious traditions for support and understanding.
Explores research, theory, and practices of leadership in social service organizations, social work education, and communities.
This course focuses on planning evaluation research for human service and educational programs and will prepare students to develop program evaluations to help agencies document their outcomes.
Students will critically examine historic, philosophical, aesthetic, and social science foundations for classic and current social work intervention theories and models.
This interactive course prepares students for teaching in higher education. Exploration of learning styles, content delivery, teaching methods, curriculum and lesson plan development, and critical thinking stimulation prepares the student to develop and deliver courses in social work higher education venues. The course uses theory and practical skill development, including demonstration of teaching methods and student learning.
Students work with their peers and the instructor as they navigate all aspects of planning and executing a successful course of instruction for social work students.
Focuses on quantitative research methodology as applied to research in the human services and social work. Emphasizes the epistemological basis of different research methods, forming appropriate research questions and hypotheses, conducting literature reviews, developing research designs, and selecting and applying preliminary data analysis techniques.
An overview of statistical tests used to analyze data in social work. Emphasizes critical-thinking skills needed to evaluate others’ use of statistical tests as well as to conduct one’s own analyses, choose a statistical test, check that assumptions have been met, and interpret SPSS output. The course covers: correlation, Student’s t-test, the ANOVA family, linear regression, and logistic regression.
Study of the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative methods. Students explore the similarities and differences between post-positivism and constructivism as they develop qualitative proposals for social work research.
This course assists students in articulating a broad research agenda as a solid foundation for developing a dissertation topic, becoming familiar with and articulating the state of the current literature within their research agenda, and becoming socialized to scholarly and first phase of dissertation proposal writing, the publication process, and ways in which a strong empirically-informed argument can strengthen a research grant proposal.
Content prepares students for questionnaire construction and sample selection in conjunction with measurement development.
Focus is on the theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of collecting, managing, and analyzing data from different qualitative traditions. Specific content is tailored to topics relevant for dissertation research.
Students refine proposals from the quantitative and qualitative courses, submit them for review, and carry out the studies from problem formulation to submission of two manuscripts suitable for peer-reviewed journal publications.
Special topics in social work practice and research. May be repeated for credit, provided that the topic is not duplicated, for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
Research, data analysis, and writing and oral/written defense of an approved doctoral dissertation. At least nine hours of SWO 6V99 are required. Students may not enroll for dissertation hours until they have been officially accepted into candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.