Elective Courses

Each student is required to take one elective course, which is designed to provide additional knowledge and skill related to a student's concentration and/or to further develop their capacity to engage in advanced generalist social work practice.

Students may take their elective at either UNCG or NCA&T. Electives must be graduate-level courses and may be taken within the social work departments or in other related departments. Following are approved electives for each of the concentrations and a list of electives that are approved for all students. This list is not complete, nor is it intended to constrain students from taking other graduate-level electives with the approval of their advisor.

Social Work with Families and Youth at Risk

N.C. A&T

SPED 660. Introduction to Exceptional Children 3(3-0) A survey of children and youth with special needs focusing on historical and current treatment. Emphasis will be on psychological, sociological, physiological, and educational needs of special needs children. Field experience.

SPED 661. Psychology of the Exceptional Child 3(3-0) An analysis of psychological factors affecting identification and development of mentally retarded children, physically handicapped children, emotionally and socially maladjusted children and other children with special needs.

UNCG

SWK 585. Social Work with Families in Crisis (3:3). Prerequisite 310, 311, 312 and 351; or HDF 212 and HDF 410; or permission of instructor. Social work practice with families in crisis, with a focus on problems currently faced by families and strategies to help them.

SWK 681. Family-Centered Interdisciplinary Practice: System of Care (3:3). System of Care has core values/principles, infuses service planning/delivery. Students develop competencies: family-centered; client partnerships; community services; cultural competency; interagency collaboration. Participatory research with families included. (Same as HDF 681, PSY 681, RPT 681.) Prerequisite: exposure to System of Care through departmental courses before enrollment, basic research methods and basic statistics course, or permission of instructor.

CED 671. Understanding and Counseling Adolescents (3:3) Contemporary adolescence; theories of psychosocial, cognitive, emotional and moral development, combined with selective readings on adolescent problems, and evaluating the implication of these ideas for developing more effective approaches in working with adolescent youth.

CED 691. Advanced Clinical Topics in Couple and Family Counseling/Therapy (3:3) Advanced seminar in the scientific foundations of practice of couple and family counseling/therapy.

HDF 612. Seminar in Parent-Child Relations (3:3) Current theoretical and research perspectives on parent-child relations. Child-rearing practices and socialization processes.

HDF 621. Advanced Theories and Principles of Parenting (3:3) Examination of established parenting programs. Theoretical foundations and issues related to program selection and evaluation. Opportunity for practical experience in assisting parent educators in the community.

PSY 502. Psychological Problems of Childhood (3:3) General survey of significant psychological problems characteristic of various classes of exceptional children. Especially designed to fit the needs of the teacher in special education.

PSY 506. Psychology of Aging (3:3) Adult lifespan changes in psychophysiology, cognition, personality, sexuality. social relationships, and mental health.

Social Work in Health and Mental Health

N.C. A&T

PSYC 644. Applied Health Psychology 3(2-2) The utilization of psychology concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of physical disorder (e.g. hypertension) and disease from a behavioral and/or psychological perspective.

UNCG

SWK 550. Social Services in Health Care (3:3). Prerequisite permission of instructor. Examination of social services in health care settings. Emphasis on organizational context, interdisciplinary cooperation, and skill required for work in primary care setting.

SWK 554. Social Work with People who are Mentally Ill (3:3). This course will provide knowledge and skills necessary for practicing effective social work with people who are mentally ill and their families.

SWK 555. Substance Abuse and Social Work Practice (3:3). Introduction to the issues of substance abuse and addiction and their impact on clients and their families. Social work assessment and intervention methods will be taught. (Spring.)

General Electives Approved for All JMSW Students

N.C. A&T

SOWK 670. Law and Society 3(3-0) This course examines selected and representative forms of social justice and injustices; barriers to and opportunities for legal redress, as related to contemporary issues.

SOCI 600. Seminar in Social Planning 3(3-0) Personal and social values as related to social planning: "systems" theories program planning and evaluation.

SOCI 601. Seminar in Urban Planning

SOCI 701. Seminar in Cultural Factors in Communication 3(3-0) This course examines cultural factors to be considered in communication.

HEFS 613. Substance Abuse 3(3-0) Alcoholism and drugs and their inherent effects upon the family and society. Problems in the family related to the individuals, business and industry. Additional focus will be given to treatment, agencies and methods of recovering self-esteem.

PSYC 645. Behavior Modification 3(3-0) A survey of relevant research and techniques making use of either learning theory or behavior principles in the treatment of deviant behavior. Special emphasis is placed on the use of operant conditioning procedures in the prevention and treatment of abnormal behavior.

SPED 668. Children & Youth with Behavioral Disorders 3(3-0) A study of issues, definitions, classification, characteristics, causes, and prevalence of children and youth with behavioral disorders. It will examine models, assessments, and intervention strategies.

AGED 609. Community Analysis and Rural Life 3(3-0) Educational processes, structure and function of rural society, and the role which diverse organizations, agencies, and institutions plan in the education and adjustment of rural people to the demands of modern society.

UNCG

SWK 510. Special Problems in Social Work (1-6) Opportunity for students to study in depth a topic of special interest.

SWK 520. Methods and Practice of Family and Marital Therapy (3:3) A systems/ communications approach to marital and family therapy. Students develop ability to apply concepts to understand and intervene in family systems. Related therapeutic concepts and techniques are also discussed.

SWK 522. Comparative Study of Cross-cultural Social Work Practice (3:3). Prerequisites for graduate students: 501, 502, 503, 504, 511, 514, 515, 516, 560; or permission of instructor. Compares social work, social service programs, and social policies of the U.S. with those of selected other countries throughout the world, emphasizing services for families, children, and vulnerable populations. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. (Summer.)

SWK 570. Social Services for the Aging (3:3) Systematic study of social work approaches to providing services to the aging. Focus on current policies, services, and models of practice.

SWK 580. Long Term Care Policies for Elderly (3:3) Consideration of financing, organization and delivery of health and human service to those who are elderly, disabled, or limited in capabilities for a relatively long period.

SWK 584. Social Services for Children (3:3). Designed for practitioners and students to provide knowledge for working with children and to teach strategies, techniques, and skills for effective treatment.

SWK650. Clinical Assessment in Social Work (3:3) Skill-building for competency-based assessment and diagnosis using a biopsychosocial social work framework to assess client strengths and disorders.

SWK651. School Social Work-Advanced Practice (3:3) Skill-building for social work practice in the schools with emphasis on culturally sensitive student assessment and intervention, and professional standards and accountability. Required for school social work licensure students.

CED 642. Substance Abuse Counseling (3:3) Counseling intervention strategies related to prevention, substance use, abuse and dependency will be emphasized. Etiology, assessment and professional counseling concerns discussed.

HDF 660. Families of Individuals with Special Needs (3:3) Current theory, research and intervention models concerning family coping and adaptation to exceptional development; physical handicaps, developmental disabilities, chronic illness, and psychiatric disorders.