PDF version of this chapterCourses of Instruction
Social Work (SOWK)
The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.
200xm Institutional Inequality in American Political and Social Policy (4) Historic and philosophical roots of inequality for minority groups in the United States and implications for public policy. Not available for major credit.
303 Crises in Human Development (4, FaSp) Issues, concepts, and methodology related to understanding human behavior, growth and development from infancy through old age; developmental crises at each stage of the life cycle.
304 Children and Families in Urban America (4, Sp) Gateway to the minor in Children and Families in Urban America. Provides foundation for principles on the conditions of children, families and communities, partnerships between families and human service professionals, and interprofessional practice in urban American communities.
305L Children and Families in Urban America Integrative Seminar (2, FaSp) Introduction to human service professionals, agencies and institutions in the greater Los Angeles area which serve children and families who reside there.
375 The Urban Neighborhood (4) (Enroll in URBN 375)
390 Special Problems (1-4) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.
400 Children and Families in Urban America Capstone Course (4, FaSp) The capstone course for the "Children and Families in Urban America" minor will provide an opportunity to understand the relationship between federal, state and local policies which provide services to children and families. It will apply the knowledge learned in previous minor-related courses.
475 Urban Practicum (4) (Enroll in URBN 475)
503 Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (2-4, max 8, Fa) The ecological systems paradigm is the lens through which theories of personality, family, group, organization, community and culture and the interaction among these systems are explored.
505 Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (2-4, max 8, Sp) The course of human life, including the factors which impinge on the developmental continuum between normal and pathological conditions. Prerequisite: SOWK 503.
533 Social Welfare I (3, Fa) Origins and development of major welfare programs in this country.
535 Social Welfare II (3, Sp) Structure and operation of current American social welfare programs (social policy analysis).
543 Social Work Practice I (3, Fa) Theory and principles underlying generic social work practice with primary emphasis on working with individuals.
545 Social Work Practice II (3, Sp) Theories and principles of generic social work practice with primary emphasis on families, groups, and communities. Prerequisite: SOWK 503, SOWK 533, and SOWK 543.
562 Social Work Research (3, Sp) Introduction to research methods, including conceptualization of research problems, literature review, research design, sampling, measurement, data collection and data analysis.
586ab Field Practicum I (4-4, FaSp) Supervised field placement to develop generalist practice skills in working with individuals, families, groups, and communities. Graded IP/CR/NC.
587ab Field Education Seminar I (a: 1, Fa; b: 1, Sp) Integrates classroom materials (notably from Social Work Practice I and II) with activities performed in Field Practicum I. Concurrent enrollment: SOWK 586ab.
590 Directed Research (1-12) Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
604 Child and Family Development (3, Fa) Interrelationship of psychological, sociological, cultural, and biological theories of behavior relevant to understanding normal and problematic development of children and their families. Required for students in Family and Children's concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 505.
605 Human Development and Mental Health (3, Fa) Understanding problem-producing behaviors and their ramifications on individuals, families, and groups that comprise the clientele in mental health settings. Required for students in Mental Health concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 505.
606 Human Development, Illness, and Disability (3, Fa) Assessment of psychosocial problems encountered in health settings; social and psychological theories explaining individual and family response to illness and disability. Required for students in Mental Health in Health Settings concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 505.
607 Human Behavior in an Industrial Society (3, Fa) Interrelationships of psycho-socio-economic forces and biological theories of behavior pertinent to the roles of work in daily life and in the workplace. Required for students in Industrial Social Work concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 505.
609 Human Behavior in Groups and Organizations (3, Fa) Three levels of behavior are examined: individuals as they behave within groups, groups as they behave within organizations, and organizations as they behave within communities. Required for students in COPA concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 505.
612 Psychopathology and Diagnosis of Mental Disorder (3) Assessment of psychopathology, and the rationale and organization of the American nosological system for diagnosis of mental disorders. Emphasis is on developing differential diagnostic skills.
613 Social Work Practice in the Political Arena (3) Prepares students to be effective in using social work and political skills in different political settings.
614 Social Work Practice in School Settings (3) Based on ecosystems perspectives, this course examines policies, theories and principles of social work practice in school settings.
615 Brief Therapy and Crisis Intervention (3) Theory and multimodal approaches for brief therapy and crisis intervention with diverse clientele in a range of mental health and health settings.
616 Clinical Practice with Older Adults (3) Developmental tasks of adulthood and later life, as well as assessment and intervention for problems and disorders associated with aging.
617 Substance Abuse with Consideration of Other Addictive Disorders (3) Exploration of nature and treatment of substance abuse and other addictive disorders as well as relevant treatment models for individuals, groups and families.
618 Social Work with Individuals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (3, Sp) This advanced mental health practice course focuses on innovative clinical interventions to be used when treating individuals who have severe and persistent mental illnesses.
619 Social Work in Public Child Welfare Settings (3, Sp) This advanced seminar will provide tools to enhance the practitioner's response to the special challenges (substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence) in public child welfare.
624 Evaluation of Research: Family and Children's Services (3, Fa) Range of research conducted in family and children's services; evaluation of selected research reports and their application to social work practice. Required for students in Family and Children's concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 562.
625 Evaluation of Research: Mental Health (3, Fa) Range of research conducted in mental health; evaluation of selected research reports and their application to social work practice. Required for students in Mental Health concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 562.
626 Evaluation of Research: Mental Health in Health Settings (3, Fa) Range of research conducted in health settings; evaluation of selected research reports and their application to social work practice. Required for students in Mental Health in Health Settings concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 562.
627 Evaluation of Research: The World of Work (3, Sp) Range of research conducted and needed in the arena of work; evaluation of selected research reports and their implications for industrial social work practice. Required for students in Industrial Social Work concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 562.
629 Evaluation of Research: Community Organization, Planning and Administration (3, Fa) Research methods for macro-practice with emphasis on program evaluation, monitoring, and needs assessment; historical and current issues in planning, community, and organizational research. Required for stu-dents in COPA concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 562.
634 Social Policy: Family and Children (3, Sp) Contemporary issues in social policy involving inspection of family life; administrative policies that influence the scope and quality of programs for families and children. Required for students in Family and Children's concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 533, SOWK 535.
635 Social Policy: Mental Health (3, Sp) Analysis of significant policy developments and issues relating to the provision of mental health programs and services in the United States. Required for students in Mental Health concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 533, SOWK 535.
636 Social Policy: Health Care (3, Sp) Evolution and current setting of health policy; dynamic interaction between cultural, socio-economic, and political factors in shaping American health policy. Required for students in Mental Health in Health Settings concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 533, SOWK 535.
637 Social Policy: The World of Work (3, Fa) Contemporary social policy issues that affect work expectations, opportunities, and conditions of work, work life, and extra-work experiences. Required for students in Industrial Social Work concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 533, SOWK 535.
639 Social Policy for Macro Practitioners (3, Sp) Advanced analysis and implementation of social policies by practitioners in community organization, planning and administration. Required for students in COPA concentration. Prerequisite: SOWK 533, SOWK 535.
644 Clinical Practice in Family and Children's Settings (3, Fa) Preventive, maintenance, and restorative services for families and children. Includes services to children in out-of-home settings as well as those living with their families. Required for students in Family and Children's concentration.
645 Clinical Practice in Mental Health Settings (3, Fa) Social work processes from intake to termination; emphasis on clinical skills required for social work practice in a broad spectrum of mental health settings. Required for students in Mental Health concentration.
646 Clinical Practice in Various Health Settings (3, Fa) Theories for developing advanced clinical skills utilizing crisis intervention, family and group counseling, and interdisciplinary practice in varied health settings. Required for students in Mental Health in Health Settings concentration.
647 Social Work Practice in Work Settings (3, Fa) Social work processes in work environments; use of case material to integrate and deepen understanding of behavior and skill in practice with employees and employers. Required for students in Industrial Social Work concentration.
649ab Seminar in Community Organization (3-3, Sp) Analysis of current problems in theory and practice.
650 Social Work Practice III (3, Sp) Selected issues in social work theory and practice.
651 Social Work Practice in Public Child Welfare (1, Fa) Integrates foundation and advanced knowledge and skill for practice in public child welfare. Graded CR/NC.
652 Social Work Practice in School Settings (1, Fa) Integrates foundation and advanced knowledge and skill for practice in school settings.
653 Social Work Practice With and In Behalf of Older Adults (1, Fa) Integrates foundation and advanced knowledge and skill for practice with and in behalf of older adults. Graded CR/NC.
654 Social Work Practice with Severely and Persistently Mentally Ill (1, Fa) Integrates foundation and advanced knowledge and skill for practice with severely and persistently mentally ill. Graded CR/NC.
674 Community Practice in Family and Children's Settings (3, Fa) Analysis of issues in community organization with regard to service needs of families and children; identification of administrative and organizational structures to promote service integration. Required for students in Family and Children's concentration.
675 Community Practice in Mental Health Settings (3, Fa) Theory and practice techniques in planning and community organization in community mental health settings. Required for students in Mental Health concentration.
676 Community and Administrative Practice in Health Settings (3, Fa) Theory and practice techniques in planning, administration, and community organization in hospitals and other health settings. Required for students in Mental Health in Health Settings concentration.
677 Community Organization and Administration in Work Settings (3, Fa) Analysis and application of principles of community organization, planning, organization and administration relevant to social work practice in employing establishments and labor-management relations. Required for students in Industrial Social Work concentration.
679 Social Planning and Administrative Processes (3, Fa) Planning methods and techniques; problem identification, proposal construction and grantsmanship, budgeting, program implementation, and program evaluation. Required for students in COPA concentration.
686abc Field Practicum II (3 or 4; 3 or 4; 2-4, FaSpSm) Supervised field placement to develop depth of skill and practice in area of concentration. Graded CR/NC/IP/INC. Prerequisite: SOWK 586ab.
690ab Research (1-4; 1-4, FaSpSm) Intensive individual study of specific problems. Graded CR/NC.
695 Research Project I (2, Fa) Credit on acceptance of professional research project proposal. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: SOWK 562.
697 Research Project II (1, Sp) Credit on acceptance of professional research project. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: SOWK 695.
699 Special Topics (1-3, max 8, Sp) Current issues, trends and developments in social work practice.
702 Theories of Human Behavior in the Contexts of Social Environments (3, Fa) A focus on human behavior in interaction with the social environment; major paradigms including general systems theory, ego psychology, and role theories are examined.
703 Explanatory Theories for Larger Social Systems (3, Fa) Theories of organizational and community behavior are examined in relation to their influence on the development of social services.
733 Policy Analysis and Advocacy in a Comparative Social Policy Context (3, Fa) Examination of the evolution of American and other welfare states in selected nations. Analysis of global welfare institutions. Engaging in policy analysis in a comparative context.
743 Theories for Practice with Small Systems (3, Fa) Early practice theories and their historical roots are examined. Implications for evolving current practice theories with individuals, families, and groups are discussed.
744 Theories for Practice with Large Systems (3, Fa) Examination of the development and utility of theories, models and approaches to social work community and administrative practice.
760L Introduction to Social Work Statistics (3, Fa) Foundation course covering univariate and bivariate descriptive and inferential statistics. Required lab covering basic computer skills and utilization of statistical software.
761L Multiple Regression for Social Work Research (3, Sp) Multivariate statistical methods including descriptive and inferential statistics, parametric and non-parametric tests of hypotheses; correlation, analysis of variance, multiple regression, and factor analysis; utilization of computer programs for statistical analysis.
762 Social Work Research Methods I (3, Fa) Models of research, the nature of inquiry, and the research process including problem formulation, measurement, designs, sampling and data sources. Prerequisite: doctoral standing.
763 Social Work Research Methods II: Issues in Research for Social Work Practice (3, Sp) Research methods to provide students with advanced methodological knowledge in two areas related to social work practice: psychotherapy outcome research and program research. Prerequisite: SOWK 762.
764 Advanced Multivariate Statistics (3, Fa) Introduction to single equation statistical modeling using limited dependent variables (categorical and ordered categorical). Methods are drawn from statistics and econometrics.
780 Adult Learning Theory and Social Work Education (2, Sp) Description and analysis of current problems and issues in higher education with particular emphasis to social work education. Prerequisite: SOWK 763, SOWK 760L, SOWK 733, SOWK 702, SOWK 703.
781 Guided Teaching Experience (2, FaSp) Mentorship with a member of the teaching faculty; discussions of curriculum design; observation; preparation and delivery of selected course sessions. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: SOWK 780.
785 Guided Research Internship (2, FaSp) Research practicum designed to provide students with hands-on practical experience with an ongoing faculty research project. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: SOWK 763.
790 Research (1-12, FaSp) Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2-2-2-2-0, FaSp) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.