Practice Method Concentrations
All students in the School are required to complete a dual concentration in a practice method and practice area. A student's choice of the two concentrations determines which advanced courses are requirements for graduation. The practice method concentration focuses on theories and interventions related to practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and/or society. The practice area concentration focuses on selected contexts and domains of practice, with particular attention given to specific policies, procedures, and practices.
Choosing a Practice Method Concentration
All students must select a practice method concentration from one of the four practice methods: interpersonal practice, community organization, management of human services, and social policy and evaluation. Students are required to complete six credit hours of advanced coursework in their practice method concentration.
Interpersonal Practice
This practice method prepares students to restore, maintain, and promote social functioning. These change objectives relate to the individual, family, or small groups and focus on the transactional relationship between persons and their social environment. The basic objective of the concentration is to offer students a well-integrated program of classroom and field instruction experiences that prepare them for professional social work practice.
Students concentrating in interpersonal practice are required to complete four methods courses, including the two foundation methods courses: Interpersonal Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups (SW 521) and Management, Community Organization, and Policy Practice (SW 560).
Students must also complete two of the following advanced courses, each worth three credit-hours.
- SW 623 - Interpersonal Practice with Families
- SW 624 - Interpersonal Practice with Groups
- SW 625 - Interpersonal Practice with Children and Youth
- SW 628 - Interpersonal Practice with Adult Individuals
Community Organization
This practice method prepares students to promote social action and change at the community level as well as to develop cohesion among formal and informal organizations and individuals. It involves helping persons to improve their capacities to perform various community roles, articulate needs, and mobilize people and resources.
Students concentrating in community organization complete four required methods courses, including the two foundation courses: Interpersonal Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups (SW 521), and Management, Community Organization, and Policy Practice (SW 560).
Students must also complete two of the following advanced courses, each worth three credit-hours.
- SW 650 - Community Development
- SW 651 - Planning for Organizational and Community Change
- SW 652 - Organizing for Social and Political Action
- SW 654 - Concepts and Techniques of Community Participation
- SW 657 - Multicultural, Multilingual Organizing
- SW 658 - Women and Community Organization
- SW 674 - Community-Based Policy Advocacy
Management of Human Services
This practice method prepares students for managing and directing human service organizations to achieve goals as efficiently and effectively as possible within the framework of social work values. The concentration develops skills and/or knowledge in managing environmental relationships, program planning and development, information systems, fiscal management and evaluation, and organizational development.
Students concentrating in management of human services complete four required methods courses, including the two foundation methods courses: Interpersonal Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups (SW 521), and Management, Community Organization, and Policy Practice (SW 560).
Students must also complete two of the following advanced courses, each worth three credit-hours:
- SW 651 - Planning for Organizational and Community Change
- SW 660 - Managing Projects and Organizational Change
- SW 661 - Budgeting and Fiscal Management
- SW 662 - Management of Information in Human Service Agencies
- SW 663 - Grantgetting, Contracting, and Fundraising
- SW 664 - Management of Human Resources
- SW 665 - Executive Leadership and Organizational Governance
Social Policy & Evaluation
This practice method prepares students to analyze, develop, and implement social policy into operational plans for achieving social goals. This concentration also prepares students for assessing, analyzing, and evaluating policies and programs.
Students concentrating in social policy and evaluation complete four required methods courses: Interpersonal Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups (SW 521), and Management, Community Organization, and Policy Practice (SW 560), as well as the advanced course Statistics in Policy Analysis and Evaluation (SW 673).
Students must also complete one of the following courses, each worth three credit-hours:
- SW 670 - Analytic Methods for Social Policy Practice
- SW 671 - Social Policy Development and Enactment
- SW 674 - Community-Based Policy Advocacy
- SW 685 - Methods of Program Evaluation
Choosing a Minor Practice Method
Students who wish to complete a substantial amount of content in a second practice method, and to have such study officially recognized, have the option of selecting a minor practice method. Students may choose to minor in any one of the practice methods in which they do not concentrate. Students who elect a minor method complete advanced courses in that method and spend 25% of their advanced field instruction time learning skills in that method. Selecting a minor method, however, can limit students' placement options.