Advanced Topics in Management & Leadership

Topic Description: Most modern countries rely on financial capitalism, where financial capital is a dominant means of production. Learning more about money and personal finance is essential to understanding our society and advancing the social work profession's mission to achieve distributive justice. This course aims to help students respond to the "Financial Capability and Asset Building for All" Grand Challenge by increasing their financial literacy and understanding how to assess and intervene concerning financial problems their clients may experience. This course will cover essential personal finance topics, including budgeting (e.g., income, expenses, assets, and liabilities), debts (e.g., credit cards, student loans, payday loans, bankruptcy), saving and investments (e.g., emergency funds, retirement accounts, child development accounts, fiduciary standard), and other topics (e.g., credit scores, taxes, public aids). Students will also gain awareness of financial social work as an emerging field of practice, which includes interpersonal, community, and policy practice interventions for promoting household financial security and resources for seeking more in-depth training and professional credentialing. The course will also provide a brief summary of evidence regarding asset-building, financial education, counseling interventions, and a review of key state and federal policy initiatives.