Class Descriptions

Social Work Capstone - Macro

SW689

Credits:	1
Prerequisites:	None

Course Description

This Capstone course will provide students an opportunity to reflect on their social work education, as well as look forward to their future social work career. Students will explore concepts of professional resilience and social work identity, as well as gain an understanding of lifelong learning as a core value of the social work profession. The course will provide an opportunity for students to integrate and apply learning from their academic career in a comprehensive manner. The course will assess the students’ overall mastery of social work competencies, as demonstrated through products produced over the course of their study and collected in a professional portfolio. Students will be given the opportunity to develop a cover letter and resume, as well as explore interviewing and negotiating skills necessary to secure a social work position upon graduation.

Objectives

Identify the importance of lifelong learning, including the effective use of supervision and consultation (Essential 37; EPAS 1).
Demonstrate the use of effective communication strategies to market yourself as a professional social worker (Essential 41; EPAS 1, 6, 8).
Develop a plan for professional resiliency (Essential 43; EPAS 1).
Apply the 4 core components of emotional intelligence to future growth as a social worker (Essential 42; EPAS 1).
Reflect on social work learning, especially related to key social work competencies (Essential 42; EPAS 1)

Design

This course will use multiple methods including but not limited to: lectures, demonstrations, case studies, readings, guest speakers, discussions, written assignments, individual and group exercises. The course will make use of a computer based portfolio system.

Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)

This course will integrate PODS (privilege, oppression, diversity and social justice) as the framework through which social work practice is viewed. Students will explore how these concepts manifest in social work practice. Students will provide a demonstration of a product or assignment, and reflect on the relationship to PODS.

This course integrates PODS content and skills with a special emphasis on the identification of theories, practice and/or policies that promote social justice, illuminate injustices and are consistent with scientific and professional knowledge. Through the use of a variety of instructional methods, this course will support students developing a vision of social justice, learn to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice, work toward social justice processes, apply intersectionality and intercultural frameworks and strengthen critical consciousness, self-knowledge and self-awareness to facilitate PODS learning.