Orien Levy Woolf Division of Social Work

Website: https://twu.edu/social-work/

Chair: Nila Ricks, PhD, LCSW
Location: OMB 203
Phone: 940-898-2071
Fax: 940-898-2068
E-mail: socialwork@twu.edu

The Orien Levy Woolf Division of Social Work is a place where academic excellence, ethics, diversity, and the pursuit of social justice are embraced by faculty and students to enhance the lives of vulnerable and oppressed populations. The division is a reflection of social work’s historic commitment to human rights, cultural complexity, and social, economic, and environmental justice. Our overarching goal is to educate and graduate diverse, ethical, competent social work students who are able to think critically and use evidence-based practice approaches to effectively serve culturally-diverse, vulnerable individuals, families, and communities in a wide variety of practice areas as practitioners, leaders, and social justice advocates.

The division offers a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. The BSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and prepares students for generalist social work practice. Based on the generalist model, the program includes theoretical concepts, values, and skills taught through participation in the classroom, laboratory, and field settings. The M.S.W. program is also accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and prepares students for advanced generalist professional practice in a variety of practice settings. The M.S.W. is a joint program between Texas Woman's University and the University of North Texas (UNT). Students take classes on both campuses and graduate with a degree from both universities. The Joint M.S.W. program has been recommended for initial accreditation and we expect to receive confirmation in the summer of 2020. 

For information about Social Work, please visit our Social Work Website.

Undergraduate Degrees Offered

Graduate Degrees Offered

Special Departmental Requirements

  • Students must receive a C or higher in all social work courses and department requirements.
  • Students must complete all courses in a semester before beginning any courses in the next semester.
  • Students must meet with their advisor at least once a semester.
  • Students are not allowed Independent Study credit for courses typically offered as organized classes.
  • Credit will not be given for former or current employment.

Admissions

All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements. The following degrees have additional secondary admission criteria:

Faculty

*FELDERHOFF, BRANDI, Assistant Professor of Social Work, B.S.W., University of North Texas; M.S.W., Texas A&M University Commerce; Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington
*KELLY-RICKS, NILA N., Associate Professor of Social Work; Director of School of Social Work, Psychology, and Philosophy, B.S., Oklahoma State University; M.S.W., University of Oklahoma; Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington
*NAHAR, SHAMSUN, Assistant Professor of Social Work, B.S., The University of Dhaka; M.S.W., University of Texas-Arlington; Ph.D., University of Texas-Arlington
*ROSA-DAVILA, EMARELY, Associate Professor of Social Work, B.A., University of Puerto Rico-Humacao; M.S.W., University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras; Ph.D., University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
*RUNNELS, RATONIA C., Associate Professor of Social Work, B.A., University of Texas at Austin; M.S., University of Texasat Austin; Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
*TILTON, ABIGAIL C., Professor of Social Work; Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, B.S.W., University of North Texas; M.S.S.W., University of Texas at Arlington; Ph.D., University of North Texas

Asterisk (*) denotes Graduate Faculty status.

Courses

SOWK 1403. Introduction to Social Welfare Policies and Services. (TCCN SOCW 2361) Examination of U.S. social welfare systems in historical, social, political, and cultural contexts. Emphasis on social science methods to critically analyze social problems and the various service and policy responses to them. Co-requisite: SOWK 1411. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 1411. Social Work Praxis Lab. An opportunity to gain familiarity with the helping process through a 30 hour volunteer work experience in an approved social service agency. Journal keeping, agency analysis, and structured reflection provide insight into client populations and various helping roles in a professional setting. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: SOWK 1403 or permission of instructor. Two laboratory hours a week. Credit: One hour.

SOWK 2813. Human Behavior and the Social Environment. Uses a wide range of perspectives - biological, psychological, and social/environmental to examine the dynamics of human behavior. Emphasizes ecological systems in relation to individuals' needs and capacities throughout the life cycle. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 3053. Social Research. Introduction to research in the social sciences and practice fields. Emphasizes the decision making involved in planning and executing a study. Gives practice in all stages of the research process. Students are expected to plan and carry out a group or individual research project. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 3221. Social Work Practice I Laboratory. Application of social work practice skills with emphasis on assessment of individual functioning. Use of video lab. Co-requisite: SOWK 3223. Two laboratory hours a week. Credit: One hour.

SOWK 3223. Social Work Practice I. Theory and process for generalist social work practice. With a person-in-environment focus, study includes development of the helping relationship, skills in interviewing and data-gathering, assessment, selecting and carrying out appropriate types of intervention at multiple levels, termination, and evaluation. Co-requisite: SOWK 3221. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 3231. Social Work Practice II Laboratory. Application of social work practice skills with emphasis on assessment of individual and family functioning. Use of video lab. Prerequisites: SOWK 3221 and SOWK 3223. Co-requisite: SOWK 3233. Two laboratory hours a week. Credit: One hour.

SOWK 3233. Social Work Practice II. Continuation of theory and process for generalist social work practice. Builds on content from SOWK 3223, including further development of interviewing, assessment, and recording skills. Includes in-depth study of small group and family dynamics, skills, and techniques in mediation and leadership, evaluation of intervention effectiveness at multiple levels. Prerequisites: SOWK 3223 and SOWK 3221. Co-requisite: SOWK 3231. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 3241. Social Work Practice III Laboratory. Application of social work practice skills with emphasis on assessment of community needs and resources. Prerequisite: SOWK 3223 and SOWK 3221, Co-requisite: SOWK 3243. Two laboratory hours a week. Credit: One hour.

SOWK 3243. Social Work Practice III. Social work intervention at multiple levels with emphasis on situations where there is a lack of fit between individuals or groups, and organizations or institutions. Builds on content in SOWK 3223 and SOWK 3233, skills in data gathering, assessment, planning, report writing, and evaluation. Preparation for generalist social work practice with focus on roles of advocate, evaluator, planner, and consultant. Examines delivery of service for at-risk populations. Prerequisites: SOWK 3221 and SOWK 3223. Co-requisite: SOWK 3241. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 3453. Children's Rights and Services. An exploration of the customary and legal rights of children with a focus on social and political forces. Social services available in income maintenance, schools, day care, institutional care, foster care, homemaker service, protective services, and to teenage parents. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 3513. Culturally Competent Practice. Introduction to diverse client populations, in particular those whose race, ethnicity, or gender predispose them to oppression and discrimination within the dominant culture. Focus on cultural groups and their family structures, immigration and historical influences, values, and how professional help is perceived by each group. Examination of biases, values, behaviors, and belief systems in order to expose and eliminate barriers to effective practice with vulnerable populations. Incorporation of the Person-in-Environment (PIE) approach to assessment into preparation for practice with vulnerable populations. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 3813. Human Behavior in Social Environment II. Examines systems of all sizes, from families to broad social institutions; extends theories and principles from SOWK 2813 to analyze social and economic injustice and systems of oppression; application of social work skills and values to ameliorate these conditions in a complex and diversified society. Prerequisite: SOWK 2813. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4203. Family Violence and Sexual Assault. Practice implications of various forms of family violence and sexual assault with an emphasis on women as victims and survivors. Theoretical explanations, research literature, policies, treatment issues, and prevention strategies in relation to child abuse, battering, incest, and intimate sexual violence. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4433. Social Issues, Programs, and Policies. An examination of the policy-making process. Current social issues, programs, and public policy issues are explored. Intervention techniques aimed at influencing and changing social welfare and public policies. Prerequisites: SOWK 1403, SOWK 2413, and six additional hours of social work courses. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4463. Social Work Integrative Seminar. Provides an opportunity to discuss and process the field practicum experience. Prerequisites: Completion of all course work, cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above, minimum program GPA of 2.75, a grade of C or higher in all SOWK courses, and permission of the social work faculty. Co-requisite: SOWK 4469. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4469. Social Work Field Practicum. Provides students with a supervised social work experience in an agency setting. Prerequisites: Completion of all course work, cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above, minimum program GPA of 2.75, a grade of C or higher in all SOWK courses, and permission of the social work faculty. Co-requisite: SOWK 4463. Thirty-two practicum hours a week. Credit: Nine hours.

SOWK 4473. Mental Health and Social Work. The U.S. mental health care system in sociocultural context. Evaluation of varied approaches to psychopathology. Use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM) to classify mental health disorders and identify their prevalence and comorbidity. Holistic assessment approaches and interventions focusing on the biopsychosocial, risk and resilience, and strengths perspectives. Exploration of a variety of mental health treatment modalities in the social work profession. Analysis of research articles and policies to inform mental health practice. Prerequisite: SOWK 2813. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4613. Grieving. Preparation to work with clients grieving a loss. Examination of dying and death from philosophical, cultural, medical, and psychological perspectives. Other losses including disaster, divorce, and loss of innocence due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Models of the grief process and techniques for supporting and/or counseling those who are dying or bereaved. Individual examination of perceptions and emotions about death, experiences of the grief process, and unresolved grief in order to confront emotions involved when working with others. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4713. Assessment and Intervention with Adolescents. Skills associated with transcultural multi-systems practice with adolescents including ethnic minority, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered, biracial/bicultural, gang-affiliated/violent, physically/sexually-abused, pregnant, chemically dependent/abusing, and depressed/suicidal individuals. Use of multisystem-ecological approach, strengths, and psychosocial perspectives. Culturally competent engagement, assessment, and intervention with high-risk teens at individual, family, and community levels. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4901. Special Topics. An organized class for the study of a particular area or subject not offered in another scheduled course. May be repeated for credit when the specific topic of investigation varies. One lecture hour a week. Credit: One hour.

SOWK 4903. Special Topics. An organized class for the study of a particular area or subject not offered in another scheduled course. May be repeated for credit when the specific topic of investigation varies. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

SOWK 4911. Independent Study. Credit: One hour.

SOWK 4913. Independent Study. Credit: Three hours.