SOWK 291
BSW Bridge Course
1. Catalog Entry
SOWK 291
BSW Bridge Course
Credit hours (3)
Prerequisites: Transfer course equivalents for SOWK 200, SOWK 210, SOWK 289; Permission
of BSW Coordinator
This course is a pre-professional, transition course for undergraduate students who are transferring to the Radford University School of Social Work from a Community College. This course is designed to take the place of SOWK 289 or SOWK 309 and SOWK 317, Introduction to Field and to the profession. Transfer students coming from a Community College to the Social Work major have often taken an equivalent to SOWK 289 or SOWK 309/317 in the final semester of their Community College major. The proposed course will transition students from the more broad Community College material to the Social Work specific courses.
2. Detailed Description of Course
This course will introduce undergraduate transfer students from a broader community college major to the distinctive attributes of the profession of social work. The new course combines the information offered in SOWK 289, SOWK 309, and SOWK 317, but eliminates the 10-hour/week agency field experience (which they have just completed as a requirement for their Community College). Beginning with an overview of social work values and the NASW Code of Ethics, students learn to conceptualize micro- and macro-level practice issues from a generalist practice perspective. The framework of a generalist practitioner entails a competency-based, person-in-environment model for assessment and intervention.
This course will include a strong emphasis on conceptualizing diversity, social and economic justice, and an exploration of the issues of oppression and vulnerability in exploring the application of generalist social work practice. Of special concern are groups experiencing social and economic injustices based on racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, sociocultural, and gender characteristics.
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Teaching methods:
The course is organized around student-centered learning principles, experiential
activities, films/videos, and individual and group investigation of the issues. Students
are encouraged to be active participants in the learning process; this requires that
you keep up with the readings and make a concerted effort to relate the course material
to your personal and professional experiences.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
At the end of this course students will be able to:
1) Identify and develop strategies needed for successful admission to, and progression,
participation in, and completion of, the
undergraduate social work degree program;
2) Apply standards of scholarly writing using the APA format, organize and manage
time, be accountable for work tasks, and learn to
communicate effectively both verbally and in writing;
3) Identify the core values of social work practice and their impact on the profession;
4) Examine and explore four (4) aspects of being a social work professional;
5) Apply critical thinking skills in the exploration of an array of social issues;
6) Examine the generalist model of social work practice and apply a strengths
perspective to contemporary concerns);
7) Demonstrate an awareness of the ethical issues that may arise in practice and
the relevant guidelines from the NASW Code of
Ethics, and demonstrate self-awareness in the exploration of social issues.
5. Assessment Measures
Your final grades will be computed based on these weights for the following assignments:
Assignments (4)
Group Activities (3)
Pop Quizzes including APA quiz (4)
Mid-Term Exam
Presentation
Final Exam/Comprehensive Paper
Participation, activities of participation
Lit review up to five points extra credit
6. Other Course Information
Textbook(s)
Kirst-Ashman, Karen K. and Hull, Jr., Grafton H. (2012). Understanding Generalist
Practice (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Review and Approval
April 2006, Undergraduate Curriculum Marcella Griggs, Review Director
February 2011, Kim Carter, Director
April 23, 2014