This is an archived copy of the 2019-20 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Graduate Courses

The faculty has approval to offer the following courses in the academic years 2019–2020 and 2020–2021; however, not all courses are taught each semester or summer session. Students should consult the Course Schedule to determine which courses and topics will be offered during a particular semester or summer session. The Course Schedule may also reflect changes made to the course inventory after the publication of this catalog.

Social Work: S W

S W 381R. Human Behavior and the Social Environment.

Focuses on empirically based theories and conceptual approaches that form the foundation for social work practice and research with individuals and families in social systems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 381S. Foundations of Social Justice: Values, Diversity, Power, and Oppression.

History, demographics, and cultures of various populations at risk with an emphasis on self-awareness and understanding the impact of discrimination and oppression by individuals and society on people of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and orientations. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 381T. Dynamics of Organizations and Communities.

The organizational and community context within which social services are delivered and the influence of funding, mandate, and organizational arrangements on service delivery, with attention given to populations at risk. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 382R. Social Policy Analysis and Social Problems.

Historical perspective on the development of social welfare institutions, programs, and policies. Students study methods of current policy analysis and evaluation of social problems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 383R. Social Work Practice I.

Introduction to social work practice methodology and the professional use of self in generalist practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work and concurrent enrollment in Social Work 384R, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 383T. Social Work Practice II.

Students examine, critique, select, and apply social work micro, mezzo, and macro theories and methods in advanced clinical and community practice. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work and concurrent enrollment in Social Work 384S, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 384R. Field Instruction I.

Practice course based on supervised assignments designed to develop a social work perspective and skill in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Sixteen to twenty hours a week (a total of at least 240 hours) in field placement and a weekly one-hour integrative seminar in the application of theoretical material to practice problems and to special issues. One lecture hour and sixteen to twenty hours of fieldwork a week for one semester. Social Work 384R and 384S must be taken in consecutive semesters. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work and concurrent enrollment in Social Work 383R, or graduate standing and consent of the field director or the graduate adviser.

S W 384S. Field Instruction II.

Continuation of Social Work 384R. Sixteen to twenty hours a week (a total of at least 240 hours) in field placement and a weekly one-hour integrative seminar that emphasizes advanced application of theory to practice and to consideration of special issues. One lecture hour and sixteen to twenty hours of fieldwork a week for one semester. Social Work 384R and 384S must be taken in consecutive semesters. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work and concurrent enrollment in Social Work 383T, or graduate standing and consent of the field director or the graduate adviser.

S W 385R. Social Work Research Methods.

Study of the scientific method and the use of research as a tool for professional practice. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 385T. Advanced Integrative Capstone in Social Work Knowledge and Practice.

Applies knowledge, skills, and theories to values and ethics, diversity, populations at risk, social and economic justice, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy, social work practice, research, and field education. Designed to be taken concurrently with Social Work 694R. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

S W 387C. Direct Practice Field Immersion.

Students work in a professional agency assisting clients. One weekly seminar hour and at least eight hours of fieldwork a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 387R. Topics in Special Issues.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or as required by the topic. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

Topic 1: Loss and Grief: Individual and Family Perspectives.
Topic 12: Contemporary Issues in Foster Care and Adoption.
Topic 13: Aging and Disability.
Topic 14: Family Support, Self-Determination, and Disability.
Topic 15: Introduction to Gerontology.
Topic 16: Developmental Disabilities and Self-Advocacy.
Topic 17: Making Systems Work for People with Disabilities.
Topic 18: The Social Construction of Disability.
Topic 19: Spirituality in Social Work Practice.
Topic 20: Dynamics of Substance Use Disorders.
Topic 22: Social Work in the School Setting.
Topic 23: Social Work Practice with Older Adults.
Topic 24: Constitutional Law for Social Workers.
Topic 25: Social Work in the Legal System.
Topic 26: Spanish for Social Workers. Additional prerequisite: Demonstrated proficiency in Spanish.
Topic 27: Women with Disabilities.
Topic 28: Health and Psychosocial Factors.
Topic 30: Contemporary Practice with Older Adults.
Topic 31: Kinship Care: Children and Family Systems.
Topic 32: Psychosocial Oncology Practice and Research.
Topic 33: Child and Adult Attachment in Clinical Practice.
Topic 34: Introduction to Sport Social Work. Social Work 387 (Topic 34) and 395K (Intro to Sport Social Work) may not both be counted.
Topic 35: Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice.
Topic 36: Social Work in Health Care.
Topic 38: Social Work with Military Personnel and Families. Social Work 387R (Topic 37) and 387R (Topic 38) may not both be counted.
Topic 39: Parenting Interventions for Diverse Populations.
Topic 40: Mindfulness and Social Work Practice.

S W 387T. Transformative Teams in Health Care.

Social Work 387R (Topic 41) and 387T may not both be counted. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only.

S W 388R. Seminar: Advanced Research in Social Work.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

Topic 1: Research Methods I. Introduction to the basic elements of quantitative and qualitative research design in the social sciences with particular attention to social work research.
Topic 2: Research Methods II. Designed to provide students with the knowledge and competence needed to successfully design, conduct and publish quantitative studies in peer-reviewed journals. Designed to be concrete and to use a "hands-on" approach to gaining mastery over the technical, narrative, and strategic elements of conducting original research with quantitative data.
Topic 3: Research Methods III. Introduction to qualitative research methodologies, paradigms, epistemologies, and theories. Qualitative methods of inquiry, including research designs, specific data collection methods, and analytic and interpretive procedures. Discussion of several approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis. Required of all doctoral students in social work.
Topic 5: Structural Equation Modeling. Restricted to doctoral students. Introduction to the basic concepts and applications of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using the AMOS program. Explores conducting factor analysis, testing causal structures, testing model structure invariance and mean invariance through multigroup analyses, and examining change over time with growth curve modeling. Social Work 388R (Topic 5) and 395K (Topic: Structural Equation Modeling) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: For non-social work majors, graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Topic 8: Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis. Restricted to doctoral students. An elective course for doctoral students who want additional training in qualitative methods. Focus on the epistemological and practical issues of analyzing qualitative data and writing up the results. Students must have access to pre-collected data for analysis or consult with instructor about a suitable project. May be used to fulfill the advanced research or statistical methods elective requirement. Additional prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topic 9: Secondary Data Analysis. Restricted to doctoral students. Introduction to the advantages and challenges of working with secondary data, involving hands on experience with the preparation and data analysis of large data sets. Subjects include the basics of Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, and Multi-group analyses using AMOS software. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional hours to be arranged. May be counted toward advanced research or statistical methods course or elective. Additional prerequisite: Graduate standing, Social Work 388R (Topic 6), and 388R (Topic 7).
Topic 10: Quantitative Data Analysis I. Introduction to fundamental concepts and statistical procedures used in social work research. Focus on computer applications for data analysis and development of basic skills in data file construction, management, and statistical analysis. Primary focus is on developing a conceptual and mathematical understanding of statistics needed for advanced work in research design, model development, model fitting and estimation, hypothesis testing, multivariate techniques, and interpretation of data. Social Work 388R (Topic 6) and 388R (Topic 10) may not both be counted.
Topic 11: Quantitative Data Analysis II. Builds on the concepts and procedures introduced in Social Work (Topic 10). Designed to enable students to do a more thorough job of data analysis by introducing multivariate statistical procedures into their repertoire of statistical techniques. The primary focus is on using the SPSS statistical package for calculating multivariate statistics, and the utilization of the statistical output in research findings. Social Work 388R (Topic 7) and 388R (Topic 11) may not both be counted.
Topic 12: Hierarchical Linear Modeling. Restricted to doctoral students. Provides an introduction to the basic concepts and applications of Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). Subjects will include multilevel data structures, model building and testing, fixed and random effects, and interpretation of results. Social Work 388R (Topic 12) and 395K (Topic: Hierarchical Linear Modeling) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Regression analysis using SAS; a pre-test to demonstrate SAS knowledge may be required; and for non-social work majors, graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Topic 13: Grant Writing For Prevention and Clinical Intervention Research. Restricted to doctoral students. Explore principles of grant writing with special focus on standards expected by leading federal funding agencies, e.g. National Institutes of Health. Conceptualize grant proposals according to social justice principles with the goal of benefiting under-served populations. Produce an exploratory/developmental grant proposal with an explicit focus on prevention or clinical intervention. Additional prerequisite: Social Work majors must have completed their comprehensive exam paper. For non-social work majors, graduate standing and consent of instructor.

S W 390N. Seminar: Strategies of Intervention.

A critical evaluation of social work intervention strategies in human services, using alternative theoretical perspectives. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

Topic 2: Theories of Social Work Practice. Conceptualization, development, and application of social work theories and major theoretical paradigms are covered. Examination of philosophical, theoretical, and empirical underpinnings of different social work practice theories with an emphasis on understanding and critically analyzing the philosophical assumptions and scientific basis of various theories. Explores the historical context of different theories covered and research on their effectiveness within social work. Discussion of major theories from diverse disciplines.

S W 392R. Topics in Social Welfare Policy Analysis.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

Topic 1: Integrated Health Care Policy.
Topic 2: Children and Families.
Topic 3: Poverty and Public Policy.
Topic 4: Social Policy for the Aging Population.

S W 393R. Topics in Advanced Clinical Practice.

Topic 1: Clinical Assessment and Differential Diagnosis.
Topic 3: Theories and Methods of Family Intervention.
Topic 9: Assessment and Treatment of Traumatized Populations.
Topic 11: Clinical Intervention with Intergenerational Families Giving Care.
Topic 13: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Topic 14: Counseling African American Individuals, Couples, and Families.
Topic 15: Couples Counseling.
Topic 16: Coexisting Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders.
Topic 18: Grief Counseling.
Topic 20: Methods of Play Intervention.
Topic 21: Motivational Interviewing.
Topic 22: Neurobiology and Social Work Practice.
Topic 23: Treatment of Substance Use Disorders.
Topic 24: Treatment of Children and Adolescents.
Topic 26: Theories and Methods of Group Intervention.
Topic 29: Crisis Intervention.
Topic 30: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy.

S W 393T. Topics in Advanced Macro Practice.

The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester, or as required by the topic. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, or graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

Topic 8: Community Engagement and Management of Volunteers.
Topic 9: Community Organizing and Social Change.
Topic 11: International Social Work.
Topic 14: Psychiatric Disabilities: From the Inside Out.
Topic 16: Social Work Leadership in Human Service Systems.
Topic 17: Human Resource Development.
Topic 18: Nonprofit Management in Human Services.
Topic 19: Strategic Partnerships.
Topic 20: Information Systems and Communication in Social Work.
Topic 22: Community Building.
Topic 23: Advanced Policy Practice.
Topic 25: Social Change and Community Practice.
Topic 26: Cross-Disciplinary Global Project Development in the United States and Abroad.
Topic 28: Program Evaluation. Social Work 393T (Topic 27) and 393T (Topic 28) may not both be counted.
Topic 29: Financial Management in Human Services. Social Work 393T (Topic 29) and 395K (Topic: Financial Management/Strategy) may not both be counted.
Topic 30: Grant Writing and Resource Development. Social Work 393T (Topic 10) and 393T (Topic 30) may not both be counted.

S W 393U. Topics in Social Justice and Populations at Risk.

Topic 1: Social Work Practice with Abused and Neglected Children and Their Families.
Topic 3: Working with Youth Gangs.
Topic 4: Social Work Practice with African American Families.
Topic 5: Social Work Practice with Mexican American Families.
Topic 10: Women and Substance Use Disorders: Contemporary Issues.
Topic 16: Assessment and Treatment of Juvenile Offenders.
Topic 17: Gays and Lesbians in American Society: Policy and Practice.
Topic 18: Restorative Justice.
Topic 20: Cultural Factors in Substance Use Treatment for Underserved Populations.
Topic 21: Social Work Practice with Asian American Families.
Topic 22: Contemporary Issues in Domestic Violence.
Topic 23: Contemporary Issues and Practice in Sexual Assault.
Topic 24: Advanced Issues in Social and Economic Justice.
Topic 25: Historical Cultural Trauma.
Topic 26: Youth, Delinquency, and Juvenile Justice.
Topic 27: Social Inequalities in Health.
Topic 28: Social Work and the Latino Population.
Topic 30: Culturally Sensitive Service Provision with Latino Populations. Social Work 393U (Topic 29) and 393U (Topic 30) may not both be counted.
Topic 31: Global Health. Social Work 393U (Topic 31) and 395K (Topic: Global Health-Mex) may not both be counted.
Topic 32: Communication Skills in Interdisciplinary Settings.
Topic 33: Community Participatory Research on Health Disparities.

S W 393V. Topics in Social Work in Specific Settings.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 694R. Advanced Field Instruction.

Supervised practicum, building on Social Work 384R and 384S, in the continued application of theory to practice at an advanced level within the student's chosen concentration. Designed to be taken concurrently with Social Work 385T. Social Work 694R and 394S can be taken concurrently in one semester to provide thirty-six hours of work a week (a total of at least 540 hours in one semester) in a social work agency or organization, or they can be taken over two semesters to provide sixteen to twenty hours of work a week (a total of at least 540 hours in two semesters) in the same agency. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, consent of field director, and consent of graduate adviser.

S W 394S. Advanced Field Instruction.

Supervised practicum, building on Social Work 384R and 384S, in the continued application of theory to practice at an advanced level within the student's chosen concentration. Social Work 694R and 394S can be taken concurrently in one semester to provide thirty-six hours of work a week (a total of at least 540 hours in one semester) in a social work agency or organization, or they can be taken over two semesters to provide sixteen to twenty hours of work a week (a total of at least 540 hours in two semesters) in the same agency. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work, consent of field director, and consent of graduate adviser.

S W 395J, 695J, 995J. Research in Social Work.

Restricted to students in School of Social Work. Individually supervised development of the comprehensive research paper. For each semester hour earned, the equivalent of one class hour a week for one semester. May be repeated seven times. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and 41 semester hours of PhD coursework in social work. Students must sign up in the Office of the Graduate Coordinator for Doctoral Education prior to registering.

S W 195K, 295K, 395K, 495K. Conference Course in Social Work.

Introduction to the diversity of topics and methods pursued by researchers and academicians in social work education and allied fields. Topics covered are broad and include information that facilitates the learning of research methods and the development of knowledge and skills needed to participate in the PhD program and within a community of scholars. Conference course. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 395L. Research Practicum.

Individually supervised research experience. Individual instruction. May be counted towards the advanced research or statistical methods requirement. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

S W 195Q. Colloquium on Issues in Social Work Education and Research.

Restricted to doctoral students in social work. Exposure to the diversity of research topics and methods pursued by researchers and academicians in social work education and allied fields. Conference course. May be taken twice for credit. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of the instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 395S. Area of Specialization Course.

Designed to help students demonstrate knowledge in the substantive issues, key research questions, theory, empirical evidence, and implications in their area of specialization. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

S W 395W. Writing Practicum.

Individually supervised development of publishable written material. Individual instruction. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

S W 398T. Pedagogy in Social Work.

Focus on social work curriculum and teaching and on educational policies and accreditation standards that inform curricular structure and content. Attends to course content and development, teaching techniques, and classroom management, emphasizing building skills as well as deepening conceptual understandings of pedagogical theory and practice. Students must complete this course before they may be appointed as assistant instructors in the School of Social Work. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in social work and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

S W 399W, 699W, 999W. Dissertation.

May be repeated for credit. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.