Social Work
Department of Social Work
B.A., Social Work
Rooted in core social work values, generalist social work practitioners are educated to promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities, emphasizing the diversity and uniqueness of rural Alaska, as it interconnects with our global society.
This program is committed to creating a community of critical thinkers dedicated to becoming competent, culturally grounded and environmentally conscious professionals engaged in lifelong learning and research that honors diverse ways of knowing. Students prepare for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities; to integrate the values and ethics of the social work profession into generalist practice and to apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments; to engage diversity in generalist practice to advance human rights and social, economic and environmental justice; to understand biopsychosocial-spiritual and cultural functioning applied across all client systems; to conduct research and scholarship, with an emphasis on the circumpolar North that contributes to individual and community well-being, and to become global citizens who advocate for and promote environmental sustainability.
Graduates in social work qualify for beginning practice positions in child welfare, mental health, services for the aged, family agencies, youth programs, health services, Native corporations and other social agencies. Social work applies knowledge in the behavioral sciences to deal with the emotional and social problems of individuals, families and communities.
The curriculum includes a liberal arts base, foundation requirements in the behavioral sciences, and sequences in social policy and services, practice methods and field instruction. A major emphasis is the preparation of the student for beginning social work practice with rural and Alaska Native populations.
Students learn to engage people on a personal level and are placed in a social service agency as part of their coursework during their senior year. Students must apply to participate in a senior field placement and are required to complete a minimum of 400 hours over the course of two semesters in a social service agency practicing the skills learned in the program.
The UAF baccalaureate social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. This degree program is delivered collaboratively within the UA system.
Minimum Requirements for Social Work Bachelor's Degree: 120 credits
Learn more about the bachelor’s degree in social work, including an overview of the program, career opportunities and more.
Each state has its own unique requirements for licensure or certification. If seeking a professional license or certificate in a state other than Alaska, please see the state listings on this page.
Courses
Social Work (SWK)
SWK F103X Introduction to Social Work (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall and Spring
Introduction to the profession of social work and the human services delivery system. Examines historical development of social work focusing on the knowledge, values and skills that characterize the social worker. Orientation to the context for social work, including the diversity of human needs, human services, social policy and legislation.
Special Notes: Services, programs, and career opportunities within rural and urban Alaska, as well as nationally, are discussed.
Attributes: UAF GER Social Sciences Req
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F220 Ethics, Values and Social Work Practice (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall and Spring
The professional nature and meaning of generalist social work practice. Examines the NASW code of ethics. Introduces interpersonal communication and interviewing. Assists students in making decisions about a career in social work.
Prerequisites: SWK F103X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F305 Social Welfare History (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Analysis of social inequality and the U.S. social welfare system by tracing the historical development of government response to social inequality and exploring historical and persisting dilemmas in the provision of social welfare services.
Prerequisites: COM F131X or COM F141X; SWK F103X or HIST F100X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F306 Social Welfare: Policies and Issues
3 Credits
Offered Spring
Social policies and how they affect the delivery of social services. Factors influencing development of the current social service system. Analysis of dilemmas that develop in a welfare system attempting to deal with rapid social change. Alternative approaches to the solution of social problems and possible future developments.
Prerequisites: ECON F120X; PS F100X; SWK F103X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F320 Rural Social Work
3 Credits
Offered Fall and Spring
This course examines rural and small community life, its value systems, strengths and capacities, customs, political and economic structures and their implications for the lives of people in rural settings and for generalist social work practice. Special attention is given to differences in intervention and service provision in rural areas.
Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; SWK F103X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F330 Seminar in International Social Work
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
International issues related to social work practice and social welfare policy. The focus of the seminar will be on global and international issues related to social and economic justice, distributive justice, and human and civil rights. Specific content is announced at registration.
Prerequisites: SWK F103X.
Special Notes: Course may be repeated once for credit when content varies.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 6 credits
SWK F341 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall
HBSE is a sequence of two courses that focus on human development in the context of the social environment. Throughout the sequence, a person-in-environment perspective is utilized to interpret the situations of individuals, families and groups. These situations are evaluated in the light of social work values and ethics.
Prerequisites: PSY F111X; SOC F101X or ANTH F100X; SWK F103X.
Special Notes: The first course in the sequence focuses on the human life cycle viewed in the context of the social environment.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F342 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
3 Credits
Offered Spring
HBSE is a sequence of two courses that focus on human development in the context of the social environment. Throughout the sequence, a person-in-environment perspective is utilized to interpret the situations of individuals, families and groups. These situations are evaluated in the light of social work values and ethics.
Prerequisites: PSY F111X; SOC F101X or ANTH F100X; SWK F103X.
Special Notes: The second course in the sequence pays attention to those features of culture, the political economy, families, groups, formal organizations and communities that encourage human development or constrain and thwart it.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F350 Women's Issues in Social Welfare and Social Work Practices (s)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Examination of theories and research concerning women's issues in the field of social work and in the social welfare system, with particular emphasis on women in poverty and women of color. Contemporary policy issues and strategies of empowerment will be covered.
Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; SWK F103X or SOC F101X.
Cross-listed with WGS F350.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F360 Child Abuse and Neglect
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Dynamics, implications and treatments of child abuse and neglect for individuals and families in rural and urban Alaska.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F370 Services and Support for an Aging Society (s)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
An examination of the aging process, theories, political processes, social work generalist intervention and strategies and agency support for the aging population. The rapidly changing social and health issues of older adults are addressed in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approach.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F375 Research Methods in Social Work
3 Credits
Offered Fall and Spring
Course has a two-fold objective: to help students become critical consumers of research in the social sciences and to allow students to carry out beginning research studies. Course sequentially covers phases of the research process, whether quantitative or qualitative.
Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; JUST F110X, PSY F111X or SWK F103X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F390 Trauma and Wellness: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
3 Credits
Offered Summer Even-numbered Years
This course explores and critically examines diverse ways of knowing about experiences related to the concepts of trauma and wellness, both individually and collectively, and builds upon wellness strategies that focus on context, culture and lived experience across the lifespan.
Prerequisites: Sophmore standing or higher.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F405 Mental Health and Wellness: A Social Work Approach
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course will explore the history and treatment of individuals with mental health disorders in the United States. Students will explore the unique opportunities and challenges faced by social workers, and prepare them to provide case management and assessment services to people with mental health disorders.
Prerequisites: SWK F103X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F440 Social Work Practice with Military Families
3 Credits
Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
Explores the history and roles of social work with military families. Ethical concerns that emerge from social work practice with military families are addressed. Military social workers' roles in mental health programs, family advocacy, program administration and policy-making are examined. Addresses issues that affect military families during deployment times.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F460 Social Work Practice I
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Development of beginning skills in interviewing and helping processes with individuals and families. Application of intervention strategies, interviewing techniques, case management and advocacy.
Prerequisites: acceptance to practicum; social work major; senior standing.
Corequisites: SWK F461.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F461 Practicum in Social Work I
6 Credits
Offered Fall
Individual training and practice in a social service agency. Students complete 200 hours of direct practice in an approved agency under the supervision of a field instructor.
Prerequisites: Social Work major; senior standing; approval from practicum coordinator.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 15 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F463 Social Work Practice II
3 Credits
Offered Spring
Further development of student's knowledge of direct practice and beginning skills in groups and community practice. Emphasis on aspects of rural practice.
Prerequisites: SWK F460; social work major; senior standing.
Corequisites: SWK F464.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F464 Practicum in Social Work II
6 Credits
Offered Spring
Continuation of SWK F461; further direct practice experience in an agency. Students complete 200 hours of practice in an approved agency under the supervision of a field instructor. Taken concurrently with SWK F463.
Prerequisites: SWK F460; SWK F461; Social Work major; senior standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 15 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F466 Practicum in Social Work III
3,6 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Further direct practice experience in an approved agency under the supervision of a field instructor. Students enrolled in 3 credits must complete 100 hours of practicum. Students enrolled in 6 credits must complete 200 hours of practicum.
Prerequisites: SWK F460; SWK F461; SWK F463; SWK F464; Social Work major; senior standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 7,15 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F470 Substance Abuse Theories and Treatment (s)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Examination of research and theories of chemical dependency from a social work, systems/ecological framework. Critically examines current theory and practice in terms of effectiveness, cultural appropriateness and validity with vulnerable populations.
Prerequisites: SWK F103X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
SWK F484 Seminar in Social Work Practice Areas
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Problem areas in social work. Topics vary in different semesters, content announced in class schedule prior to each semester. Course may be repeated for credit when topic varies.
Prerequisites: SWK F103X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to unlimited credits
Faculty
LaVerne Xilegg Demientieff, LMSW, Ph.D.
Department Chair, Professor
lmdemientieff@alaska.edu
907-474-6267
614C Gruening Building
Troth Yeddha' Campus
Retchenda George-Bettisworth, LMSW, DSW
Clinical Professor and Statewide Coordinator for the UAF Department of Social Work Cohort
rbgeorgebettisworth@alaska.edu
907-474-7025
614B Gruening Building
Troth Yeddha' Campus
Christina Ireton, LCSW, MSW
Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Director
cmireton@alaska.edu
907-474-6513
614A Gruening Building
Troth Yeddha' Campus
Christian Ace Stettler, MSW, Ph.D. candidate
Assistant Clinical Professor
castettler@alaska.edu
907-500-2891
Juneau, AK
