Social Work

Course Descriptions

You will find a variety of social work classes offered at Western.  Below is a list of the social work courses we offer.  Some of these courses are required for majors.  You can check the list of courses in the suggested program.  The other courses may count as electives at Western or other colleges.

SOC 1000
SOCIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
An introduction to the concepts, methods, and applications of sociology. The course deals with topics such as culture; the group and the individual, socialization and sex roles; deviance and subcultures; social class; education and social mobility; inequality and poverty; racism and sexism; the family; religion; the economy and the policy.
Prerequisite: None

SOC 2000
INTRO TO SOCIAL WORK
Introduces social work and social welfare through an overview of the history, philosophy, ethics, values, methods, and fields of practice to generalist social work. *Students taking the course for four credits will be required to complete a volunteer field experience of a minimum of 20 hours in some acceptable setting.
Prerequisites: None

SOC 1100
SOCIAL PRO BLEMS
An application of basic sociological concepts and methods to an analysis of contemporary social problems such as crime and justice; violence - rape, child beating, and questions of gun control; health care crisis; deviant sexuality; alcohol and other drug abuse; mental health problems; AIDS; human impact on the environment; and the nuclear peril.
Prerequisite: None

PSYC 1000
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
General Psychology introduces the field of psychology, surveying the psychological elements of human behavior. It includes physiological mechanisms, cognitive skills and intrapersonal elements of perception, motivation, and personality, as well as mental health problems. The student will be understand the difference between subjective and objective evidence; points of views other than their own; and how to apply theory in their personal lives.
Prerequisite: None

SOC 2350
Race & Ethic Relations
This course examines social relations among majority and minority groups by devoting particular attention to race end ethnic relations in the United States. The sociological approach to this topic emphasizes power structures, economic relationships, and cultural traditions historically and today. Attention is devoted both to social psychological issues such as prejudice and social structural issues such as inequality.
Prerequisite: None

STAT 2070
Statistics for Social Science
Presentation of central ideas of descriptive statistics and statistical inference, as applied to questions in the social sciences. Topics include graphs, averages, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, and relationship between variables. Associated computer skills will also be introduced. Credit cannot be earned in more than one of the following courses: STAT 2010, 2050 or 2070
Prerequisites: MATH 1000 or higher, or Placement into MATH 2200 via the COMPASS or ACT scores.