Classes

Social Method Courses

Social Work T8403.
Social Administration
3 credits.
Required course in the administrative sequence, and an elective for other students. Principles of administration drawn from administrative theory and research and applied to voluntary and governmental social agencies. Case illustrations from social work agencies, government, and business. Relation of administrative policies and organization to the kind and quality of service rendered to clients of social agencies.

Social Work T8407.
Seminar in Social Policy Analysis
3 credits.
Designed to enhance students' ability to conduct social policy analysis by acquainting them with several key analytic tools, e.g., cost-benefit analysis, literature reviews, regression analysis, social experimentation, and micro-simulation analysis.

Elective Courses

Social Work T8004.001.
Systemic Reviews in Social Work and the Social Sciences: Quantitative & Qualitative Research Syntheses Methods
3 credits.
Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of an introductory graduate level research methods and statistics course or their equivalent.

Introduces students to methods for conducting systematic reviews in social work and the social sciences. Introduction to the seven steps for carrying out systemic reviews. Introduction to major internet sources for carrying out systematic reviews. Critical discussion of published reviews.

Social Work T8405.
Advanced Seminar in Child and Family Policy
3 credits.
This course brings together different social science perspectives (demography, economics, political science, developmental psychology, sociology) to provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on child and family policies, as well as a cross-national perspective. The first half of the semester focuses on the alternative social science perspectives. The second half focuses on specific child and family policy domains, the relevant policy debate, the current major research developments in each policy domain, and the research methods employed.

Social Work T8506.
Inequality, poverty and public society
3 credits.
Addresses issues relating to wealth and income inequality in American society, the definition of poverty, the composition of the poverty population, and the causes of poverty. Evidence will be examined regarding trends in inequality, duration of poverty spells, repeat stays on welfare, and the perpetuation of inequality across generations. Several large data sets which contain information on inequality and poverty issues will be made available for class use. Either individually, or in teams, students will formulate research projects and undertake analyses from one or more of the data sets in the formulation and execution of a research study.

Social Work T8507.
Intervention research methods
3 credits.
Focuses on the science of behavioral intervention research and provides students with the knowledge and skills to design and evaluate such research. Covers research design, theory and its relationship to study aims, methodology, measurement and outcomes, efficacy and effectiveness clinical trials, different types of intervention research, sampling, recruitment, the process of intervention development, the use of process measures to examine intervention implementation, assessing fidelity and adherence, conducting data analysis, and the importance of research ethics.

Social Work T8509.
Qualitative Research Methods
3 credits. Prerequisite: T8502.
Introduction to critical issues in qualitative research. Overview of different qualitative methods, with an emphasis on field research. Classic theories are examined, primarily in terms of their application to social work research. Students are required to conduct a small study in an area of their choosing.

Social Work T8511.
Advanced methods for policy analysis
3 credits.
This advanced course focuses on the use of empirical methods in policy analysis. Through a series of directed readings on major policy topics, students learn how policy research methods have been used and what their strengths and limitations are.