Undergrad Social Work (UNDSW-US)

This course provides an overview of the social work profession. It orients the student to the value system and goals of social work and examines the various professional modalities of work with individuals, families, groups, and the community. Different agencies and fields of practice are presented with a focus on the role of the generalist social worker and the social service delivery system. Through guest speakers and special assignments, students have the opportunity to test their interest in, and suitability for, the field of social work.

This course promotes interpersonal sensitivity, observational skills, and beginning interviewing ability. Content includes the basic tools of intervention such as attuned listening, appropriate questioning and support, empathic understanding, and self-awareness. A variety of simulated and actual person-to-person situations are presented through utilization of audiovisual materials, field observations, and experiential exercises.

The major goals of this course are to prepare students to act as knowledgeable, competent practitioners in developing, analyzing, and providing services and as informed, able participants in achieving social change. Content includes the history of social welfare and social work, the values and philosophical base of social work, public and voluntary auspices, models of governmental programs, and the professionalization of social work.

This course provides an introduction to social work research methods. The objectives are to provide an elementary understanding of the research process and to develop knowledge of the range of social work research. The course seeks to develop the skills needed for conducting small-scale studies and to enable future direct service practitioners to be intelligent consumers of research-based information. A basic introduction to quantitative methods and the use of computers is included.

The course goals are to develop understanding and analytic ability regarding social problems, social policy and programs, and the field of social work. Content includes analysis of contemporary social problems, use of an analytical model to evaluate issues of eligibility, benefits, financing, and the delivery of social services. The role of the social worker in assessing and achieving organizational, systemic, and legislative change is examined.

This course centers on the biopsychosocial perspective that stresses a multidimensional view of human development and behavior. The focus is on the transactional relationship between human behavior and pertinent psychological, social, biological, economic, cultural, environmental, and institutional forces. Multiple theoretical perspectives are used to understand the behavior of individuals, families, groups, social networks, and systems. The role of social stressors such as poverty and oppression and their impact on human development are evaluated. All aspects of development and behavior are studied in the context of diversity. The life cycle stages of infancy and childhood are also viewed from a biopsychosocial perspective.

The focus is on the continuing evolution and expression of personal and social identity in the stages of the life cycle from early adolescence through old age. Concepts from ego psychology and social science that relate to various aspects of normal development, integration, and socialization in later life are examined, as well as theories of stress and crisis. The impact of social structure and processes on individual, familial, and work roles over time is emphasized throughout.

Students may engage in individual study under special circumstances. The independent work is approved if the student furnishes evidence of mastery of the basic content in the social work area selected. The work done by the student in this course is carried out with the guidance of a member of the faculty. This course is subject to availability of faculty.

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with an integrative framework that combines direct practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities with a commitment to organizational and social change. Students are helped to develop skills in a broad range of practitioner roles. The course examines the history, values, and ethics of the profession; the societal and organizational context of practice; and the impact of diversity and oppression. Skills in systems assessment, engagement, interviewing, collaboration and advocacy, relationship issues and self-awareness, and the practice principles of both crisis and extended intervention are taught. A social work laboratory component provides students with opportunities for experiential learning.

This course equips students with the knowledge and skills essential to the use of a range of social work modalities, including individual, family, group, community, and organizational intervention. Students learn to examine ethical and value dilemmas and to consider the practice implications of social work research. The course is designed to help students consolidate their social work identity and to prepare them for entry into generalist social work settings.

Taken in the spring semester of the junior year, the Social Work and Agency Experience Lab brings agency-based experience into the classroom, exposing students to the multiple roles a social worker may have working in different fields of practice. Students will be visited in the classroom by our community partners, who will share their mission and vision, area of practice, and ways social workers engage in their systems. There will be an out-of-classroom volunteer experience. Students will have a chance to learn and participate in discussions and role-plays with practicing social workers and experts in multiple practice areas. This course combines our community partner presentations with a mandatory, same day practice seminar for didactic learning, with the ultimate goal of preparing students for their senior year practicum experience. This course will take the place of the Field Experience Lab, and is mandatory for social work majors.

Taken in the spring semester of the junior year, this course combines a direct agency-based experience, designed to introduce the student to the social worker's role and responsibilities, with a prepractice seminar. As part of this agency-based experience (approximately 100 hours), the student works under the supervision of a professional social worker. The prepractice seminar is designed to promote the student's adaptational skills in the field of social work. Using the student's field experience as a base, the seminar deals with the staffing patterns and staff collaboration procedures of social service agencies and the community's service delivery system. The seminar also focuses on aspects of the student's role in field work, including the supervisory relationship, process recordings, and expectations for field performance.

Taken during the senior year (approximately 600 hours), these two courses provide students with opportunities to acquire skill in social work practice, to try out social work practice roles in the field, and to test in the field setting the theories and principles learned in the classroom. Students are assigned to social agencies or social work programs and learn by directly participating in the delivery of social work services under the supervision of professional social workers. Faculty advisement on both a group and an individual basis is an ongoing part of the field internship.

Taken during the senior year (approximately 600 hours), these two courses provide students with opportunities to acquire skill in social work practice, to try out social work practice roles in the field, and to test in the field setting the theories and principles learned in the classroom. Students are assigned to social agencies or social work programs and learn by directly participating in the delivery of social work services under the supervision of professional social workers. Faculty advisement on both a group and an individual basis is an ongoing part of the field internship.

This course will focus on policies, programs, clinical, ethical and legal issues that social workers encounter while working with the mentally ill in the community. The course will begin with a review of definitions of mental illness" from an historical perspective

This course provides an overview of supportive, supplemental, and substantive services for children and their families. Special emphasis is on funding patterns, the current legal structure and requirements, child welfare research and theories of child development (particularly those related to maternal deprivation and separation), and the implications for social work practice with children in their own homes and in foster care.

Social justice and wellbeing are one and the same”- Dr. Sará Yafa King. How can you care for yourself while shaping change in a world that is overwhelmed with narratives, systems, and structures of oppression? In order to care for our communities, we must care for ourselves, self-regulating with the wisdom of the body. This course is designed to help you deepen your practice and share mindfulness with your community and with the world. We’ll begin with an introduction to mindfulness, examining the theory and science from its origins in wisdom traditions to the modern mindfulness movement, and move toward a meaningful practice that will allow you to better heal and serve.

The course centers on expanding the student's understanding of the meaning of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and culture, as well as the concepts of prejudice, discrimination, oppression, stigma, and stereotyping. Racism, particularly as it impacts on personal, professional, institutional, and societal levels, is studied. Special attention is given to the experiences of African Americans and Latino/as in U.S. society in general and in the New York City metropolitan area in particular. Within an integrative perspective, implications for direct and indirect social work practice are explored. Specifically, the importance of ethnoculturally competent practice for the individual worker and the design of service delivery systems are covered.

This course describes major social and psychological theories relating to substance abuse. Special issues related to women, youth, the homeless, and dually diagnosed mentally ill/substance abusing populations are explored. Selected social policies and service delivery issues are considered.

Family violence is an overarching term for many areas in the study of interpersonal abuse, aggression, and violence. This course will provide an introduction to the multiple aspects of the study of family violence and is intended to provide a foundational knowledgebase for further study in the context of social work practice, research, and policy. The course will cover both historical and current controversies and standpoints of family violence research, practice, and policy. This course is structured as a critical examination of family violence from a social work perspective. Family violence is a dynamic and complex issue, posing diverse challenges for clinical, legal, research, and policy professionals. A multidisciplinary approach to the study of abuse, aggression, and violence in the context of familial relationships including partner violence, child abuse, sexual abuse, elder abuse and sibling violence informs the basic structure of the course. Using a critical analysis framework that considers ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, and sexual orientation in context, the course will cover topics including: the meaning, nature, and types of family violence; biological, psychological, and sociological theories that attempt to explain interpersonal abuse, aggression, and violence; the outcomes and consequences of violence; a range of family violence prevention and intervention strategies in clinical and judicial settings. The primary focus of the course is on the American family, though references will be made to other countries and cultures, particularly issues relevant to immigrant families.

The course will explore theories and causes of homelessness and the political, economic and social dimensions as well as the historical context. There will be emphases on special groups of the homeless including women, children, adolescents and people with mental illness and substance abuse. We will look at the policies affecting them, the role of social workers in relation to the homeless and the relevant research knowledge. Opportunities will be provided to gain first hand knowledge of the experiences of the homeless.

As we confront the global realities of increased social and political polarization, racial reckoning, and health and environmental crises, how do we create a more just, peaceful, global beloved community? As we face our global community’s concomitant interconnection, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and disconnection, as evidenced by the growing disparity between the “haves” and “have-nots,” what does it mean to live a life committed to peace and justice? To whom can we look for wisdom, guidance, and insight? What does it mean to engage in the work of global justice and peacemaking? We will use the Circle of Insight paradigm to frame our study of the words, deeds, and insights of global justice and peacemaking activists and advocates. We will examine and investigate their motives and actions. We will ask one another what they can teach us about being engaged citizens in contemporary society. We will explore and critically reflect on the various foundational philosophies, concepts, and theories that guide them, including restorative justice, ubuntu, tikkun olam, interbeing, agape, satyagraha, social work ethical principles, and nonviolent civil resistance. We will consider what they have to teach us and our world about how we can act individually and collectively to transform society and build what Dr. King called the Beloved Community. A few of those whose stories we will study, and whose insights we will consider are: Badshah Khan, known as “The Frontier Gandhi” of the Pathan or Pashtun peoples; Jody Williams an American social worker, activist, and organizer who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to found The Campaign to Ban Landmines; Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and social activist nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and Nobel Peace Prize winner from Kenya. We will get to know these and other global social justice advocates, educators, and activists. We will discuss their words and deeds, their philosophies and approaches to the work of peace and justice. We will discuss varying, global concepts related to nonviolent peacemaking, civil resistance, and the work of social justice. In dialectical engagement and conversation with their values, vision, research, and insights, we will engage the See, Reflect, Act Circle of Insight process to deepen and develop our own insight and understanding of social justice, and create our own global justice and peacemaking constructive program.

This course is offered as a co-requisite for student participation in a weekly community service opportunity. Students will provide (remote) afterschool tutoring for middle school and/or high school youth. The accompanying course will offer broad and general content related to students' service experiences. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the individuals with whom they are working and the contexts in which they live and learn. The course will touch on the fundamentals of engaging individuals in a helping situation; theories related to individual development; implications of race, ethnicity, culture and immigration; impacts of multiple social contexts: the family, peers, school, social agencies and community; understanding the effects of social oppression on people's lives: poverty, racism, sexism, classism, etc.

This course will be offered as a co-requisite to student participation in a weekly, remote tutoring opportunity. NYU students will provide tutoring for two hours weekly to middle and high school youth for the 7 week session. Students must be available to tutor in the late afternoon hours (U.S. time zone) since youth may be engaged in programming during the day. The accompanying course will offer broad, general content related to the service experience, focusing on the biopsychosocial aspects of the lives of the youth, specifically in our current context.

This 2 credit course complements a volunteer experience with Holocaust survivors. Students will conduct weekly visits with a Survivor and will have the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust and its impact on public life today and reflect on the experience of working with survivors. The weekly hour-long class will explore the social, psychological and historical effects of the Holocaust on the lives of survivors as well as the impact of the Holocaust on life in the United States.

This weekly one-hour course is offered as a co-requisite for student participation in a weekly community service opportunity with refugees. Emphasis will be placed on students. understanding of the individuals with whom they are working and the contexts in which they live and learn. Students will learn about immigration and resettling refugees. The course will touch on the fundamentals of engaging individuals in a helping situation; theories related to individual development; implications of race, ethnicity, culture and immigration; impacts of multiple social contexts: the family, peers, school, social agencies and community; understanding the effects of social oppression on people's lives: poverty, racism, sexism, classism, etc. Students will be expected to do journal writing and will have opportunities in class to share their experience. As part of their community service they will provide academic coaching and mentoring for refugees from such nations as Honduras, Yemen, Bangladesh, Moldova, Uganda, and Sudan for a minimum of two hours weekly at Brooklyn International High School. Times to be arranged by the school in conjunction with NYU student's schedules. Some students volunteer (remotely) in classes and some are assigned individual students.

In the wake of political and economic polarization, environmental and public health crises, and ongoing racial reckoning and unrest, this course will examine the following questions: How do we define civic engagement? How do we define social justice? What theoretical frameworks help to shape our understanding and knowledge of these concepts? How do individual religious and spiritual leaders contribute to civic engagement initiatives? What is religious literacy and how do we measure it? Does religious literacy increase or decrease capacity for civic engagement? What role do institutions of higher learning play in promoting a deeper understanding of the intersection of spirituality, religion, civic engagement, and social well-being? What do current faith-based and civic movements for social justice in universities and communities nationwide have to teach us? In a world where notions of social justice, religion, spirituality, and civic engagement can mean very different things to different people and cultures, and in a world where religion and faith can be used to justify everything from civil rights movements to holy wars, students will engage in conversations about the role religion and spirituality play in contemporary and historical social justice movements. Students will have the opportunity to respond to course questions via small and large group conversations; interdisciplinary readings; reflection on current events; engagement with guest lecturers; weekly written reflections; and a final group project and presentation.

The nature of this course is to explore, review, and better understand what is considered socially deviant and taboo in society from a social work perspective. In this course students will explore how deviance and social taboos are defined, determined, and socially constructed, how deviance and taboos functions in society, the causes of deviance and taboo behavior, how those who are considered deviant manage their behavior and identities, how deviance is organized socially, how social, economic, and political power dictates who and what is deviant or taboo, and how some behaviors that were considered deviant and taboo historically have changed over time. This course will consider the criminal and non-criminal and the sexual and non-sexual ideas of deviance and taboos and pay close attention to cultural differences, rational interventions, and consequences of behavioral that is considered extreme or that falls outside of what is socially acceptable.

Social justice advocacy, to influence public policy and create systemic change, has evolved due to technological innovation. What in the 1960s and 1970s were protests in the streets has in the 21st Century turned into “liking” on FaceBook and following on Instagram and Twitter. This course examines how advocacy has changed over time with social media and how social media can be used as a tool to advocate for social justice and political change. We will pay special attention to oppression, power, and privilege and how this is manifested via social media. Case studies, theoretical readings, and activist literature will be used to understand how and which groups have successfully used media to advocate for social justice. Understanding the limitations, dangers, and access issues will be of paramount importance in analyzing how groups can use media advocacy in the future.

Students enrolled in the Food Insecurity service learning course will attend a weekly seminar and intern for approximately 3 to 4 hours a week with an organization of their choice to better suit their individual interests. This course will provide an overview of food insecurity within the U.S. and focus on the health, psychological and historical effects on individuals throughout the lifespan and vulnerable communities. Key knowledge areas that will be covered include: - The concept and history of food insecurity - Disparities within the food system - Formal and informal food assistance - Food policies and politics - Food justice and food sovereignty - The impact of COVID-19 on the food system

Food used to be consumed to just sustain life, but now eating can have a political, cultural, and social meaning. Food (including how it is managed, thought about, and planned) reaches across cultures and into public policy and government health decisions. It also affects and reflects the philosophy, religion, and state-of-mind for individuals and families in society. This course examines the psychology and politics of food and eating, food purchase, and the role food plays in social norms and customs, social policy, human behavior, and mental health.

Some of our greatest change-makers have been spiritual leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., Dalai Lama, and Mother Teresa. What is it about faith and spirituality that motivates people to radically change their communities for the better? Join us as we explore the intersection of service, justice and spirituality through discussion, critical thinking, and on-the-ground community volunteering.​

Artists often explore powerful issues of mental health through literature and film. "No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul." (Ingmar Bergmann 1918-2007) In this course, we will draw on classic examples from literature and film to highlight and understand aspects of mental health in ways that are more vivid and visceral than any text book can illustrate. Materials will be chosen from novels, poems, and films to illustrate various mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), dissociative identity disorder (DID), and schizophrenia. We will look at how some of the disorders fare in psychological treatments that either succeed or fail. Guest speakers may be invited to highlight some topics.

In this course, we will explore different types and aspects of love and relationships and examine how our lived experiences, identities, worldviews, and sense of curiosity influence how we encounter, make sense of, and respond to love. While there is no greater determinant of happiness and health than our access to and engagement in loving and healthy relationships, our questions and dilemmas about how to define what love is, how to choose the “right” people to experience it with, and how to develop and maintain satisfying relationships persist. Though these core questions and challenges are undoubtedly centuries-old, the nature and complexity of them continue to evolve over time and many of their “answers” and “solutions” remain elusive. The primary objective of this course is to engage you in a process of inquiry and self-examination, critical dialogue, and reflection about your own ideas, beliefs, values, and experiences with love and relationships. Together, through your engagement with the course materials and our group discussions, we will wrestle with the following questions, share ideas, and generate possible answers (and likely more questions!): * Where do our ideas, beliefs and assumptions about love come from? How have they changed over time? * What determines or influences one’s capacity to give and receive love? Are these capacities different and/or related? * How do societal and cultural influences help or hinder our freedom and ability to love well and be loved? * What happens to us biologically, emotionally, and psychologically, when we are in love? * What determines satisfaction, resiliency, and longevity in relationships? How does this change across the lifespan? * What enables some to heal and move on after heartbreak, loss, or betrayal? * How do you want to show up differently in your relationships? What/Who might help you do so?

This course focuses on developing the ability to communicate effectively in professional environments and interpersonal situations. The course provides an in-depth exploration and development of communication skills used every day inworkplace meetings, group settings, one-on-one encounters, and personal and professional relationships. Effective communications are explored, including making meaning and coding, verbal and nonverbal expression, effective listening strategies, managing relationships, cultural and international dynamics, learned communication skills, and ethical dimensions of communication. We will examine basic concepts, theories, and research about communication and how it is used in different forms of relationships. Lecture, discussion, in- and out-of-class observations, and “applied” assignments will be used to increase student skills and knowledge in communication.

This course critically examines the War on Drugs and the legal, political, and personal impact it has on individuals, families, communities, and countries. The intersectionality of race, class, sex, stigma, and the social policies and laws that underpin the drug war will be examined. Using readings and multimedia, course topics will investigate: Origins of prohibition, mass incarceration, racial disparities in the criminal justice system, legal medical and recreational cannabis, drug treatment, the therapeutic use of psychedelics, pregnancy and drug use, the US opioid-related overdose crisis, and the controversy over vaping nicotine. Alternatives to the War on Drugs using the framework of harm reduction will be explored. Drug policies and practices–heroin prescription, safe consumption sites, drug decriminalization–in Britain, Canada, and Portugal will be discussed and debated.

This is an advanced research seminar designed to give the undergraduate student a deeper understanding of research methodology through an applied approach. Students will work closer with the instructor to understand applied research and design and analyze their own research studies in collaboration with a research faculty member.

Interested in engaging in dialogue around identity, diversity and social justice AND receiving course credit? REGISTER NOW to participate in the Intergroup Dialogue Program (IGD). IGD is a nationally recognized 1 to 3 credit course that brings together small groups of students from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and gain new knowledge related to identity, diversity and social justice. This 10-week course is open to all NYU undergraduate students and topics include race, gender, sexual orientation and more. Once enrolled, you will be contacted to fill out your student profile and complete final registration steps. Feel free to email *cmep@nyu.edu <chanel.ward@nyu.edu> *with questions regarding the program.

Interested in engaging in dialogue around identity, diversity and social justice AND receiving course credit? REGISTER NOW to participate in the Intergroup Dialogue Program (IGD). IGD is a nationally recognized 1 to 2 credit course that brings together small groups of students from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and gain new knowledge related to identity, diversity and social justice. This 10-week course is open to all NYU undergraduate students and topics include race, gender, sexual orientation and more. Once enrolled, you will be contacted to fill out your student profile and complete final registration steps. Feel free to email chanel.ward@nyu.edu with questions regarding the program.

Interested in engaging in dialogue around identity, diversity and social justice AND receiving course credit? APPLY NOW to participate in the Intergroup Dialogue Program (IGD). IGD is a nationally recognized 1 to 2 credit course that brings together small groups of students from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and gain new knowledge related to identity, diversity and social justice. This 10-week course is open to all NYU undergraduate students and topics include race, gender, sexual orientation and more. You must APPLY via bit.ly/IGDFall2016 before you can be registered for the course. Email cmep@nyu.edu with questions regarding the program.

Interested in engaging in dialogue around identity, diversity and social justice AND receiving course credit? APPLY NOW to participate in the Intergroup Dialogue Program (IGD). IGD is a nationally recognized 1 to 2 credit course that brings together small groups of students from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and gain new knowledge related to identity, diversity and social justice. This 10-week course is open to all NYU undergraduate students and topics include race, gender, sexual orientation and more. You must APPLY via bit.ly/nyudialogue before you can be registered for the course. Email cmep@nyu.edu with questions regarding the program.

This course examines the historical and contemporary implications of inequality that have persisted especially in the United States, with some emphasis on other industrialized countries. In addition, this course will provide an overview of the causes and consequences of economic and social inequality and how it is reproduced throughout society. Using an intersectional perspective to better understand how various inequalities impact individuals, communities, and systems, this course uses a multi-disciplinary lens to explore complexities of inequality how it continues to be reproduced in society. Students will be challenged to analyze core tenants of systemic inequality and critically develop strategies to reduce inequality. Finally, students will gain the knowledge to analyze social, political, and economic inequalities within a holistic and historical context, while closely examining issues as that relate to the impact of systems based on race, gender, class, and sexuality.

*In* this Service Leaning course, students will gain an understanding of Alzheimer’s disease through a semester-long, one on one relationship with a person in the early stages of the disease. Students will meet with the person they are matched with once a week in their home for a couple of hours of conversation, or a walk, a trip to a museum or any other activity that is planned together. A one hour weekly classroom component will augment the volunteer experience by providing the content to inform the students about issues of aging and dementia from a medical, psychosocial and public policy standpoint.

This course is designed to introduce undergraduate students to how legislation works, lobbying, and taking social action through a social welfare and social work lens. The course examines the role of political lobbying, coalition building, and messaging at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Social action is the process that builds from grassroots organizing to the engagement and partnership between constituents and elected officials. Students will identify a social need (based on different social policy areas) that are unmet, underfunded, or newly realized. They will formulate their message/argument and culminate these findings into action-oriented policy briefs.

This course examines key issues related to human biology with an emphasis on its usefulness in social work and social welfare. The course explores the structure and function of the human body at both the cellular and organismal levels, but also helps students understand those elements from a “a person-in-environment” perspective. Students will be introduced to concepts related to evolutionary biology, human physiology, medicine, global health, and epidemiology. Further, this course uses an evolutionary, biocultural framework to understand how adaptation to various ecological and structural stressors affects the human body. Required for Social Work Majors*

The Diversity, Racism, Oppression and Privilege (DROP) for nonmajors course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop the theoretical knowledge, skills, attitudes and self-awareness needed to engage in social-justice oriented encounters at the micro, mezzo and macro levels. Students learn a critical race theory and anti-racist framework to examine living and working in a diverse society and explore how the effects of racism, oppression, and privilege have functioned currently and historically. The DROP course provides opportunities for students to reflect on their own social identities (i.e., intersection of race, class, culture, gender expression, religion, sex, sexual identity, abilities, age, migration status, etc.), and social locations (including sources of power, privilege, marginalization and oppression), and the effects of these on their worldview and on their personal and professional relationships.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to grow as leaders in the context of active citizenship by learning how to facilitate the NYU Alternative Break curriculum. This social justice education and service-learning experience serve as a foundation to deepen one's understanding on how social change occurs on individual, community, and nationwide levels. With a foundational belief that change happens in all fields and sectors, this course hopes to equip students with the skills needed to ensure they are able to contribute to a positive impact on society. This education is critical to understanding the complexities and systemic attributes to today's most pressing social problems. Through education, direct service, and reflection; students will be able to grow as leaders while supporting the communities they engage with on their NYU Alternative Break.

The first year impact seminars are required for all entering Social Work majors. They are special no-credit courses for first year students to enhance their academic and social integration into college. The FYIS introduce the nature of higher education, social work and social welfare, career, critical thinking, and a general orientation to the functions and resources of the university. In these seminars, students start a portfolio process that will help them move forward in their academic life and career. FYIS encourage students to participate in thoughtful, critical, and intellectual reflection and conversation as they hold meaningful discussions, exploration, and inquiry into whom they are and who they will become.

In this course, students will be an active part of an ongoing research study that includes implementing interactive workshops and leading focus and discussion groups on women's health and resilience, reproductive health, domestic violence, and community economic development, among other issues. Students will be trained to work with local residents, conduct qualitative interviews, collect data, lead discussion groups using a curriculum, and fully engage with the community members. Students will acquire basic knowledge and skills for conducting community evaluations and community needs assessments using community-based participatory action and collaborative ethnographic techniques. During the first two weeks of the course students will be dedicated to learning a curriculum focused on qualitative data collection and in multiple forms, facilitation, community engagement, and policy implementation. The final sessions will include students and community members in an analysis and goal priority setting process. Other strategies included will be writing field notes, conducting one-on-one interviews, and qualitative data analysis.

This is part two of the first year impact seminars which are required for all entering Social Work majors. They are special no-credit courses for first year students to enhance their academic and social integration into college. The FYIS introduce the nature of higher education, social work and social welfare, career, critical thinking, and a general orientation to the functions and resources of the university. In these seminars, students start a portfolio process that will help them move forward in their academic life and career. FYIS encourage students to participate in thoughtful, critical, and intellectual reflection and conversation as they hold meaningful discussions, exploration, and inquiry into whom they are and who they will become.

Undergraduate students enrolled in UNDSW-US 65 Homelessness in Perspective have an opportunity to earn an additional 2 credits by volunteering a minimum of 2 hours a week at a local agency that works with homeless individuals. Silver will coordinate this volunteer opportunity for the students. Open only to those enrolled in UNDSW-US 65 Homelessness in Perspective.

The transfer student impact seminar (TSIS) is a required course for all undergraduates transferring (to include both internal and external transfers) into NYU Silver as a social work major. The TSIS is designed for transfer students to enhance and support their academic and social integration into Silver. The seminar is a foundational course that introduces students to the nature of higher education specifically at Silver, social work values, critical thinking, and a general orientation to the functions and resources housed at Silver. In these weekly seminars, with a focus on building community and engagement, students will receive guidance regarding academic advisement, important dates/deadlines, as well as ongoing exposure to supports found at Silver available to students.

This one credit intensive explores both clinical and social policy considerations with respect to understanding and working with predominantly Spanish speaking families in the United States. Content will include elements of social inequity; family and kinship organization and dynamics; cultural elements of health and illness; diversity of language and communication styles, and advocacy. Methods of instruction include lecture, discussion, and role play. This course is taught in Spanish; a level of "fair fluency" is sufficient.

This course is offered as a co-requisite for student participation in a weekly community service opportunity. Students will provide afterschool tutoring in literacy, for youth in grades 3-8. Tutoring is generally remote, with possible opportunities for in-person service. The service requirement is one hour twice a week (generally Mon./Wed. or Tues./Thurs. schedule with some flexibility). The accompanying course will offer broad and general content related to students' service experiences. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the individuals with whom they are working and the contexts in which they live and learn. The course will touch on the fundamentals of engaging individuals in a helping situation; theories related to individual youth development; implications of race, ethnicity, culture and immigration; impacts of multiple social contexts: the family, peers, school (including barriers to learning and literacy delays); social agencies and community; and understanding the effects of social oppression on people's lives: poverty, racism, sexism, classism, etc.

This course examines the historical and contemporary implications of inequality that have persisted especially in the United States and other key industrialized countries around the world. In addition, this course will provide an overview of the causes and consequences of economic and social inequality and how it is reproduced throughout society. Using an intersectional perspective to better understand how various inequalities impact individuals, communities, and systems, this course uses a multi-disciplinary lens to explore complexities of inequality how it continues to be reproduced in society. Students will be challenged to analyze core tenants of systemic inequality and critically develop strategies to reduce inequality. Finally, students will gain the knowledge to analyze social, political, and economic inequalities within a holistic and historical context, while closely examining issues as that relate to the impact of systems based on race, gender, class, and sexuality.