Course Descriptions
updated 11/10/2009SOCI 535 Quantitative Methods I
This course is an introduction to the practice of statistics in social and behavioral
sciences. It is open to beginning graduate students and--with the permission of the
instructor--advanced undergraduates. Topics covered include the description of social
science data, in graphical and non-graphical form correlation and other form; of
association, including cross-tabulation; bivariate regression; an introduction to probability theory; the logic of sampling; the logic of statistical inference and significance tests. Some data manipulation will require the use of a statistical computer “package,” STATA; but the greater emphasis of the course will be on conceptualization and the ability to manipulate these new ideas both with and without access to statistical software. There is a lecture twice weekly and a mandatory “lab.”
SOCI 536 Quantitative Methods in Sociology II
A course on statistical methods for social scientists, applying the general linear model (GLM). Students learn the logic and assumptions underlying the GLM and complete exercises that apply linear modeling techniques using the SAS statistical package to “real-world” data. Issues covered include the logic of statistical modeling, efficient estimation (i.e., statistical precision), specification errors (i.e., what happens when you make incorrect assumptions about how the world works), analyzing group differences with discrete (qualitative) variables (e.g., looking at differences in social processes by gender, or race), representing social processes with multiple equations (“path analysis”), and nonlinear relationships in linear models.
SW 803 History and Philosophy of Social Welfare
This seminar traces the evolution of social welfare from ancient to modern times focusing on its implications for the development of contemporary social welfare in the United States. The course examines the development of social welfare systems and the underlying philosophies in the context of the social, economic, political, and cultural environments in which they emerged. Topics include the evolution of modern conceptions of the "welfare state," the role of public, private and voluntary sectors in the social services, trends in social and family history and their relationship to social welfare, the professionalization of social work, and methods of historical and social policy analysis.
SW 811 Social Theory
Course reading consists of the original works of theorists who offer classical, contemporary and postmodern perspectives on social thought, social interaction and issues germane to social welfare. Through intensive examination of multiple theoretical frameworks, students are expected to increase their analytical and critical orientation to theory. This more nuanced understanding about epistemology, underlying assumptions, and theory construction can then be used to inform the student's substantive field of study and methodological orientation to research. This course is conducted in mixed lecture-seminar format. Students have the opportunity to practice pedagogical techniques and exercise class leadership.
SW 852 Social Welfare Research
Fall Term
Prerequisite: Completion of/concurrent enrollment in a course on Introductory Social Statistics.
This is the foundation doctoral course in social work research. It deals with the nature of scientific inquiry; theory and its relation to research design and hypothesis testing; and various models of data collection, sampling, and analysis of data. The student actively uses the language of research and is supported in following personal interests within the structure of ethical scientific research. Each student prepares an original study which demonstrates integration of the semester's work. Students learn to knowledgeably critique research as they develop their own. At the end of SW 852, they are prepared for more advanced coursework in research.
SW 855 Advanced Research Methods
Spring Term
Prerequisites: SW 852 and Introduction to Statistics
The methodology of accountability research in human service programs is studied. Emphasis is placed on social program evaluation, idiographic research, and secondary data analysis in policy research as specialized methods of social work research. Students undertake a laboratory experience in an ongoing program evaluation project.
SW 861 Policy Analysis
Spring Term
This course examines alternative models of policy development and applies them to current issues in social welfare. It emphasizes frameworks for policy research and secondary analysis of governmental data. Topics include: race, class, and sex in policy formulation; the budget process and policy outcomes; major social welfare programs; and the design, implementation, and evaluation of social service systems.
SW 968 Social Welfare and Social Economics
This course examines the social welfare aspects of major economic decisions in the United States. Particular attention is paid to the implications of social choices in relation to the goals of increased equity and equality in the distribution of income and power, elimination of unemployment, and control of inflation. The growth of public welfare programs and the base of funding for social services are examined in terms of the nation's economic and political objectives.
SW 903/904 Integrative Seminar I and II
Fall/Spring Term of 3rd Year
Prerequisite: Completion of all core courses
The goal of this two-semester course is to provide a forum for testing new ideas within a scholarly and professional framework in order to assist with the development of a dissertation proposal. Specific objectives include: 1) identifying a research area of interest, 2) increased skill in conducting a literature search, 3) developing a capacity to create operational hypotheses or questions, 4) developing a research design, and 5) designing a data analysis and interpretation plan.
Elective courses
Specialized Independent Studies
SW 853-001 Qualitative Research: Theory and Methods
This course offers the advanced graduate student an in-depth study of the theory and methods of interpretive qualitative inquiry. Topics include the philosophic assumptions and positions within qualitative research, design issues and alternatives, data collection methods, data sources, sampling, criteria for rigor, data analysis, and reporting strategies. Special attention will be given to grounded theory, ethnography, and the analysis of interviews, as well as methods of identifying and engaging hidden populations. Students will have the opportunity to use qualitative research strategies in class and in field assignments. This course is intended for doctoral students in the social sciences. Master’s students will be admitted with permission.
SW 899 Independent Study
Independent studies may be arranged on an individual or small group basis between students and a faculty member. The learning objectives associated with independent studies are highly specialized and must relate directly to the student's Individualized Educational Plan. Students, with the faculty member, share responsibility for the design, structure, and content of an independent study. No more than two independent studies may be arranged for an individual student.
SW 899 Applied Linear Modeling
This course deals with the underlying assumptions and applications of the general linear model with social science, education, and social welfare policy related questions/data. The first half of the course begins by covering simple linear regression and the assumptions of the general linear model, assumption diagnostics, consequences of violation, and how to correct for violated assumptions. This will also include methods of incomplete data analysis (i.e. missing data analysis). Then various aspects of regression analysis with multiple independent variables will be covered including categorical explanatory variables (e.g. to estimate group differences), interaction effects, mediating effects (e.g. to estimate the indirect effect of social processes), and non-linear effects. The course will then cover some of the applications of the general(ized) linear model including logistic regression, some elements of path modeling (structural equation modeling), and multilevel analysis (hierarchical linear modeling). The course will be taught using SAS, but students are welcome to use any statistical package of comfort. Pre-requisite: Introductory Graduate Statistics.
SWRK 899-301 Structural Equation Modeling
This course is an introduction to linear structural equation modeling and its application to social and policy research. This course will cover various data analytic techniques ranging from simple regression, path models, and factor analysis to multiple group analysis, incomplete case analysis, and advanced longitudinal models. Within each technique we will examine algebraic and graphic model specification, estimation procedures, identification, goodness-of-fit criteria, and alternative models comparison. The goals of this course are to develop an understanding of the conceptual, mathematical, and application bases of structural equation modeling, to learn how to specify and estimate models, and to evaluate them in relation to alternative models using statistical and practical criteria. Classes will include both theoretical and practical sections using M/plus/.
Pre-requisite: Graduate Course on Regression or Linear Modeling.
SW 961 International Social Welfare
This course provides a comparative analysis of the major approaches to welfare policy adopted by various countries in dealing with the social problems of industrial society. The interrelation of political, social, and economic forces within the historical and cultural context of the various countries will be examined.
The Doctoral Student Steering Committee (DSSC) maintains a list of over 20 possible elective courses, each with student feedback and recommendations. Most of these will be taken within other schools of the University of Pennsylvania.
