SEMESTER I

SWK101: Introduction to Social Work

This course provides an overview of professional social work. It examines the historical development of the profession of social work as well as an overview of the historical, ideological, and theoretical perspectives that have shaped and continue to inform the models and means of social work practice in Eswatini. Values and principles are at the very core of what social workers do and why we do it; these are expressed through professional conduct that is guided by the Social Work Code of Ethics. Students will be asked to critically reflect upon and to compare their own values and perspectives with those of the social work profession, within the context of enhancing social welfare for diverse populations. Students will also learn about the specific issues and challenges for social workers practicing in Eswatini.

 SWK103: Fundamentals of Psychology

This course will introduce students to the science of psychology and introduce a broad range of foundational concepts, theories and methods in psychology. Discussion will focus on psychological practice as it applies to individual experiences, perceptions and our behaviour as social beings. Topics to be covered include basic concepts in psychology, learning, memory, sensation and perception, personality, lifespan development, positive psychology, psychological disorders, social psychology, and research methods. In addition, the relationship between psychology and social work will be explored.

 SWK105: Theories of Social Work

This course focuses on the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding human behaviour. The theories include the developmental stages across the life cycle, abnormal behaviour compared to normal, analysis of family and societal processes and their effects on the individual, and individual behaviour in relation to social class, ethnicity, and cultural background.  A range of theories and models of practice in social work and their application to a variety of social work settings including an exploration of personal and professional values within the framework of relevant codes of ethics, cultural practice and the importance of professional supervision.

SEMESTER II

SWK104: Managing Stress: Principles, and Techniques for Coping, Prevention and Wellness

This course introduces the concepts of stress and health and presents theoretical framework for studying the relationship between them. The course is aimed at equipping students with the skills and techniques to find coping mechanisms that will assist them in reducing stress levels in their lives. The course provides research-experiential approach to understanding stress and its effects on human behavior and physiology. It examines the techniques and implementation of stress management in personal and professional arenas. Considers perspectives of stress and coping from various social and cultural standpoints.

 SWK106: Introduction to Gender in Social Work

This course discusses gender and social work from its historical origin to practice. It presents how gender is considered and how it is supposed to be treated in social work. It focuses on important issues that facilitate an understanding of gender, inequalities and injustices and help students to rethink the role of women in   the social work practice. It explores how gender in social work is constructed. It extends to the concepts of empowerment and the strengths perspective to macro client systems.

SWK108: Human Rights and Social Justice

This course is an introduction to human rights and social justice perspectives and how they intersect with social work values, ethics, and practice in local and global contexts.  Students learn a practice framework that integrates a human rights perspective, which promotes the dignity, respect, and well-being of all persons, with a social justice perspective that seeks to understand, challenge, and combat oppression, unequal access to resources, and social inequities.  Students engage in critical self-awareness and apply an integrated practice framework for use with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities that advance environmental justice, human rights, and social and economic justice.

SWK110: Field Practice I

Students learn a variety of professional social work roles and how to work with individuals, couples, families, agencies, and communities through the use of modalities that are appropriate to the agency setting. Learning the core social work values and ethical standards and how to apply them in practice are key aspects of these courses. This course provides the opportunity for students to integrate the knowledge, practice and the skills learned in every Generalist Practice course.

SEMESTER III

SWK201: Introduction to Social Policy and Social Protection

This course examines the dimensions and practical implications of social policy in the lives of individuals, especially Emaswati. Political, economic, and cultural influences over social policy are explored, as well as the skills needed to develop social policy and its relationship with the profession of social work. Major emphasis will be given to the development and status of social welfare and social service/security programs in Eswatini. The course will also discuss the welfare state and welfare services in the developing countries.

     SWK 203: Statistics for social workers

This is an introductory course to social research and social statistics. It is intended to provide basic skills to students in descriptive and inferential statistics including, measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion, normal distribution, correlation, and regression analysis, parametric and non-parametric tests. The course also covers basic probability theory. Students are introduced to the research process including problem statement, literature review, sampling, data collection, processing and presentation of statistical data and the use of analyzed data to make decisions.

     SWK 205: Introduction to philosophical logic

Philosophy focuses on the study of existence, reason, morality, knowledge, vales, the mind, and language among other aspects. It has several branches, methods, and arguments. The focus of this course is on the aspect of philosophy – Logic or philosophical logic which involves understanding consequences of relationships and the validity of inferences. It examines general argumentations in philosophy, knowledge, logic, existence, ontology, varieties of consequences and quantifiers. The historical origins of philosophy and its divisions are discussed to the extent possible.

SWK 207: Social work Ethics, Principles and Values

This course provides students with a comprehensive exploration of values and ethical issues as they apply to social work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. It provides students with an opportunity to study these issues in greater depth than may be provided in other courses. This course provides students with a basic understanding of their ethical obligations as social workers, as well as a framework for analyzing and managing complex ethical dilemmas that may arise in practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

 SWK209: Multicultural Social work

The Bachelor of Social Work at UNESWA prepares students to use social work knowledge, skills, and values to demonstrate competent, ethical, evidence-based practice to diverse populations across all social systems. Emphasis is placed on promoting social justice and service to all persons, particularly underserved populations, including rural areas such as those found in rural areas. This course focuses on the dynamics and consequences of discrimination, economic deprivation, and oppression of people of color.

SWK211: Methods of Social Work II

This course covers micro, meso/mezzo and macro-level social work interventions methods. Micro-level interventions focus on working with individuals, families and small groups to foster changes within personal functioning in social relationships and in the ways people interact with social and institutional resources. Meso-level intervention creates changes in task groups, teams, organisations and the network of service delivery. On the other hand, macro-level interventions address social problems in community, institutional and societal systems through social policy and other macro mechanisms. 

SWK213: Qualitative social research methods

Qualitative research is meant to help researchers to understand people and the social and cultural contexts within which they live. Interpretation is at the core of understanding human behavior. This course is focused on analyzing words or text as opposed to numbers that characterize quantitative research. It is intended to provide basic skills to students in sampling, data collection, processing and presentation of qualitative data. Qualitative research is also concerned with inductive reasoning in which theory develops from research.

SEMESTER 4

SWK 202: Human Behaviour and the Social Environment

Social work has a historical focus on the individual and his or her surroundings. The “Person-in-Environment” (PIE) is an important approach in social work practice as it helps to understand human behaviour and factors in the environment that influences it. These include friends, family, neighbourhoods among others. This course introduces students to understand the superiority of the environment or nurture over nature in influencing human behaviour. Among other issues, family systems and structures, theories, challenges and interventions are discussed.

SWK204: Community development, resource mobilization and organizations

The course defines the different types of communities and examines methods of mobilizing and organizing them through advocacy approaches and capacity building for development. It introduces different theories, frameworks/models and approaches for community capacity building by focusing on community strengths and assets to address needs. The course exposes students to community assessment phases and techniques of organization of evidences; knowledge and skills to initiate, organize and assist vulnerable populations and community groups such as poor women, street children, homeless persons, youth in conflict with the law, beggars, and others.

SWK206: Law in Social Work

Social work has a historical focus on the individual and his or her environment which includes the legal system in which they work in order to intervene legally, appropriately and for their own protection against litigation. Among other issues, the nature and sources of law, social workers’ role in law, the Eswatini legal system, law and social work practice, adoption and other laws relating to children and families, mental health, youth and adult protection, discrimination and other legal aspects are discussed.

SWK208: Field Practice II

This course emphasizes the development of student’s capacities to assess, conceptualize clearly, concisely, and constructively as well as to articulate these abilities orally and in writing. It requires students to identify, understand, critically analyze, integrate, and apply material from the social, biological, and behavioral sciences that are the basis for the ecological approach to social work practice. Students will specifically focus on vulnerable populations models in Eswatini.

SWK210: Skills in Counseling in Social work

This course designed to provide students with a framework for understanding the social worker’s role in an interview. It seeks to provide students with an opportunity to learn and practice specific interpersonal communication skills in a variety of simulated interview situations. The course is designed to also assist students to develop a “professional use of self” in the helping process. Through role-play students will develop both cognitive and behavioral grasp of basic interpersonal communication and counseling skills in the social work context.

SWK212: School Social Work

This course is designed to give students an in-depth knowledge and understanding of social work practice in schools. The multiple roles of the school social worker will be explored with special emphasis on practice with populations at risk and culturally diverse groups.

The course will examine the many issues facing children, families, and schools using a policy-practice perspective. Course content will prepare students to work collaboratively with diverse children, families, school staff, and community partners to build effective, culturally responsive early childhood and learning environments.

SWK214: Health Care Social Work

This course is an overview of the health System of the country with emphasis on Primary Health Care. Social work practice is explored in the context of collaboration, case management, advocacy and leadership. It includes current and emerging health behavior theory, practice and research; culture, historical and contemporary perspectives of health policy, and will include a biopsychosocial model to direct social work practice in the health care system and develop skills for engagement, assessment, and intervention work with diverse populations.

SEMESTER V

SWK301: Rural and Urban Social Work

The course familiarizes students to vulnerable populations in urban and rural settings, causes of vulnerabilities and the types of interventions that can be used to reach out these populations. The nature of rural and urban poverty, disparities of development and service allocations by state and non-profit organizations, the imbalance of power relations as well as cultural variations that lead to disproportionate growth and development are discussed. Rural and urban development programs, policies and programs designed and implemented by Eswatini government are reviewed.

SWK303: Social Work and Substance/Drug Abuse

 This course provides a platform for the discussion and exploration of substance/drug abuse and its relevance to personal and public health. Students will be introduced to the concept of substance abuse and dependence, the definition of licit and illicit drugs, and the effects of substances on the person and those around him/her. In addition, prevention and intervention strategies, as well as public policy and contextual issues will be explored.

SWK305: Working with Families, children and adolescents

The family is the basic unit of society and the primary institution of socialization. This course is intended to provide knowledge and skills to students in social work intervention methods with children, adolescents and families namely: dynamics, perspectives, problems, interventions, approaches and practices. Students will also have the opportunity to learn and apply theoretical perspectives that relate to working with families. The course also covers family violence and how to resolve it as well as contemporary issues in family systems.

SWK307: Forensic Social Work

Forensic social work is the application of social work to questions and issues relating to judicial and legal systems. This course gives an overview of laws and ethics, civil litigation, peer adjudication, and legal regulation of social work and the Department of Social Welfare. It familiarizes students with the structure of the Eswatini criminal and civil legal system with emphasis on areas relevant to social work, and expert testimony, rules of evidence, risk assessment and management, and theories of causation of violence and aggression.

SWK309: Social Work in Africa and Contemporary Issues

This course examines social work practice and education and contemporary issues in the lives of individuals in Africa with case studies from Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Ghana. Political, economic, social, and cultural influences over contemporary issues will be explored. Among the contemporary issues discussed are gender, the Covid-19 pandemic, LGBTQ, HIV/AIDS, inheritance and land grabbing, homelessness, political and sexual violence, teen pregnancy, school dropouts, unemployment, domestic abuse, substance use, mental health issues, juvenile delinquency, and the interconnections among them.

SWK311: Social work with Organizations and Institutions

This course builds on the generalist practice with individuals, families and group class, extending the concepts of empowerment based practice and the strengths perspective to macro client systems such as organizations and communities. The relationships between organizations and communities and at-risk populations are infused throughout the course. This course provides an adaptation of generalist social work practice to macro generalist practice with communities and institutions. Because humans live in community social workers often take a broader view of social needs.

SWK313: Social work with groups

Social group work is one of the methods through which social work renders its services. Social group work services cover a wide range of problems and needs from individual to community problems, from working with healthy, capable leadership to working with the sick and rejected people. The matrix of the group work situation is the GROUP, individuals in interaction and the group environment. The components of group work are the PERSON in the group, the GROUP and the PROBLEM.

SWK325: Social Work and Spirituality

Social work in modern society requires practitioners to be culturally and spiritually sensitive. This course will explore the often challenging relationships between spirituality, religion and social work.

It considers the skills, knowledge and values that are required to incorporate a spiritual awareness into social work practice and in doing so explores in greater depth the social worker/service user relationship. By using case studies, reflective exercises and other learning features, students will begin to appreciate and understand the importance of a spiritually sensitive approach to their social work practice.

SEMESTER VI

SWK 302: Quantitative social research methods

Research is the hallmark of science and scientific discovery and policy development. It can be quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods. Quantitative social research methods is intended to enhance statistical research techniques and methods to undergraduate students in the social sciences. Issues of relationships between and among variables, causality, level of statistical significance, and statistical inference are explored. Students will learn aspects of research design issues in quantitative research, purpose and methods of sampling, data collection, data processing, analysis and presentation.

SWK 304: Rehabilitation Social Work

Rehabilitation is aimed at restoring a person who is living with an impairment, or an incapacity possibly because of injury or disease to regain independence, functionality, capability they had prior to impairment. The course examines disability across the human lifespan; processes of rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities, conventional and community-based rehabilitation and different types of interventions. It further examines the influence of socio-cultural factors and practices on rehabilitation and challenges encountered by institutions of rehabilitation, including social workers within these institutions.

SWK306: Field practice III

This course emphasizes the development of student’s capacities to assess, conceptualize clearly, concisely, and constructively as well as to articulate these abilities orally and in writing. It requires students to identify, understand, critically analyze, integrate, and apply material from the social, biological, and behavioral sciences that are the basis for the ecological approach to social work practice with specific focus on rural social work.

SWK308: Crises Intervention and Management

We have seen how pandemic like the COVID- 19 in our society necessitate that social workers acquire a knowledge and skill base for effective and professional crisis intervention. Students will study Evidenced-based applications of theory to practice with identified at-risk populations.

Crisis management also depends on developing, assessing and determining consequences of contingency plans, and helps students identify the most common weaknesses found in many crisis management plans. A bio-psycho-social and cultural emphasis will be applied to the various problems covered.

SWK 310: Social work and Diversity

Human beings are inherently diverse because of genetic and environmental factors. The diversity ranges from physical appearance, cognitive abilities to food tastes. There is also diversity in culture, religious beliefs, ethnicity and race. Even within families, ethnic or racial groups there is diversity. The diversities make humans to look and behave differently and influence their behaviour over the life course. This course is aimed at unravelling origins and causes of diversity and its implications on social work education and practice.

SWK312: Social work with Vulnerable Groups

Vulnerability varies across time and society. It is also contextually defined. However, some groups in society such as children and youth, older persons, women, the rural and urban poor, people with disabilities, migrants and refugees are more vulnerable than other population groups. The course explores the vulnerability of selected population groups, their resilience, and formal and non-formal responses to vulnerability. Theoretical perspectives on vulnerability will be covered. Factors associated with vulnerability in the African and Swazi context will also be analysed.

SEMESTER VII

SWK401: Gerontological social work

The course aims to equip students with knowledge and skills for gerontological social work practice in view of international, regional and local trends of population ageing. Specifically the course covers demographic ageing and the attendant physical, social, economic and psychological challenges associated with the ageing process. Myths, stereotypes and theories of ageing as well as ageing and the built environment are discussed. The rights of older persons, social protection and other social work interventions are also addressed in the course.

SWK403: Advanced Social Policy Analysis

Social Policy is one of the key knowledge areas of the Social Work profession. Using the Social Development context, this course focuses on key issues in contemporary policy thinking/analysis and Development.

It will also have a special focus on social welfare and key cross-cutting themes/issues. An attempt is made to analyze current policy reform issues in eSwatini and Africa including assessment of where we are and where we ought to be, especially in relation to, and implications for, social welfare.   

SWK405: Case Management

This course is designed to equip students with knowledge and skills to handle multifaceted problems that affect various client systems. It recognizes the uniqueness of each individual’s needs and the importance of collaboration among service providers as none can meet all the needs adequately. Case management ensures collaborative assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, monitoring and evaluation and advocacy. The course will help students develop their capacities in meeting service user’s needs and solve their problems through linkages and referral systems.

SWK407: Social Development

This course describes the central role of macro-level practices in social transformation. Social Development provides theory and strategies for intervening practically and professionally in helping people to reduce poverty, promote social and economic enterprise, and resolve community conflicts, foster sustainable development and social integration. It is about improving the well-being of every individual in society to reach their full potential. The success of society is linked to the well-being of each and every citizen. Social development means investing in people.

SWK409: Project planning, management and evaluation

Project management has become increasingly important in social work and social care. In this course, students will explore processes, procedures, tools and techniques to create and execute a project. Topics will include: creating a project charter, determining the requirements, defining, creating and managing the project scope, and validating the deliverables. Students will learn how to maintain control of project resources, stakeholders, and team dynamics. Students will learn project design by analyzing and evaluating resource availability, project team responsibilities, and accountability.

SWK411: Organizational Management and Leadership

This course focuses on developing knowledge and practice skills required in managing public welfare agencies. It emphasizes understanding of management and leadership concepts, types of leadership, and strategies to develop human leadership potential. The history, evolution, and development of organizational theories, principles, and models as well as types of organizations, organizational structure and mission, management ethics, conflict resolution, contemporary administrative practices and human resource development.

Students will learn from experienced leaders in human service organizations through agency visits or lectures by practitioners.

SEMESTER VIII

SWK402: Criminal Justice and Correctional Administration

The course examines the structure, processes, and ethical dilemmas within policing, the courts, and correctional administration (prisons, probation, and parole). A core focus will be placed on understanding systemic issues related to social justice, inequality, and human rights for justice-involved individuals, victims, and their families. The course emphasizes the crucial role of social workers in implementing restorative justice, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategies. Topics covered include juvenile justice, mandatory sentencing, community-based sanctions, and the impact of race and poverty on incarceration rates.

SWK404: Disaster preparedness

The world we live in is vulnerable to human-made and natural disasters. These include floods, droughts, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and public health pandemics. Natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity due to the effects of climate change. Disasters cause major social and economic upheavals and changes which require both internal and external interventions. The course examines disaster management, political aspects involved and how various crises and disaster-related occurrences impact livelihoods and wellbeing of people. Issues of leadership in times of crises, the role of communities, NGOs, the state and social workers in disaster relief and recovery efforts are explored.

SWK408: Population migration and Refugees

Population structure is an important aspect of any Country’s development. It is affected by three main factors namely: fertility, mortality and Migration. This course has a particular focus on the migration. People migrate for various reasons and at various times. Some are forced migrants and become Refugees while others migrate at their own volition. Causes and effects as well as theories of migration are discussed. The course also discusses opportunities and challenges of migrant populations as well as social work interventions in the refugee crisis.

SWK410: Grief, Loss & Bereavement

Divorce, loss of employment, disaster, declines in functional health, acute illnesses, chronic & life threatening diseases are all examples of losses other than death.

This course will focus on the experiences of loss, grief and bereavement. How people cope with grief shapes their lives, challenges their responses to change and can determine how they form, maintain, and lose relationships. Theories on grief and loss across the lifespan and factors such as culture, ethnicity/race, gender, class and sexual orientation are examined.