The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. Through this course, students gain a foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. Course assignments focus on practical application of writing and critical thinking skills and promote professional and academic excellence. Major assignments include the preparation of the Professional Development Plan and Program of Study.

Social work supervisors are integral to the success of emerging and developing social workers. The foundations of their work with their supervisees influence quality of care, outcomes achievement, community engagement, funding, future supervisor comprehension, and more. Thus, their efforts ripple throughout the complex ecosystem of an agency. In this course, students consider the makeup of the supervisor role, including the theoretical underpinnings that provide a framework for positive supervision experiences, as well as the practical skills needed to convert supervision theory into successful practice. Students use practical supervision scenarios to explore the ecosystem of an agency from the supervisor’s perspective. Additionally, students explore legal, regulatory, and diversity considerations when interacting with various stakeholders. Understanding the role of the supervisor—whether planning to give or receive supervision—provides a broader view of the social work setting and highlights the potential impact of supervisor training on future developments in the field.

This course focuses on skills for scholar-practitioners who supervise students in field experience or who instruct students in their field experience courses. Topics include best practices for holistic approaches and aspects of student supervision, including administration, education, and support. Students engage with practice scenarios and develop artifacts that prepare students for field settings and instruction. The course focuses on considering the various social work environments where social work professionals might engage and invites opportunities for students to build confidence in preparation for postdoctorate work.

This course introduces students to meta-synthesis research. This course will provide an overview and positioning of meta synthesis methodology, including philosophical perspectives and the use of a meta-synthesis approach to inform social work policy and practice. Students will explore how meta-synthesis fits within qualitative research designs, particularly under interpretivist paradigms. Students will develop appropriate research aims and questions for interpretive meta-synthesis. Key methods and sources for systematic searches for published and unpublished material, evaluation, and appropriate tools for data extraction will be covered. Students will develop knowledge into different perspectives concerning quality appraisal and meta-synthesis frameworks. By the end of the course, students will understand the philosophical underpinnings, foundational concepts, goals in advancing practice, steps, and methodological processes that guide meta-synthesis research. 

This course examines and applies qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS), an advanced method for integrating and interpreting findings from multiple qualitative studies. Students will learn to identify practice-relevant issues, critically analyze, and synthesize research, demonstrate knowledge and skills needed to engage in meta-synthesis research, and create a final project that serves as a basis for the final capstone project. Through interactive modules and a synchronous intensive, students will gain hands-on experience in designing a meta-synthesis study which will prepare them for success in subsequent Capstone courses. Students will develop and present a preliminary plan for their capstone meta-synthesis project, which must receive approval in this course before they advance to the Capstone Project Research sequence.