Master of Social Work

MSW Program Goals and Objectives

1. Educate generalist and clinical practice students on nine competencies of social work practice.

Objectives:

• Integrate competency-driven learning throughout the MSW curriculum.
• Use technology to enhance course delivery and provide students with alternative curriculum options.
• Use current scholarship and best practices in assignments in the MSW curriculum.
• Use field trips, international programs, speakers, service learning, and forums to enrich student learning about diversity.
• Annually update curriculum and course content in response to evaluation feedback, changes in best practices, and community needs.
• Provide continuing education for alumni and the regional social work community.
• Use course exercises and assignments to promote student awareness of self as an instrument of change.

2. Use research as the foundation for discovering best practices in education and community engagement.

Objectives:

• Develop and carry out research focused on social justice in collaboration with the USI Center for Social Justice Education (CSJE).
• Conduct regional needs assessments and program evaluations studies.
• Engage in and encourage multidisciplinary research with community partners.
• Partner with the College of Nursing and Health Professions to enhance USI’s position in gerontological, as well as inter-professional collaboration education and research.
• Use exit surveys, alumni surveys, employer surveys, student focus groups, and other data measures to monitor the MSW program processes and outcomes.

3. Model and promote the ethic of service.

Objectives:

• Serve on boards, committees, and as members of regional organizations that support and promote the values of professional social work.
• Seek and respond to organizational and community service needs in the region.
• Sponsor student organizations that recognize academic excellence and promote student service.

The Master of Social Work program requires applicants have a bachelor's degree from a regionally or comparably accredited institution. Applicants with an undergraduate degree other than a Bachelor of Social Work should apply to the two-year full-time track.

Admission to the Master of Social Work program requires:

• Admission to Graduate Studies;
• Earned bachelor degree from an accredited college/university before starting the program;
• A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate course work attempted or a 3.0 GPA for the last 60 semester hours;
• Evidence of writing skills compatible with graduate-level standards;
• Evidence of potential to develop into a solid graduate-level professional social worker. A personal interview and/or additional evaluative data may be required of applicants;
• Prerequisites: Applicants must complete prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better. Minimum of 24 hours (eight courses) of social/behavioral sciences:
• Introduction to psychology course or its equivalent;
• Introduction to sociology course or its equivalent
• Social work, psychology, sociology or other social science research methods course;
• Social work, psychology, sociology or other social science statistics course;
• Four courses from any of the following disciplines: social work, psychology, anthropology, sociology, criminal justice, gender studies, political science or economics.

• Prerequisite course content older than 10 years may be considered upon review.

  Students transferring from other graduate programs must submit an Evidence of Good Standing Verification Form, available from the Social Work Department. Students may transfer, with approval, up to 12 graduate credit hours.

  The MSW Program does not grant academic credit for life or work experience in lieu of social work course or field content.

• International students are required to have a score of 550 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 6 on the IELTS (International Language Testing System).

To get started, complete the following four steps:

1.) A completed USI Application for Graduate Study and $40 application fee.

2.) Upload the following to your application account.

• Resume/CV
  As part of the application, you will be required to upload your resume/CV as a PDF file. The resume/CV file name should be  Lastname-firstname-resume.pdf   (ex. Smith-Joe-resume.pdf).Your resume/cv should include the following information:
• All college/universities attended, starting with the most recent, and include the name of the institution, dates attended, and degree(s) awarded. If no degree was awarded, please state such.
• Employment history, starting with the most recent, and include name of organization, location (city and state), a brief description of duties and dates of employment.
• Field/Internship experiences, starting with the most recent, and include name of organization, location (city and state), a brief description of duties and dates of employment.
• Relevant volunteer activities, starting with the most recent, and include name of organization, location (city and state), a brief description of duties and dates of employment.
• As part of the application, you will be required to upload your resume/CV as a PDF file. The resume/CV file name should be  Lastname-firstname-resume.pdf   (ex. Smith-Joe-resume.pdf)

• Personal Statement/Narrative
  Answer the following questions as an opportunity to describe yourself, and the qualities beyond academic grades that make you ideally suited to be a Clinical Social Worker. Responses should be thoughtful, honest, yet professional, and should demonstrate excellent writing skills, critical thinking, insightfulness, and self-awareness. Be comprehensive, yet succinct in your response and use examples from your life experiences.
• Life Experience - Describe events and life experiences that have informed your choice to pursue a Master of Social Work degree and a career in Social Work. 
• Values - Describe the ways that your personal values, beliefs, and interests are congruent with the mission and philosophy of social work. 
• Diversity - Think about situation(s) when you had to deal with differences in age, race, disability, ethnicity, gender, religious and/or sexual orientation. Based on your experience, how do you plan to work with diverse and vulnerable people?  
• Additional Experiences - What experiences have allowed you to develop the skills necessary to be an effective social worker? 
• Summary - Provide a final summary of your statement, highlighting what you consider to be the most important points for the admission committee to know about your application to the MSW Program. 

• Professional References
  • You will be required to provide three professional references including name, email and phone number. An email will be sent to each of these individuals upon submission of this application requesting a reference.

3.) Submit official transcripts to Graduate Studies.

• Official electronic transcripts are preferred and can be emailed from the previous institution to Graduate.Studies@usi.edu
  
  
• Mailed transcripts can be sent to this address:
  Graduate Studies
  University of Southern Indiana
  8600 University Blvd.
  Evansville, IN 47712

4.) International students may be required to provide additional information.

Admission Policy

Let The Journey Begin!

All new students must watch each of the following orientation videos and complete the orientation checklist before attending the zoom orientation session. Advanced Standing and Traditional Standing Orientation for 2025 will be announced at a later date. 

• How to register for courses 
• Handout
• Ethics, professional conduct, and social media (review info from links)
• Advanced Standing Orientation
• NASW Code of Ethics
• MSW Student Handbook
• What is plagiarism?
• USI Library resources 
• Handout

Student ID's are made at the Eagle Access Card Office UC003 (UC West).

Parking passes are not required at USI!