Social work is a helping profession which aims to improve the well-being and quality of life of people from diverse demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Social workers work with different populations, social problems and levels of practice and are employed in a variety of settings, including social service agencies and programs, healthcare institutions and services, communities, correctional systems, schools and government.
The social work program at the University of Southern Indiana prepares students with the knowledge, skills and values for generalist practice with diverse populations and emerging social issues.
Majoring in social work at USI will provide you with a competency-based education. Built on a liberal arts foundation, you are encouraged to explore many areas of knowledge. You will gain insight about working with others from a biological, psychological and sociological perspective. USI's curriculum offers groups of courses that encourage you to get to know your classmates and the faculty. You will be trained to be prepared to assess, intervene and assist clients in solving problems and setting goals for life challenges. A strengths-based model encourages you to help others develop adequate support networks. Students learn methods of how to organize communities and advocate for resource and systems change. Using classroom instruction, case models, service learning, and field internships, you are encouraged to critically analyze and apply knowledge gained. You’ll have the opportunity to select internships from over 175 different agency settings. Leadership and instruction for the USI social work program is provided by world-class faculty members engaged in ongoing practice, who are recognized at local, national and international levels.
The Social Work Department places an emphasis on advising to encourage you to explore your interest in social work and complete your course of study in a timely manner. The program can be completed in four years with an opportunity to complete the master’s degree in an accelerated one-year program.
54 hours; 2.75 cumulative GPA and 2.75 major GPA required
The Bachelor of Social Work program prepares students for entry into social work positions within local, state, and federal social service agencies and programs. The program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Students graduating from the program possess a solid liberal arts foundation through Core 39 integrated with professional social work knowledge. The principal educational objective of the program is to prepare students for beginning competency-based social work practice. The focus of the program is to prepare generalist bachelor’s level practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and ethical principles needed for work with diverse populations. Students will be prepared to work with a variety of client systems including individuals, families, groups, organizations, institutions, communities, and society in general.
A carefully constructed curriculum exposes students to the following core knowledge areas:
- social welfare issues and policies
- human behavior in the social environment
- social systems theory
- knowledge and skills in conducting social work research
- problem-solving theory and methodology
- generalist intervention model
- knowledge of client populations
- knowledge of social service programs and agencies
- human diversity
- oppression and discrimination
- at-risk populations
- promotion of social and economic justice
- professional social work values and ethics
- practice/intervention skills and integrative field experience
Admission
The philosophy of the program prepares the highest-quality professionals for the social work field. Therefore, students interested in a major in social work must be admitted into the program. The students must satisfy the following requirements for admission:
- Students are required to review and update their student academic file in the Social Work department at the start of the application process. Included in the file should be a current copy of all college and university transcripts for each institution the student has attended.
- A cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale is required for admission to the social work program. The prerequisite courses must be completed by the beginning of the semester the student plans to enroll in courses identified for majors only.
- Completion of the following 9 hours of social work prerequisite courses with a grade no lower than C+ in each class (at least two of the courses must have an official grade at the time of application submission):
- Completion of 30 hours of Core 39 coursework, including the following courses with a minimum grade of C in each course:
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- Composition – ENG 101 - Rhetoric and Composition I: Literacy and the Self
- Mathematics – MATH 111, MATH 114, MATH 215, or MATH 230
- Natural Science with Lab - , or BIOL 121 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I or BIOL 122 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
- Social Inquiry and Embedded Experience-Diversity - SOC 121 - Principles of Sociology
- Social Science - PSY 201 - Introduction to Psychology
- For program admission, students must have a 2.75 GPA or higher in the following pre-requisite courses:
- Transfer students will be evaluated on an individual basis. They must meet the minimum course work requirement(s) or their equivalent(s) to be eligible for admission to the program.
- Completion of the application is required. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all materials to the Social Work department by the application deadline. The application must be complete for review by the admission committee.
- A personal interview and/or additional evaluative data may be required of applicants.
NOTE: The program does not grant academic credit for life or work experience in lieu of social work courses or field content.
Students must complete all Core 39 requirements to complete the BSW program. Although not required for admission to the program, to complete the BSW program students must also complete the following requirements:
- Historical Inquiry - HIST 101 - The United States to 1877 or HIST 102 - The United States since 1877
- Moral and Ethical Reasoning - any course
- Natural Science and Embedded Experience-Global - BIOL 251 - Environmental Conservation (C or better)
- POLS 102 - Introduction to American Politics (C or better)
The evaluation process focuses on academic standards and additional criteria, including evidence of a commitment to social work values, basic understanding of social work, professional attitude, and evidence of good writing and oral communication skills.
All eligible students are invited to apply. The program actively encourages minorities and students from diverse backgrounds to apply. The program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, political belief, or disability.
Upon completion of the application process, students receive notification of the admission decision in writing. There is a “cap” on admissions; only a limited number of qualified students are admitted each year. Students who are admitted into the program must achieve a C+ or better in all social work classes, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, and a minimum major GPA of 2.75. Students who fail to progress in their coursework for more than one semester will be required to reapply to the program. Students not enrolled for two fall/spring semesters, or longer, will be required to follow degree requirements in effect at the time they re-enter.
Social Work Major (54 hours)
Required Pre-Admission Courses (9 hours)
A grade of C+ or better is required in the following courses:
- SOCW 221 - Introduction to Social Work Credits: 3
- SOCW 222 - Social Welfare: Emergence of the Social Services Credits: 3
- SOCW 241 - Social Work Intervention Credits: 3
Required Courses (45 hours)
Students must be admitted to the social work program before enrolling in the following courses. A grade of C+ or better is required in:
- SOCW 325 - Introduction to Social Work Statistics Credits: 3
- SOCW 326 - Introduction to Social Work Research Credits: 3
- SOCW 331 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I Credits: 3
- SOCW 332 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment II Credits: 3
- SOCW 340 - Communications Skills Credits: 3
- SOCW 341 - Social Welfare Policy-Program and Service Delivery Analysis Credits: 3
- SOCW 342 - Social Work Practice with Micro Systems I Credits: 3
- SOCW 343 - Social Work Practice with Micro Systems II Credits: 3
- SOCW 344 - Social Work Practice with Macro Systems Credits: 3
- SOCW 401 - Social Work Practicum I Credits: 3
- SOCW 402 - Social Work Practice I Credits: 3
- SOCW 411 - Social Work Practicum II Credits: 6
- SOCW 412 - Social Work Practice II-Integration Seminar for Social Work Practicum II Credits: 3
- SOCW 413 - Capstone Project: Portfolio Credits: 3
Optional Addictions Counseling Concentration (9 hours)
The optional concentration in addictions counseling will prepare students to work with clients and agencies that provide services for substance abuse and other addictive disorders. The course work and internship requirements are designed to meet the educational requirements for addictions counseling in Indiana.
Careers
There are a wide variety of career/practice areas for Bachelor's of Social Work (BSW) and Master's of Social Work (MSW) degree graduates. The Occupational Outlook Handbook lists social work as having faster than average job growth. Professional social workers work to assist clients in solving human problems.
Graduates work in a variety of settings including social services agencies and programs, health care institutions and services, communities, correctional systems, schools and government (at all levels).
Social workers work with different populations (children, adolescents, adults, elderly), social problems (substance abuse, mental and emotional problems, corrections, child maltreatment), and levels of practice (individuals, families, communities).
Many agencies, programs and health care institutions require licensed professional social workers due to accreditation, licensing, certification and governmental requirements. Detailed information is available in the Social Work Department or by going to the National Association of Social Workers website.
The University of Southern Indiana is committed to making college accessible to those wishing to further their education by providing numerous scholarships, grants, and financial aid options to assist students in managing tuition expenses.
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs at the University of Southern Indiana are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.