Division of Social WorkWeb site: Telephone: Administrative Officers Administrative OfficersMichael Patchner, Ph.D., Dean FacultyFrank Caucci, Ph.D., M.S.W., Associate Professor of Social Work Master of Social WorkIn recognition of the time and geographic constraints of many students who seek professional social work education, the Indiana University School of Social Work offers six programs of study leading to the 60 credit hour M.S.W. degree. The Indianapolis campus offers a two-year full time program, a three-year part-time weekday program, a three-year part-time evening program, a three-year part-time Saturday program, and an Advanced Standing Program. (The Advanced Standing Program is designed for students with a strong academic record who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.) Students must complete their M.S.W. within five years of their B.S.W. graduation. Indiana University South Bend offers a three-year part-time evening program. Indiana University Northwest offers a three-year part-time program. The school offers a three-year part-time program at IPFW (Fort Wayne) administered by the main campus at IUPUI. The general goal of the program is preparation for advanced social work practice. In addition to generalist knowledge and skills, the programs provide an opportunity for development of special competence in child welfare, families, health, leadership, and mental health and addictions. Educational resources for students in the program include a substantial library, an audiovisual center, student computer modules, and diversified field instruction settings throughout the state. General InformationThe Division of Social Work is a collaborative effort of the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis School of Social Work and Indiana University Northwest. As part of the School of Social Work at IUPUI, the IUN program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The division offers the Master of Social Work on a three-year or four-year part-time schedule designed to meet the needs of working professionals in Northwest Indiana. MissionThe mission of the Indiana University School of Social Work is to educate students to be effective and knowledgeable professional social workers prepared for practice in the twenty-first century. Such practitioners are committed to the alleviation of poverty, oppression, and discrimination. The school is dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life for all people, particularly the citizens of Indiana, and to the advancement of just social, political, and economic conditions through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Within the context of a diverse, multicultural, urbanized, global, and technologically oriented society, the school prepares social workers who will shape solutions to a wide range of interpersonal and social problems by developing and using knowledge critically while upholding the traditions, values, and ethics of the social work profession. Teaching TeachingThe teaching mission is to educate students to become professional social workers equipped for a lifetime of learning, scholarship, and service. Graduates embrace person-in-environment and strengths perspectives that are linked to the welfare of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. They learn to keep abreast of advances in knowledge and technology, be self-reflective, and apply best practice and accountable models of intervention. The school prepares social work practitioners and scholars ready to assume leadership roles at the B.S.W., M.S.W., and Ph.D. levels. (Only the M.S.W. degree is available at IUN.) ScholarshipThe scholarship mission includes the discovery, integration, application, dissemination, and evaluation of client-centered and solution-focused knowledge for and with social work professionals and other consumers. Innovative forms of scholarship are encouraged in developing knowledge for use in practice, education, and service concerning social needs and social problems. ServiceThe service mission is dedicated to the promotion of the general welfare of all segments of society. Service includes work in the school, university, profession, and community and reflects the school’s expertise in teaching, scholarship, and social work practice. Service in the interest of persons at greatest risk is consistent with the social work profession’s attention to social justice. Program GoalsThe Master of Social Work program derives its program goals from the mission statement of the Indiana University School of Social Work. They are also informed by the Curriculum Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education (1992). The program goals are to:
Policy on NondiscriminationBased on the tradition of the social work profession, and consistent with Indiana University’s Equal Opportunity Policy, the Indiana University School of Social Work affirms and conducts all aspects of its teaching, scholarship, and service activities without discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, socio-economic status, marital status, national or ethnic origin, age, religion or creed, disability, or political or sexual orientation. The School of Social Work has a strong commitment to diversity and nondiscrimination. Indeed, diversity is celebrated as a strength. This perspective is demonstrated by the composition of its faculty and student body, curriculum content, and recruitment and retention activities and by an active diversity committee. Further commitment is demonstrated through participation in university committees dealing with oppressed populations; numerous service activities, including advocacy on behalf of the disadvantaged; the selection of field practicum sites; and school policies related to promotion and tenure of its faculty. Educational RequirementsStudents are admitted on the assumption that they have the potential academic ability and personal suitability for completing the professional program in which they are enrolled. All students in the M.S.W. program are expected to maintain the standards established by the School of Social Work and those held by the social work profession. In order to detect possible problems, the School of Social Work reviews students’ performance periodically. The Master of Social Work degree is recommended by the school and conferred by the university. Students must successfully complete 60 credit hours of required and elective courses carrying graduate credit. Each student is expected to follow the university and school schedules and dates for completion of requirements, including completion of all work within seven calendar years from the time of first enrollment. Liability Insurance Credit for Life Experience Academic Regulations and PoliciesThe general regulations and policies detailed in this bulletin apply to all students in the division. Admissions
Advanced Standing Program RequirementsIn addition to the application requirements listed above, the following are additional requirements specific to the Advanced Standing Program:
Transfer StudentsA limited number of transfer students from other accredited M.S.W. programs may be accepted each year. Master of Social Work students interested in transferring to Indiana University must complete an application for admission to the program. Upon receipt of the completed application, the division director will review the materials and decide if the applicant may be accepted in the program. If accepted, the division director will analyze the student’s transcript and course syllabi to determine which credits earned in another accredited social work program will transfer to Indiana University. In all circumstances, however, transfer students must complete all required courses in their chosen Concentration Curriculum at the Indiana University School of Social Work. In addition to meeting all admissions requirements, transfer students must submit the following information:
All courses eligible for transfer must have a grade of B or higher. All course work for the M.S.W. must be completed within a seven-year period. Additionally, any admitted student may request a transfer of up to 6 non-social work graduate credits if relevance to the student’s course of study toward the M.S.W. and academic soundness can be shown. In all cases, graduate credit from other disciplines must be consistent with the goals and objectives of the M.S.W. program and must fall within the seven-year requirement for completion of all courses. Application Review ConsiderationsThe admission process is guided by the M.S.W. admissions coordinator and conducted by faculty serving on the M.S.W. Admissions Committee. In evaluating applicants, faculty reviewers take into consideration the following factors:
Applicants are accepted, placed on a waiting list, or rejected. Applicants on the waiting list will be held until the beginning of the program as replacements for persons declining acceptance or withdrawing. Admission is competitive, and the instructional resources of the school and division determine total enrollment. Guest Students Master of Social Work CurriculumSocial Work is a dynamic profession concerned with the changing needs of people and society. To respond to such needs, the curriculum of the School of Social Work undergoes continuing review by the faculty with the participation of students, members of the practice community, and others. Students must complete 60 credit hours of graduate-level course work in order to meet the minimum requirements for the Master of Social Work degree. All students complete a common 15 credit Foundation Curriculum and 15 credit Intermediate Curriculum that emphasize a generalist perspective for social work practice. The intermediate Curriculum includes a one-semester practicum of a minimum of 320 clock hours. Following that, students complete a Concentration Curriculum that prepares them for advanced practice in child welfare, families, health, school social work, leadership, mental health and addictions, or an individualized concentration. The Concentration Practicum of a minimum of 640 clock hours is usually completed over two semesters. All Foundation Curriculum course work must be completed before students are eligible to enroll in any required courses in the Concentration Curriculum. The overall objectives of the Foundation and Intermediate Curricula of the M.S.W program include development of
Typical course arrangements for students admitted to the M.S.W. program are shown below. Foundation Curriculum (15 cr.) Intermediate Curriculum (15 cr.) Concentration Curriculum (30 cr.) School of Social Work Leadership Mental Health and Addictions ConcentrationStudents complete an interpersonal practice (clinical) concentration and the second half of the student’s academic work is taken in this concentration. Students focus upon application and development of skills in social work practice with individuals, families, and groups. Field Practicums The foundation practicum is focused on generalist practice. It emphasizes the development and application of social work values and ethics, appreciation and understanding of diversity, strategies of social change for achieving social justice, identification of oppression and populations at risk, application of biopsychosocial knowledge for social work practice, understanding of social policy and social service delivery systems, development of communication and interactional skills, and understanding and application of research to generalist practice. The concentration practicum builds upon the experiences gained during the foundation practicum and curriculum. The specific focus is on the processes of application, critical analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of knowledge, and the further development of skills and values acquired in the classroom and practicum. Phi AlphaThe Zeta Pi chapter of Phi Alpha, the national honor society for social work, was organized at IUN in 1997. The purposes of Phi Alpha are to provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideals. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work. The M.S.W. committee sets the criteria for excellence. Code of EthicsAll students in the program are expected to follow the Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Copies of the Code of Ethics are provided to all students. In addition, all students are subject to the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct of Indiana University. Students are responsible for acquainting themselves with and adhering to the policies in this document. Master of Social Work Degree RequirementsAbout the Program About the ProgramSocial work is a dynamic profession concerned with the changing needs of persons and society. To respond to such needs, the curriculum of the School of Social Work is regularly reviewed by the faculty, students, members of the practice community, and others. The M.S.W. curriculum is designed to provide students with opportunities to develop competence for advanced interpersonal practice. The M.S.W. program consists of 60 credit hours of study and fieldwork. The first 30 credit hours are core courses taken by all students and are referred to as the Foundation curriculum. The second 30 credit hours provide a concentration of study in advanced interpersonal practice referred to as the Concentration curriculum. Although the school values knowledge gained from life experience, academic credit cannot be granted for non-academic activities. Students must file an application for graduation the semester before they expect to complete degree requirements. Failure to file this application will result in the student’s name not appearing on the graduation list for that semester in which the course work is being completed. It is the responsibility of students to be certain that their graduation or other academic requirements are met. The graduate office will keep a record of the student’s progress. Degree candidates will be assigned a faculty advisor who will aid their program planning, follow their progress, and be available for general academic and career counseling. Return to Master of Social Work Degree Requirements The M.S.W. Foundation Curriculum
Return to Master of Social Work Degree Requirements The M.S.W. Concentration CurriculumThe final 30 credit hours of the M.S.W. program prepare students for advanced practice in Interpersonal Social Work Practice. The concentration is organized as follows: Interpersonal Practice
Return to Master of Social Work Degree Requirements
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