School of Social Work 2001-2003 Bulletin: Graduate Programs

About the Program

In recognition of the time and geographic constraints of many students who seek professional social work education, the Indiana University School of Social Work offers 6 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 strong academic records who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree, within five years of their admission date, from programs accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.) IU South Bend offers a three-year part-time evening program. IU Northwest offers a four-year part-time program.

The general intent of these programs is preparation for advanced social work practice. In addition to generic knowledge and skills, the programs provide an opportunity for development of special competence in interpersonal practice or MACRO Practice. (MACRO is an acronym for Management/ Administration, Advocacy, Community, Research/Evaluation and Organization.) 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.

Admission Requirements

Professional social work education requires students at the master's level to undertake a rigorous program of classroom and practice work. The IU School of Social Work seeks to admit individuals who have demonstrated competency though previous academic work, professional achievements, and volunteer commitments. A strong commitment to social justice and service to others should be evident in the application.

Admission information for all of the M.S.W. programs may be obtained from

M.S.W. Admissions
School of Social Work
IUPUI
Education/Social Work Building 4134
902 W. New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5154
Telephone: (317) 274-6705
E-mail: rbrock@iupui.edu

Master of Social Work
IU Northwest
3400 Broadway
Gary, IN 46408-1197
Telephone: (219) 980-7111
E-mail: fgoldie@iun.edu
Web: www.iun.edu/~socialwk

Master of Social Work
Indiana University South Bend
P.O. Box 7111
South Bend, IN 46634-7111
Telephone: (219) 237-4880
E-mail: pauln@iusb.edu
Web: www.iusb.edu/~socw

Enrollment in the M.S.W. program requires official admission to the IU School of Social Work. The following items are the minimum requirements for consideration for admission:

An earned bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
Evidence of course work in liberal arts
Successful completion of a minimum of six courses in social or behavioral sciences, as defined in the application packet
Successful completion of a course in statistics
Successful completion of a course in research methods
Successful completion of a course in human biology
An earned cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Submission of the completed application packet. Preference is given to applications returned by the priority date

Applications are available in late August of the year preceding admission. Information pertaining to the deadline and requirements can be found in the application packet. Applicants can apply to only one specific program. All applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible and well before the priority date. The M.S.W. admissions committee makes all decisions and notifies students in early spring. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the eight criteria outlined above. Admission is competitive and the instructional resources of the school determine total enrollment.

International Students
Applicants who are not citizens of the United States should apply as early as possible preceding the fall in which they wish to enter. They must fill out the international application and the IU School of Social Work application by the posted deadlines. They also must provide proof of their ability to pay fees and support themselves adequately during the period of their study and, through examinations designated by the school, must demonstrate an ability to comprehend, write, and speak English at an acceptable level.

International students applying to study at IUPUI should request an international application from the following address:

Office of International Affairs
IUPUI
620 Union Drive, Room 207
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5167
Telephone: (317) 274-7294

The Office of International Affairs is responsible for all travel and immigration documents and orientation to living in the United States. Upon arrival, all international students and exchange visitors must report to this office.

International students applying to study at IU Northwest should request an international application from the address below:

Academic Affairs
Indiana University Northwest
Lindenwood Hall, Room 220
3400 Broadway
Gary, IN 46408-1197
Telephone: (219) 980-6707

International students applying to study at IU South Bend should request an international application from the following address:

Office of International Programs
Indiana University South Bend
P.O. Box 7111
South Bend, IN 46634-7111
Telephone: (219) 237-4419

Transfer Students
A 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 IU must complete an application for admission to the program. Upon receipt of the completed application, the M.S.W. program director and the chair of the Admissions Committee will review the materials and decide if the applicant will be accepted into the program. If accepted, the M.S.W. program director will analyze the student's transcript and course syllabi to determine which credits earned in another accredited social work program will transfer to IU. In all circumstances, however, the transfer student must complete all required courses in their chosen concentration curriculum.

Non-M.S.W. Students
With permission of the M.S.W. program director, IU students enrolled in other graduate degree programs or persons possessing the M.S.W. degree may request permission to enroll in selected elective courses within the program. Enrollment of nondegree students is restricted by the availability of space and faculty. Persons interested in such enrollment are required to request written permission from the M.S.W. program director.

M.S.W. Programs of Study

IU School of Social Work provides several programs of study leading to the M.S.W. degree. Each program requires 60 credit hours of graduate-level course work.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Two-Year Full-Time Program
The Two-Year Full-Time Program consists of two years of course work taken over four academic semesters. Elective courses may be taken during the summer.

Part-Time Day Program
The Part-Time Day Program enables students to complete the foundation curriculum (the first 30 credit hours of the program) over two calendar years. Students attend classes during the academic year, starting in August.

Part-Time Saturday Program
The Part-Time Saturday Program enables students to complete the foundation curriculum (the first 30 credit hours of the program) over two calendar years. Classroom courses are offered on Saturdays. Students begin this program in late June by enrolling in their first course during the summer II session. Following completion of the foundation curriculum, part-time Saturday students are required to complete the concentration curriculum (the final 30 credit hours of the program) with most classes and internships held during the week (usually Monday through Thursday).

Part-Time Evening Program
The Part-Time Evening Program enables students to complete the foundation curriculum (the first 30 credit hours of the program) over two calendar years. Classroom courses are offered on weekday evenings. Students begin this program in late June by enrolling in their first course during the summer II session. Part-time evening students are required to complete the concentration curriculum (the final 30 credit hours of the program) with most classes and internships held during the week (usually Monday through Thursday).

Advanced Standing Program
Students holding a bachelor of social work degree may be eligible for this program, which begins in May of each year. Applicants to the Advanced Standing Program must provide the Admissions Committee with an official transcript. Senior B.S.W. students must provide a transcript including the fall semester (or winter quarter) grades of their senior year. The following are specific requirements for consideration for admission to the Advanced Standing Program:

Graduation within five years from a baccalaureate social work program accredited (or admitted to candidacy for accreditation) by the Council on Social Work Education
Statistics course
A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in all social work courses taken prior to Admissions Committee action
Evidence of characteristics and/or potentials required for competent social work practice as defined in the mission statement of the school to be derived from application materials, letters of reference, and pertinent work or volunteer experience
A reference letter from the B.S.W. program director of the applicant's undergraduate program

Students admitted with advanced standing will receive credit by credentials for all first-semester courses (14 credits). Candidates who have successfully completed a practice evaluation course beyond a research methodology course may receive an additional 3 credits by credential for this course. During the summer preceding the concentration year, students will satisfy the remaining second-semester course requirements of the foundation year. They can complete the concentration curriculum in one year.

Any eligible B.S.W. graduate applying for a program option other than the Advanced Standing Program may petition to test out of all first-semester course work.

Indiana University Northwest

Part-Time
The Part-Time Program at IUN enables students to complete the 60 credit hours required for the M.S.W. degree over a period of three or four years. (Advanced Standing Students may complete the program in about two years.) Classroom courses are usually offered on weekday evenings and at other times as determined by student need. Students begin this program by enrolling in their first course during the summer session.

Indiana University South Bend

Part-Time Evening
The Part-Time Evening Program at IUSB enables students to complete the full program over three calendar years. Classroom courses are offered on weekday evenings. Students begin this program by enrolling in their first course during the summer II session.

Master of Social Work Curriculum

Social work is a dynamic profession concerned with 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 at least 60 credit hours of graduate-level course work to meet the minimum requirements for the Master of Social Work degree. All students complete a common 30 credit foundation curriculum that emphasizes a generalist perspective for social work practice. The foundation curriculum includes a one-semester practicum of a minimum of 320 clock hours. Following that, students complete a concentration curriculum that prepares them for (1) advanced interpersonal social work practice or (2) advanced MACRO social work practice. 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 year of the M.S.W. program include development of

Basic, generalist competence applicable to a broad range of social work practice
Basic competence in both interpersonal practice and MACRO practice
Basic competence for practice in social service delivery systems

The overall objectives of the concentration year include development of special competence in interpersonal practice or MACRO practice.

Typical course arrangements for students admitted to the Two-Year Full-Time Program are listed below.

Foundation Curriculum

First Semester (14 cr.)

S500 Social Welfare and the Social Work Profession (3 cr.)

S510 Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Individuals, Family, Groups (3 cr.)

S511 Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Organizations, Communities, Societies (3 cr.)

S540 Social Work Practice I: Theory and Skills (5 cr.)

Second Semester (16 cr.)

S520 Evaluation Processes in Social Work (3 cr.)

S530 Social Policy and Services I (3 cr.)

S541 Social Work Practice II: Individuals, Families, Groups (3 cr.)

S542 Social Work Practice II: Organizations, Communities, Societies (3 cr.)

S550 Social Work Practicum I (4 cr.)

Concentration Curriculum

Courses presented over the two semesters of the concentration year will include the following:

Interpersonal Practice Requirements (21 cr.)

S621 Social Work Research: Interpersonal (3 cr.)

S643 Social Work Practice III: Individuals (3 cr.)

S644 Social Work Practice III: Families (3 cr.)

S645 Social Work Practice III: Groups (3 cr.)

S651 Social Work Practicum II: Interpersonal (4 cr.)

S652 Social Work Practicum III: Interpersonal (5 cr.)

MACRO Concentration Requirements (21 cr.)

S622 Social Work Research: MACRO (3 cr.)

S646 Community Organization and Social Action (3 cr.)

S647 Program Planning and Development (3 cr.)

S648 Enhancing Task-Oriented Skills in MACRO Practice (3 cr.)

S653 Social Work Practicum II: MACRO Practice (4 cr.)

S654 Social Work Practicum III: MACRO Practice (5 cr.)

Both Concentrations (9 cr.)

S600 Elective 1 (3 cr.)

S600 Elective 2 (3 cr.)

S631 Social Policy and Services II [required] (3 cr.)

Educational Requirements

Students 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 matriculation.

Liability Insurance
Students are required to carry professional liability insurance. Under the school's blanket policy, the cost of insurance is included in the student's practicum course fee.

Credit for Life Experience
Academic credit for life experience and previous work experience is not given in whole or in part toward the social work degree.

Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Course Requirements
Qualifying Examination Process
Admission to Candidacy
Research Proposal
Final Examination
Pre-Doc Exploratory Option

Ph.D. Program

Admission Requirements

All applicants to the Ph.D. program must have a master's degree in social work or a related field. Admission to the Ph.D. program is based on evaluations of (1) the applicant's professional resume, (2) professional experience beyond the M.S.W. degree, (3) undergraduate and graduate transcripts, (4) three letters of reference, (5) an example of the applicant's scholarly writing, (6) a 500-word statement of purpose, and (7) Graduate Record Examination General Test scores.

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted at any time, but a deadline of January 1 is required in order to be considered for a University Fellowship. All applications must be received by April 1 to be considered for admission to the program for the following fall semester. For application materials and further information, write to

Ph.D. Admissions
School of Social Work
Indiana University
Education/Social Work Building 4138
902 W. New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5154
Telephone: (317) 274-6730
E-mail: madamek@iupui.edu

Course Requirements

The student must complete a total of 90 credit hours, including dissertation and research internship. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree may be granted up to 30 hours of graduate credit from other institutions as follows:

Of the 30 graduate transfer credit hours counted toward the Ph.D. degree in social work, 15 of these credits must be in an area directly related to research (e.g., research methods, statistics, a mentored research project, etc.)
Of these 15 research-related credit hours, at least 6 credits must have been completed within three calendar years prior to the date the student enrolls in his/her first doctoral class following acceptance into the Ph.D. program.
All 15 research transfer credits must have been successfully completed as prerequisites for the two advanced research methods courses (S726 and S727), the Research Internship (S725), and the advanced statistics course.
Any or all of the 15 research transfer credits may be taken prior to acceptance into the Ph.D. program and in addition to the 9 credit hours associated with the pre-doc program.
All students must have successfully completed a graduate-level statistics course within three calendar years prior to enrolling in the required advanced statistics course. Students who have completed a statistics course more than three years prior to enrolling in the advanced statistics course may petition the director of the Ph.D. program to test out of this requirement.
Any research transfer credits not completed prior to acceptance into the Ph.D. program must be completed as part of the student's doctoral studies in accordance with the above provisions.

All courses credited toward the Ph.D. degree must have a minimum grade of B and must receive written approval from the School of Social Work Ph.D. Program Committee and the dean of the University Graduate School. Specific program requirements include

professional social work component (33 cr.)
specialization component (18 cr.)
research component (21 cr.)
research internship (6 cr.)
dissertation (12 cr.)

All students in the Ph.D. program, with the approval of the program director, will select two faculty members to serve as their academic advisors throughout their doctoral studies, one of whom will represent the student's area of specialization outside the School of Social Work.

Qualifying Examination Process

The qualifying examination process is comprehensive and integrative in nature. Specific guidelines for the completion of the qualifying process are available from the Ph.D. program director.

Admission to Candidacy

Following the passing of the qualification examination and the completion of all course work, the student's advisory committee will submit a Nomination to Candidacy Form to the University Graduate School. Upon approval of the dean, the student will be admitted to candidacy and awarded a Certificate of Candidacy.

Research Proposal

After nomination to candidacy, the student, with the approval of the program director, will select a research committee of no fewer than three faculty members, including one member outside of the School of Social Work. This committee must approve the proposed dissertation topic.

Final Examination

The final examination is the oral defense of the dissertation.

Pre-Doc Exploratory Option

The Pre-Doc Exploratory Option allows prospective doctoral students to test their interest and commitment to doctoral education. The program provides students with the time to gain the information and experience needed to make an informed decision about formal application to the program. This option permits qualified students to enroll in up to 3 of the school's regular Ph.D. foundation courses and to complete up to 9 credit hours of doctoral course work before deciding to apply formally to the program. If a student later applies and is accepted to the regular Ph.D. program, credits earned during the pre-doc phase will automatically apply toward the Ph.D. degree.

Participation in the Pre-Doc Exploratory Option does not guarantee acceptance into the Ph.D. program. It does, however, provide a unique opportunity for students to explore that possibility. Courses counted toward the Ph.D. degree must be completed within seven years of passing the required qualification examination.

The selection of candidates for enrollment in the Pre-Doc Exploratory Option is based on the following criteria:

An earned master's degree in social work or a related field
A graduate grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
Official copies of all baccalaureate- and master's-level transcripts
A 500-word written statement that outlines the applicant's reasons for seeking enrollment in the Pre-Doc Exploratory Option program
One letter of reference
A professional resume

There is an open admissions process for the Pre-Doc and Ph.D. programs. Ph.D. applicants who would like to be considered for possible nomination for a University Fellowship should apply by January 1.

Students enrolled in the Pre-Doc Exploratory Option program are strongly encouraged to complete the S721 Seminar in Advanced Scholarship Skills (3 credit hours) as part of their program of studies. The following is a list of other S700-level courses:

S710 Proseminar on Client Systems (3 cr.)
S720 Philosophy of Science and Social Work (3 cr.)
S726 Advanced Social Work Research Methods, Qualitative Research (3 cr.)
S727 Advanced Social Work Research Methods, Quantitative Research (3 cr.)
S730 Proseminar on Social Work Policy Analysis (3 cr.)
S740 Social Work Practice: Theory and Research (3 cr.)

For additional information contact,

Ph.D. Program Director
School of Social Work
Indiana University
902 W. New York Street, ES 4138
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5154
Telephone: (317) 274-6730
E-mail: madamek@iupui.edu