Mission Statement
The mission of the Indiana University School of Social Work is excellence in education, research, and service to promote health, well-being, and social, and economic justice in a diverse world.
MSW Mission
The mission of the Indiana University School of Social Work MSW Program is to educate students to be prepared for practice with specialized expertise that includes advocating for social, racial, and economic justice, to be critically thinking, research informed, continuously learning, ethical, and competent social workers at a rural, urban and global level.
Teaching
The 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 practices and accountable intervention models. The school prepares social work practitioners and scholars ready to assume leadership roles at the Master of Social Work level.
Scholarship
The 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.
Service
The 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 Goals
- Educate students to be effective and knowledgeable professionals prepared for advanced social work practice.
- Build upon a liberal arts perspective to prepare students to continue their professional growth and development through learning scholarship and service
- Educate students to understand and apply the fundamental values and ethics of the social work profession in their practice.
- Prepare Students for social work practice with diverse populations and with client systems of all sizes.
- Educate Students about the social contexts of social work practice, the changing nature of those contexts, the behavior of organizations, and the dynamics of change.
- Engage in scholarly activity including the discovery, integration, application, dissemination, and evaluation of knowledge for practice.
- Promote and advocate for social and economic justice.
Admission Requirements
Professional social work education requires the ability to undertake a rigorous program of classroom and field study. The school seeks to admit persons who demonstrate competency through their academic and work achievements and who give evidence of commitment to working toward the well-being of others and the betterment of social conditions. It also seeks to provide an ethnically and regionally diversified student body. Admission to the Indiana University School of Social Work is program-specific.
The Indiana University School of Social Work Master of Social Work degree program at the South Bend Campus is an evening program. It offers an Advanced Standing Option for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program. Advanced Standing Students complete 30 credits. And a regular Standing Option for Students who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Regular standing students complete 60 credits.
Admission to the IU School of Social Work–South Bend Campus Master of Social Work degree program is handled jointly with the IU School of Social Work in Indianapolis and IU South Bend. Applications are available online, at https://socialwork.iu.edu/msw/.
Prerequisites for Admission
The following prerequisites are the minimum requirements for consideration for admission to the M.S.W. degree program:
- Evidence of an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Evidence of successful completion of a minimum of six courses in social or behavioral sciences. Courses are accepted from the following disciplines: psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, criminal justice, and social work.
- Evidence of successful completion of one course in statistics. This course can be in any discipline and on any level (graduate or undergraduate), so long as it was taken at an accredited college or university.
- An earned undergraduate grade point average (GPA), during the last 60 hours, of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Submission of the completed application packet, with requested supplemental materials, within the established time period. To find an online application go to https://socialwork.iu.edu/msw/
Applications are accepted for consideration any time after December 1 for the following academic year. Preference is given to applications received by February 1. The school uses a modified rolling admissions policy. The deadline for MSW Applications is July 15th, for a Fall Semester start.
Academic Standing
To remain in good academic standing, students are expected to perform at or above the following:
- Earn at least a C in each graded social work course.
- Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale in required social work courses, and a 3.0 overall GPA.
- Earn a grade of Satisfactory (S) in all practicum courses; to carry out professional activity in conformity with the values and ethics of the profession, and to comply with any contract that might be entered into with the Performance Review Committee.
- In the event of a failure to meet such requirements, students are ineligible to continue in the program. Such students are encouraged to consult with their faculty advisor regarding realistic planning for the future, including the right to petition for administrative review.
Evening Program, MSW Program Cohorts
Classes in the MSW program are offered in the evening. The MSW program begins in the Fall Semester, with the following cohorts, Advanced Standing Full-time; Advanced Standing Part-time; Regular Standing Full-time; and Regular Standing Part-time. Part-time students are accepted into the MSW program on a three-year schedule. The first year of course work is spread over two years. The final year requires students to take nearly a full-time course load. This means that part-time students must be prepared to complete a two-semester practicum during the day, or a full-time block practicum along with coursework during their final year.
Although the School of Social Work values the knowledge gained from life experiences, no credit can be given for this. Thus, the Master of Social Work curriculum is crafted to deepen your expertise and prepare you with comprehensive professional practice skills. The MSW program encompasses foundational knowledge, clinical and community practice, research and evaluation, and specialization in one of six distinct focus areas: Mental Health & Addictions; and School Social Work are the options available on the South Bend campus.
Field Practicum
Students engaged in advanced standing complete Practicum II (3 credits) Practicum III (3 credits). Students spend a minimum of 600 hours in an organizational setting that provides them with experiences that support mastery of all nine competencies as operationalized by advanced practice behaviors for roles in engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation. Regular standing students complete Practicum I 555 (3-credits-generalist practice, minimum of 300 hours of supervised field education), and field practicum courses 651 -II/652 -III (developing competencies -minimum of 600 hours of supervised field education).
Accreditation
The School of Social Work and the Master of Social Work are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), 1725 Duke Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3457, (703) 683-8080.
Student Services
Career information about employment is available by calling (574) 520-4880 or by contacting the program director at the following address:
- IU South Bend | Social Work | Post Office Box 7111 | South Bend, Indiana 46634-7111
- For career information about Licensing and Exam Requirements see: https://socialwork.iu.edu/student-services/
- For Academic Advising, see, https://socialwork.iu.edu/student-services/advising/iusb/
Student Organization
Students are encouraged to join and participate in the activities of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW).