INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND 2003 - 2005 GRADUATE BULLETIN

 

School of Social Work

Paul R. Newcomb, Program Director

Office: Northside Hall, 418

Telephone: (574) 237-4880

Internet Address: www.iusb.edu/~socw/

 

Associate Professor: Newcomb

Assistant Professors: Gudorf, Hackworth

Lecturer: Lemp, G. Walters

Coordinator of Field Instruction: G. Walters

 

Mission Statement

The 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

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 practice and accountable models of intervention. The school prepares social work practitioners and scholars ready to assume leadership roles at the M.S.W. 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.

 

Master of Social Work

Program Objectives

Social work is a dynamic profession concerned with the changing needs of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and society. For those who are interested in this professional commitment, social work offers a broad range of practice settings: community mental health agencies, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, employee assistance programs, family service agencies, and community service agencies. In addition, professional social workers serve as administrators of various social service agencies. They also work in all levels of government, education, and a number of social workers have assumed political or legislative careers. The education and training they receive in a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program provides them with the skills they need to choose a career within the broad area of social work.

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 have demonstrated 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, (M.S.W. Program) at the South Bend campus offers a part-time evening program culminating in the M.S.W. degree. The entire 60 hours are available on the South Bend campus for those interested in the interpersonal practice concentration. Transfer to the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis campus is available to those wishing to finish the last 30 concentration credit hours in macro practice.

Admission to the IUSB M.S.W. program is handled jointly with the Indiana University School of Social Work in Indianapolis and IUSB. Applications are available through the IUSB M.S.W. Office generally in September. However, please call for the latest information as dates may vary.

Prerequisites for admission

The following prerequisites are the minimum requirements for consideration for admission to the M.S.W. Program:

  •  Evidence of an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

  •  Evidence of couse work in liberal arts.

  •  Evidence of successful completion of a minimum of 6 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 taken in any discipline and on any level (graduate or undergraduate) so long as it was taken at an accredited college or university.

  •  Evidence of a successful completion of one course in research methods. The course can also be taken in any discipline and on any level (graduate or undergraduate). We accept such courses as experimental psychology, sociological research methods, social work research, and research in criminal justice.

  •  Evidence of successful completion of one course in human biology. Acceptable courses must contain at least 50 percent content in human biology instruction.

  •  An earned cumulative undergraduate grade point average (CGPA) 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.

Applications will be accepted for consideration any time after September 1 for the following academic year. Preference will be given to those applications received by February 1. The school uses a modified rolling admissions policy. It is advisable to submit your complete application packet to the School of Social Work well in advance of the priority date of February 1. Notification of decisions for applications received by the priority deadline will be sent out by April 1. Applications received after the February 1 deadline will be processed and notifications will be made as space is available.

Academic Standing

To remain in good academic standing, students will be 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 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 have been entered into with the performance review committee.

  •  In the event of failure to meet such requirements, students will be 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.

Three-Year, Part-Time Evening Program

The part-time evening program allows students the flexibility of evening classes and to progress at a slower pace than the more traditional full-time program. This program begins in the second summer session of each year, and students first complete the foundation year courses. Following completion of the foundation year, students move to the concentration year sequence.   

The M.S.W. program consists of 60 credit hours of study and field work. The first 30 credit hours are core courses taken by all students, while the second 30 credit hours provide a concentration in interpersonal practice.

Although the school values the knowledge gained from life experience, no credit can be given for this. Thus, the overall objectives of the first (foundation) year of the M.S.W. program include development of:

  •  Basic, generic competence applicable to the broad range of social work practice.

  •  Basic competence in both interpersonal practice and planning and management practice.

  •  Basic competence for practice in social-service delivery systems.

The overall objectives of the second (concentration) year include development of more advanced competence in interpersonal practice.

_Field Practicum

Both the foundation and the concentration years of the M.S.W. program include field practicum courses with field instructors who meet the standards of the school. A student in the program is required to have field instruction in two different agency settings. Placements are made both in South Bend and in various locations throughout the state. Field practicum is construed as a continuing process. Students in placement agencies are expected to meet professional service responsibilities. Students in field practicum will follow the work schedule of their field agencies during holiday periods and/or semester recess.

The school is responsible for arranging the field placements of the students. Attention is given to the student’s learning needs, professional goals, and interests. Field instruction is available only to students who have been admitted as candidates for the M.S.W. degree.

A total of 960 clock hours of practicum are required, with 320 hours in the foundation year and 640 hours in the concentration year. Practica are concurrent with course work.

Accreditation

The School of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), 1600 Duke Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3421, (703) 683-8080.

Student Services

Career information about employment is available by calling (574) 237-4464 or by contacting the program director at IUSB, Post Office Box 7111, South Bend, Indiana 46634-7111.

Student Organization

Students are encouraged to join and participate in the activities of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW).

Program Requirements

(Courses are 3 cr. hours unless otherwise designated.)

Required Courses (28 cr.)

SWK    S500    Social Welfare and the Social Work

                          Profession

SWK    S510    Human Behavior and Social Environment:

                          Individuals, Families, and Groups

SWK    S511    Human Behavior and Social Environment:

                          Organizations, Communities, and Societies

SWK    S520    Evaluation Processes in Social Work

SWK    S530    Social Policy and Services

SWK    S540    Social Work Practice I: Foundation (5 cr.)

SWK    S541    Social Work Practice II: Individual and

                          Family

SWK    S542    Social Work Practice II: Organizations,

                          Communities, Societies

SWK    S550    Social Work Practicum I: Introduction of

                          Practice Skills (4 cr.)

SWK S500 through SWK S550 may be replaced by comparable course(s) from the CSWE accredited M.S.W. Program upon approval of the M.S.W. program director.

Interpersonal Concentration (24 cr.)

SWK    S621    Social Work Research: Interpersonal

SWK    S631    Social Policy and Services II

SWK    S643    Social Work Practice III: Individuals

SWK    S644    Social Work Practice III: Families

SWK    S645    Social Work Practice III: Groups

SWK    S651    Social Work Practicum II: Interpersonal

                          (4 cr.)

SWK    S652    Social Work Practicum III: Interpersonal

                          (5 cr.)

Electives (6 cr.)   

Elective credit may be met by SWK S600 Elective courses, independent study courses, transfer credits, outside electives (with approval of the M.S.W. program director), or courses offered in the other concentration curriculum not taken by the student (i.e., interpersonal students can count a macro course as one of their electives).