Social Work Major, B.S.W.

College of Liberal Arts >> Social Work 

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):
  • SOCW 221 - Introduction to Social Work 
  • SOCW 222 - Social Welfare: Emergence of the Social Services  
  • SOCW 241 - Social Work Intervention 
• Completion of 30 hours of Core 39 coursework, including the following courses with a minimum grade of C in each course:
  • 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 - BIOL 105 - Biology of Human Concern, 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:
  • SOCW 221 (C+ or better)
  • SOCW 222 (C+ or better)
  • SOCW 241 (C+ or better)
  • ENG 101 (C or better)
  • MATH 111, MATH 114, MATH 215, or MATH 230 (C or better)
  • BIOL 105, BIOL 121, or BIOL 122 (C or better)
  • PSY 201 (C or better)
  • SOC 121 (C or better)
• 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 transfer credit (residency requirement)

All required 300- and 400-level SOCW courses must be completed at the University of Southern Indiana. Transfer credit is limited to Core 39 coursework, 100- and 200-level pre-admission SOCW courses, and electives. 

Exceptions may be made for students accepted into the USI BSW Program who completed upper level courses in other CSWE accredited social work programs. These students should meet with the BSW Program Director to discuss their individual course requests. The BSW Program Committee will then make the final decision on the eligibility of the coursework. If exceptions are given, a maximum of 12 credit hours of 300-level SOCW transfer coursework could be applied toward the program. There will be no exceptions for 400-level SOCW transfer coursework (i.e., capstone and field); these courses must be completed at USI.

Transfer courses must meet the program’s minimum grade requirement.