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USI campus to reopen, classes resume, January 28

Change is never easy, and we know this is a challenging time as you navigate recent announcements affecting programs and operations at Oakland City University. We want you to know that your educational journey doesn’t have to pause.

At the University of Southern Indiana, we are fully committed to helping you transition seamlessly so you can stay on track with your education journey. We’ve designed this dedicated page specifically for you to explore our programs, access resources, learn about credit transfers and continue your education with minimal interruption.

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Field Education

Field education (also called practicum, fieldwork, field experience, or internship) is the hands-on training portion of your BSW/MSW program. It is a chance for you to test the waters, to make mistakes in a supportive learning environment and find your niche within the diverse array of social work career options. 

For USI social work, field education is the signature pedagogy. Specifically, the fundamental way future social work practitioners are educated in their new profession. In field education, students are instructed in critical aspects of the three fundamental dimensions of professional work - to think, to perform, and to act with integrity as a professional social worker.

It is critical, for students and faculty alike, to be well versed in this essential component of USI's social work curriculums, detailed below.

CSWE COMPETENCIES

Internships: Department of Labor Regulations, and Social Work Field Education

Department of Labor Fact Sheet 

Field Manual

Trainings

Personal Safety in the Field

Supervising Social Work Interns PowerPoint

Supervising Social Work Interns, Training Video

More Information

Student Resources

Behavioral Health Academy

Licensure

The profession of social work is regulated through licensure by state governments. In Indiana, social workers are licensed under the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA). State licensing regulations are reviewed annually and subject to change. For the most up to date regulation, visit the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency website.

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) is the association of boards that manage the state regulation of professional social work. The ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examinations used throughout the U.S. and in several Canadian provinces. ASWB is also available to help individual social workers and social work students with questions they may have about licensing and the social work examinations. To learn more about licensure regulations in states other than Indiana, visit the ASBW website.

To obtain more information, please contact the Indiana Department of Education Office of Educator Licensing and Development.

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Social Work

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