USI Social Work Department to add Online Master of Social Work degree this Fall

The University of Southern Indiana’s Social Work Department within the College of Liberal Arts will offer a fully online Master of Social Work degree beginning in Fall 2024. This new offering is based on the current in-person Master of Social Work degree but will offer the same classes in an online environment that fits any schedule.  

Master of Social Work courses will prepare students to provide desperately needed services to help people cope with issues like mental illness, substance abuse, poverty and discrimination. Positions in hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, employee assistance programs, residential treatment facilities, prisons, senior centers, government agencies and many more settings are attainable after degree completion. 

“When reflecting on my education at USI, I believe that my professors made more of an impact on my perspective toward the profession than a specific course” says Macie Cox ’21, USI Master of Social Work Graduate, Behavioral Mental Health Therapist, Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home. My professors did an amazing job at balancing textbook knowledge with their professional experience. I remember most of my classes transforming my perspective on the world.”  

This online degree is meant to open the doors to higher education for working individuals that need more flexibility to earn their degree. This fully asynchronous program allows students to work on assignments at their convenience with no meeting time each week to plan around. The courses have a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1, so students will have ample opportunities to interact with faculty and peers. 

“The new online MSW program was designed to provide accessible and flexible opportunities for individuals to obtain their MSW at USI,” says Dr. Quentin Maynard, incoming Director of the Master of Social Work Program. “The online MSW program will educate and train social workers to provide clinical, mental and behavioral health services in our community. We are excited to see how this new program option will benefit our community partners and the individuals living in the Tri-state area.” 

This degree is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, which uses a rigorous process to evaluate Master of Social Work colleges for the quality of their education and student outcomes. 

For more information on the Online Master of Social Work program, contact Maynard at qrmaynard@usi.edu, or visit the Master of Social Work webpage.