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USI campus remains closed Monday, January 26

Due to ongoing inclement weather, the University of Southern Indiana campus will remain closed, and all in-person classes, activities and on-campus events are canceled Monday, January 26. Online classes will continue asynchronously unless students are notified by their professor. Essential personnel only should report to work. If you are unsure of your status, contact your supervisor. More information and updates at USI.edu/emergency. 

Last updated: January 25, 2026 2:23 PM

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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