Become a Social Worker in Indiana

Known for its Lake Michigan coastline and Dunes National Park, Indiana is a state with beautiful scenery. It is also home to approximately 13,160 social workers as of May 2024 (data retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in February 2026).

This guide for how to become a social worker in Indiana explains educational requirements, how to get licensed, social work organizations to join, and more. Once you complete the steps to become a social worker in Indiana, you can embark on a meaningful, fulfilling career helping others in the Hoosier State.

Information below was retrieved February 2026 and is only meant to be a high-level overview. Requirements may change, always check with the state licensing board for complete and up to date information.

Social Work Degree Programs in Indiana

Indiana has multiple CSWE-accredited BSW and MSW programs. A bachelor’s degree in social work can enable a student to enter an advanced standing program in an MSW program, where you may be able to complete an MSW in about 12-18 months. A BSW also prepares students for entry-level social work positions, and is the minimum requirement for licensure as an LBSW in Indiana.

To become an LSW or LCSW, however, a minimum of an MSW degree is required. Some individuals further their education and experience in social work by pursuing Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degrees.

Learn more about MSW Programs:

• Advanced Standing MSW Programs Online
• Clinical MSW Online Programs
• Online MSW Programs No GRE

Social Work Licenses in Indiana

Indiana issues three social work licenses through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board: Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW), Licensed Social Worker (LSW), and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). A BSW meets the education requirement for the LBSW license, while an MSW is required for the LSW and LCSW pathways. The LCSW is Indiana’s clinical credential and requires at least two (2) years of supervised clinical social work experience after earning a graduate degree in social work.

Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) in Indiana

Becoming an LBSW allows you to provide bachelor’s-level, non-clinical (generalist) social work services. In Indiana, the supervision requirement is clearly stated for the LSW (must be supervised by an Indiana LCSW), so avoid implying that all LBSW practice is “under supervision” unless you’re citing a specific scope-of-practice rule.

• Education Requirement: Bachelor of Social Work degree
• Field Requirements: None
• Exams: ASWB bachelor’s exam
• License Renewal: 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle (20 CEUs per year), including at least 20 hours of Category I and 2 hours of ethics per renewal cycle. If you’ve been licensed less than 24 months, you need 20 hours to renew; if less than 12 months, no CE is required.

Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in Indiana

Becoming an LSW allows you to practice master’s-level social work in Indiana. If you practice in Indiana with an LSW, you must be supervised by an Indiana LCSW; independent clinical practice is tied to the LCSW license.

• Education Requirement: Master of Social Work degree
• Field Requirements: None
• Exams: ASWB master’s exam
• License Renewal: 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle (20 per year), including at least 20 hours of Category I and 2 hours of ethics per renewal cycle. If licensed less than 24 months, you need 20 hours; if licensed less than 12 months, no CE is required.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Indiana

Becoming an LCSW is Indiana’s clinical social work license and allows you to practice clinical social work independently after you meet the education, exam, and two-year supervised clinical experience requirements for licensure.

• Education Requirement: Master or Doctor of Social Work degree
• Field Requirements: At least two (2) years of clinical social work experience after earning a graduate degree in social work, under the supervision of a qualified supervisor (Indiana defines “experience” as full-time paid work of at least 1,500 hours per year, which is why this is often summarized as ~3,000 hours over two years).
• Exams: ASWB clinical exam
• License Renewal: 40 CEUs per 2-year renewal period (20 CEUs per year), with at least 10 Category I CEUs per year, including at least 1 Category I CEU in ethics and professional conduct (boundary issues) each year (so 2 ethics hours total per renewal period). If licensed 12–24 months at first renewal, you complete half the CEUs; if licensed less than 12 months, you are exempt for that first renewal.

Social Work Salaries in Indiana

Information on the above social work salaries in Indiana was retrieved by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Indiana in February 2026.

Indiana Social Work Scholarships

If you’re pursuing a BSW or MSW in Indiana, funding is often available through school-based scholarships (offered by your university’s social work program), along with broader Indiana state financial aid and national social work scholarships.

Examples of Indiana university-based social work scholarships (Indiana University School of Social Work):

• Barbara Hirsch Bass Scholarship (Social Work)
• Sheldon and Natalie Siegel Scholarship (Social Work)
• Genevieve Means McLeod Scholarship (Social Work)

IU also maintains a central page explaining how its social work scholarships work and when students are notified to apply.

Other places Indiana students should check:

• Indiana Commission for Higher Education (state financial aid programs)
• NASW Foundation scholarships (national opportunities for social work students)

Indiana Social Work Organizations

There are countless local and national associations and organizations with goals to promote, develop and protect the practice of social work and social workers. Better social work means better solutions for issues such as welfare, child welfare, elderly welfare, health care reform, and other issues affecting the disadvantaged populations in Indiana and beyond.

• National Association of Social Workers, Indiana chapter: The NASW Indiana Chapter’s mission is “to advance professional social work practice and the profession, to strengthen human rights, social and economic justice, and ensure unimpeded access to services for all.
• Society of Social Work Leadership in Healthcare: A national organization with 500+ members dedicated to promoting the universal availability, accessibility, coordination, and effectiveness of healthcare, with a focus on psychosocial aspects of health and illness.
• Indiana School Social Work Association: INSSWA promotes school social work throughout the state by advocating for student services and supporting school social workers through an annual fall conference, regional workshops, and seminars.