Social Work, B.S.W. Social Work with Special Subject-Area Licensure in School Social Work Concentration

Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) students at UNCG interested in pursuing a career in school social work may apply for Licensure in School Social Work. School social work is an exciting and rewarding field of practice for those interested in working with elementary, middle, or high school level students and their families.

Much of the work in this field involves preventive or early intervention work, which often increases the success of social work services. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requires that all social workers hired for School Social Work positions be licensed or be eligible to sign a provisional contract for School Social Work Licensure.

Program Distinctions

• UNCG’s social work program is not approved for what is termed “a Licensure Only Program in School Social Work,” which means that we can only provide licensure to students who are in the program.
• Our B.S.W. program has been continuously accredited since 1973.
• Accreditations and affiliations include the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Workers.

The Student Experience

• The program is a 41-hour major with two community-based volunteer placements and a 440-hour internship during which students apply theoretical knowledge and skills to social work practice.
• Students have leadership opportunities in the National Association of Social Workers Student Organization and Phi Alpha Honor Society.
• The Council on Social Work Education assesses students on their mastery of competencies —dimensions of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training.
• The program has a joint B.S.W. field education program with NC A&T State University through which students are placed in a variety of practice settings to complete their internships.
• Social Work seniors at UNCG have the opportunity to study abroad in Denmark, Belgium, or Spain through The Global Work with Immigrant Kids Project. This project is designed to educate new social work practitioners for work with immigrant and refugee children and families. Social work students participate in semester-long exchanges, which involves intensive language instruction, a 15-week field internship, and additional courses, including one web-based course.
• Students can get involved with UNCG-led initiatives in the local community including a mental health and substance abuse program for homeless individuals and refugee and immigrant individuals, and a program that works to solve the opioid crisis.
• Student leadership opportunities are available by participating in organizations for Social Work students such as the National Association of Social Workers Student Organization (NASW-SO) and the Phi Alpha Honor Society.

After Graduation

• Eighty percent of all graduates gain employment in the social work field within one year of graduation.
• Graduates have been admitted to advanced standing programs at a number of nationally recognized schools of social work including Columbia University, Case Western University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Apply to Program

• Meet with Professor Elizabeth Webb, Coordinator of the School Social Work Licensure Program, fall semester of junior year to review application procedures and answer questions.
• The application must be completed by 5:00 p.m. on January 14, 2022 (eligible students must be in the spring semester of their junior year by this deadline).
• Students accepted will have their paperwork forwarded to the UNCG Teacher Education Program and the Co-Directors of Field.
• Placements in school settings for the senior year internship will be arranged by the Co-Directors of Field.

Undergraduate Minor

• Social Work Undergraduate Minor