Students interested in pursuing a career in School Social Work may apply for a Master’s License in School Social Work during their first year in the Joint M.S.W. Program. 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 positive outcomes from social work services. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requires that all social workers hired for School Social Work positions must be licensed or be eligible to sign a provisional contract for School Social Work Licensure. Available only for two year students.

The Joint M.S.W. Program is approved to provide the Master’s License in School Social Work which requires that M.S.W. students are completing or have completed a minimum 60 hour graduate program.  Advanced Standing students are ineligible to apply to this program.

Licensure Only

Our social work program is not approved for licensure only. We can only provide licensure to students who are currently in the two-year program. Alumni or M.S.W. graduates from other programs are ineligible to return and seek this license in school social work.

Application Procedure  

• Professor Elizabeth Webb, Coordinator of the School Social Work Licensure Program, meets with two year students in the fall semester of their generalist year to review application procedures and answer questions.  Handbooks will be distributed to all interested students at the information session.
• Interested students can also download the Handbook for School Social Work: Graduate Licensure Program (PDF). The application will be available electronically on this page after the fall information session and must be completed by 5:00 p.m. on January 14th of the applicant’s second semester in the Joint M.S.W. Program.
• Joint M.S.W. License in School Social Work Application (electronic form)
• Students accepted will have their paperwork forwarded to either the NCA&T School of Education or UNC Greensboro Teacher Education Program (this decision is based on the University where the Joint M.S.W. student was initially admitted) and the Co-Directors of Field.
• Placements in school settings must take place in the specialist year internship and will be arranged by the Co-Directors of Field.

Questions may be directed to Professor Elizabeth Webb at edwebb@uncg.edu.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK LICENSE

The School Social Work License is specific to North Carolina, and interested students must check the state that they plan to be employed in to determine eligibility for a school social work license after completing the criteria for the license in North Carolina.