School social work track

A collaborative program between the VCU School of Social Work and the School of Education enables students to meet Virginia State Department of Education standards for licensure eligibility as a school social worker while completing requirements for the M.S.W. degree.

Specialization: Clinical Social Work Practice
Electives: Six (6) credit hours of approved graduate courses in education
Field: A generalist or specialization placement in an approved school setting
SLWK 717: Social Work Practice in School Settings course is required
Modality: Online or on-campus
Curriculum track: Fall/spring sequence

Social Work students selecting this option may complete the requirements for licensure eligibility while completing the M.S.W. degree requirements.

Students satisfy the required year of experience by completing either their generalist or specialization level M.S.W. field placement in a school setting. Due to the needs of our community partners in schools, the field placement must be completed in a fall/spring semester sequence to align with the typical school year.

Once the student has completed the required coursework and been awarded their M.S.W. degree, they may apply for the Pupil Personnel Services License to serve as a school social worker in Virginia. If the student plans to seek licensure outside of Virginia, they will need to consult with the local state licensing board to review their requirements for eligibility.

Students will complete 18 courses through the School of Social Work and choose from two School of Education courses. See the footnotes below.

Sample full-time curriculum plan - Fall start

YEAR 1
Fall	Spring
SLWK 601. Human Behavior in the Social Environment I SLWK 602. Policy, Community and Organizational Practice I SLWK 603. Social Work and Social Justice SLWK 604. Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups I SLWK 693. Generalist Field Instruction I (10-14 hours per week)**	SLWK 610. Human Behavior in the Social Environment II SLWK 606. Policy, Community and Organizational Practice II SLWK 609. Foundations of Research in Social Work Practice SLWK 605. Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups II SLWK 694. Foundation Field Instruction II (10-14 hours per week)**
YEAR 2
Fall	Spring
SLWK 703. Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders SLWK 704. Clinical Social Work Practice I SLWK 709. Specialization Research for Understanding and Assessing Social Work Interventions and Services SLWK 717. Social Work Practice in the School Setting SLWK 793. Concentration Field Instruction I (20- 22 hours per week)**	SLWK 705. Clinical Social Work Practice II SLWK 710. Concentration Social Policy SLWK 794. Concentration Field Instruction II (20-22 hours per week)** School of Education Elective* School of Education Elective*

_{* Please choose two School of Education courses from the following list:}

_{EDUS 673. Diversity, Democracy, and Ethics in Education}
_{SEDP 501. Characteristics of Individuals with Disabilities}
_{OR SEDP 630. Trends in Special Education}
_{EDUS/PSYC 607. Advanced Education Psychology}
_{SEDP 631. Classroom Management and Behavior Support of Students with Disabilities OR TEDU 588. Classroom Management}

_{** School field placements must be in fall/spring sequence.}

Course descriptions from the VCU Graduate Bulletin

Social work (SLWK) Education (EDUS) Special education & disability policy (SEDP)

Sample part-time curriculum plan - Fall start

YEAR 1
Fall	Spring	Summer
SLWK 601. Human Behavior in the Social Environment I SLWK 602. Policy, Community and Organizational Practice I SLWK 603. Social Work and Social Justice***	SLWK 610. Human Behavior in the Social Environment II SLWK 606. Policy, Community and Organizational Practice II SLWK 609. Foundations of Research in Social Work Practice***
YEAR 2
Fall	Spring	Summer
SLWK 604. Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups I SLWK 693. Foundation Field Instruction I (10-14 hours per week)*	SLWK 605. Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups II SLWK 694. Foundation Field Instruction II (10-14 hours per week)*
YEAR 3
Fall	Spring	Summer
SLWK 703. Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (can be moved to summer for lighter course load) SLWK 709. Specialization Research for Understanding and Assessing Social Work Interventions and Services School of Education Elective**	SLWK 710. Concentration Social Policy (can be moved to summer for lighter course load) SLWK 717. Social Work Practice in the School Setting* School of Education Elective
YEAR 4
Fall	Spring	Summer
SLWK 704. Clinical Social Work Practice I SLWK 793. Concentration Field Instruction I (20- 22 hours per week)*	SLWK 705. Clinical Social Work Practice I SLWK 794. Concentration Field Instruction II (20- 22 hours per week)*

_{* Please choose two School of Education courses from the following list:}

_{EDUS 673. Diversity, Democracy, and Ethics in Education}
_{SEDP 501. Characteristics of Individuals with Disabilities}
_{OR SEDP 630. Trends in Special Education}
_{EDUS/PSYC 607. Advanced Education Psychology}
_{SEDP 631. Classroom Management and Behavior Support of Students with Disabilities OR TEDU 588. Classroom Management}

_{** School field placements must be in fall/spring sequence.}
_{***Course can be completed in a summer semester for a lighter course load.}

Career outlook: School social workers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics groups social work jobs by three specific categories, including one that combines child, family and school social workers – the largest of the three sets.

Jobs/growth: Data through 2024 showed 399,900 jobs in this category. Projected growth through 2034 is 3%.

Wages: Median annual wage for this category as of May 2024 was $58,570. Wages will vary by role, experience and geographic location.

NASW guidelines for school social workers

Guiding principles

The NASW defines three guiding principles:

Theoretical Training and Philosophy
Social Justice
Multitier Interventions

School social workers actively help school systems meet expectations of federal, state and local mandates with an intentional focus on those designed to promote equal educational opportunity, social justice and the removal of barriers to learning." – NASW

_{Source: NASW Practice Standards for School Social Workers}

Standards

The NASW defines 15 standards:

Ethics and Values
Qualifications
Assessment
Intervention
Decision Making and Practice Evaluation
Record Keeping
Workload Management
Use of Technology
Professional Development
Cultural Competence
Interdisciplinary Leadership and Collaboration
Advocacy
School Safety
Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Response
Confidentiality