Qualifications for professional social work
Open-knowledge reference entry
Professional social workers are generally considered those who hold a professional degree in social work. In a number of countries and jurisdictions, registration or licensure of people working as social workers is required and there are mandated qualifications. In other places, the professional association sets academic and experiential requirements for admission to membership.
United States
A social worker, practicing in the United States, usually requires a bachelor's degree (BSW or BASW) in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program to receive a license in most states, although may have a master's degree (MSW) or a doctoral degree (Ph.D or DSW). The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is a four-year undergraduate degree. Usually the first two years consist of liberal arts courses and the last two years focus on social work classes in human development, policy/law, research, and practice. Programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education require BSW students to complete a minimum of 400 field education or internship hours. Accredited BSW programs often allow students who are interested in obtaining a Master of Social Work degree to complete the degree in a shorter amount of time or waive courses.
In some areas, however, a social worker may be able to receive a license with a bachelor's or even associate degree in any discipline. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest organization of professional social workers in the United States.
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