North Carolina Social Work Licensure

How to become a Social Worker in North Carolina...

Below are basic guidelines for those wishing to earn their social work licensure in North Carolina. Most procedures and requirements remain constant over the years; however, it is wise to contact the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board at (336)-625-1679 to make sure you are on the right track.

Follow the steps to earn your North Carolina Social Work License:

Step One:

Education requirements for North Carolina Social Work licensure:

  • Certified Social Worker (CSW) and Certified Social Worker Manager (CSWM) licensure requires a bachelors degree in social work from an accredited school.
  • Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensure requires a masters degree in social work from an accredited school.

Request information from schools offering social work degree programs.

Step Two:

Work experience for associated levels of licensure:

  • Certified Social Worker (CSW) - no experience is required
  • Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW) - no experience is required
  • A Certified Social Worker Manager (CSWM) will need two years or 3000 hours of supervised work experience in an administrative setting. A certain amount of time needs to be spent directly with the qualifying supervisor.
  • A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) can begin their two years or 3000 hours of supervised clinical work experience once they have completed the masters program. They will also need specific amounts of supervision including individual and group.

More information about both work experience requirements and qualifying supervisors can be found on the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board website.

Step Three:

The next step is to submit a North Carolina social work license application and all other supporting documents and fees to the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board.

You may download the application here.

Step Four:

The Board will review your application and once it has been approved, they will send you information about registering for the Association of Social Work Boards examination.

  • CSW will need to pass the Bachelors level examination.
  • CMSW will need to pass the Masters level examination.
  • CSWM will need to pass the Advanced Generalist level examination.
  • LCSW will need to pass the Clinical level examination.

Information about each of the exams can be found on the following ASWB website.

This process can take some time, so being aware of deadlines and keeping your North Carolina Social Worker license active is important.

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