The School of Social Work offers a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, which was reaccredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in 2021. The CSWE Commission on Accreditation is the sole body authorized to accredit social work education programs in the United States. 

As one of the nation’s first accredited BSW programs, the School of Social Work has been training BSW students for more than 30 years to help them prepare for the next step in their social work careers. Our curriculum incorporates a professional foundation that includes: Social Work Practice, Human Behavior and Diversity, Community Social Services, Social Policy, Research Methodology for Social Workers. The program also prepares students for advanced graduate-level academic work. Social work elective courses offer opportunities to study in depth various social work practice areas such as child welfare, aging, health care, addiction recovery, African American families, school social work, homeless individuals, soldiers/veterans/families, legal aspects of social work and a 7-week study abroad program in Ghana among others. Students complete three 40-hour pre-professional placements and a 420-hour field placement in a social service setting. Upon degree completion, students are eligible for state licensing or certification. ​

The School also offers an undergraduate minor in social work. The social work minor is an excellent choice for students interested in combining a primary academic area (major), such as  sociology, political science, psychology, nonprofit studies, or Spanish or other language. The minor must be completed no later than the semester in which the student expects to graduate from their degree program. 

The School offers a CSWE accredited Master in Social Work (MSW) degree. There are two MSW program options; an Advanced Standing MSW and a Traditional MSW. The Advanced Standing MSW option is a 12-month intensive, full-time program totaling 39 credit hours that begins in May. The Traditional MSW program is a two-year, full-time program requiring the completion of 60 credit hours and begins in August. The School of Social Work does not admit MSW students in the spring. For more information please visit the School of Social Work website. 

The mission of the School of Social Work at NC State University is to prepare students for practice that addresses social, economic, cultural, demographic, and political changes affecting individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. Through teaching, advising, research, and scholarship, the school emphasizes: Professional Ethics, Social Justice, Diversity and Community Engagement.

For more information about our BSW program curriculum, please visit The School of Social Work's BSW Curriculum Page.

Residency Requirements

A minimum of 30 of the last 45 credit hours, including three practice courses, field preparation and fieldwork, must be completed at NC State's School of Social Work BSW Program. Transfer credit for these courses will not apply towards a student degree but may be used for free elective credit. 

A grade of C- or better is required in all major courses, with the exception of SW 480 Preparation for Field Work.

Student Organizations

Baccalaureate Student Social Work Association (BSSWA)

Graduate Student Social Work Association (GSSWA)

Men in Social Work (MiSW)

Phi Alpha Honor Society - Epsilon Kappa

Association of Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialists(LCAS/A)

Faculty

Plans