Skip to main content

The Ohio State University

Search Ohio State

Master’s of Social WorkSchool Social Work

For many students in elementary through high school, the biggest barriers to learning aren’t their abilities or the subject matter.

 

Family issues and emotional or behavioral difficulties – including homelessness, poverty, abuse/neglect and mental health problems – can severely undermine a student’s chances of success in the classroom and in life.

School social workers are the link between the school, home and community. They can prevent students from falling through the cracks. Among other things, they identify and assess the needs of students and their families, counsel and advocate for them, link them with community resources, and intervene in crises such as teen suicides, alcohol-related deaths and school violence.

About the program

The School Social Work (SSW) Licensure Program at The Ohio State University College of Social Work is a specialized curriculum in the MSW program. Graduates are eligible for a SSW license from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), and all licensure requirements are completed during the program. SSW program graduates are employed by public, private and charter schools, and by community mental health agencies that provide contract services in schools.

The curriculum includes an advanced field practicum completed in a school setting and provides graduates with the necessary skills and competencies to effect change through a number of different avenues: direct intervention, administrative change, community awareness and policy reform. The amount of time it takes to complete the SSW Licensure Program is dependent on many factors, such as a student’s current status in an MSW program, how recently their MSW degree was obtained, whether they take classes full or part time, and when their field practicum is completed.

What are school social workers?

School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School social workers are trained mental health professionals who assist with mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents and administrators as well as provide individual and group counseling/therapy.

According to the School Social Work Association of America, social workers serve as the primary mental health provider for students and may be the only counseling professionals available to students and their families to initially identify and provide interventions for mental health issues.

  • 1 in 5

    American children have a mental health disorder. Only 20% of these children receive treatment.

  • >90%

    Of students who die by suicide have a mental health or trauma history.

  • 1/250

    One model shows every school should have one social worker for every 250 students.

Licensure Program Requirements

There are 15 credit hours of core coursework required for students currently enrolled in the MSW Program to meet the SSW licensure requirements. In addition to: 1) completion of a clinical curriculum in the MSW Program, 2) completion of an approved school practicum in a designated school district, and 3) currently licensed as a social worker in Ohio by the Ohio Counselor and Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board.

Please notify us if you plan to pursue the SSW curriculum and we will make note for our file.

Current students enrolled in the MSW Program complete the following 15 credit hours of core coursework:

Area of Emphasis

  • SWK 7630 Integrated Seminar I: Child and Youth Services 3 credit hours
  • SWK 7631 Integrated Seminar II: Child and Youth Services 3 credit hours

Required Courses

  • SWK 7511 Children and Adolescents 3 credit hours
  • SWK 7517 Social Work Practice in the Schools 3 credit hours
  • ESSPED 6650 Introduction to Exceptional Children 3 credit hours or SWK 5517 Social Work Practice in Schools 3 credit hours

Advanced Practice Method Courses (select from the following)

Macro Level Course Options (select one): SWK 7530, SWK 7531, SWK 7534, SWK 7550 or SWK 7551

Micro Level Course Options: SWK 7512, SWK 7513, SWK 7514, SWK 7515, SWK 7516, SWK 7518* (if select SWK 7518 must select one of the remaining 3 SWK 75__ for 1.5 credit hours that include SWK 7519, 7520 or Macro level SWK 7534)

Required Trainings

  1. Computer Science and Computational Thinking
  2. Ohio Standards for Pupil Services and Endorsements
  3. Educators and the Opioid Crisis

Once a candidate completes the coursework, they complete the ODE’s Pupil Services application for social workers having met the coursework and field practicum experience requirements. On the application you indicate The Ohio State University as the school to which your application would be sent for the signatures. The application is forwarded to the College of Education & Human Ecology, Licensing Specialist, who will contact the MSW Program Office to verify that the candidate has met the requirements. We forward a copy of your Course Planning Worksheet form that identifies the candidate’s graduate course work and completion of the required SSW classes taken at OSU. We sign off on our worksheet that we forward to the College of Education & Human Ecology’s Licensing Specialist who will obtain the signature of the Dean in Education before the forms are sent to ODE for approval.

Pre-Service Permit

All MSW students engaging in a School Social Work field placement who intend to pursue a license through the Ohio State Board of Education are required to obtain a Pre-Service Permit prior to entering a school. Students must complete a background check and request to have a copy sent to Ohio State HR and the State Board of Education. Specific instructions and more information can be found on our Background Checks page.

Contact us

For more information call 614-292-2972 or email msw@osu.edu.