North Carolina State Social Work Programs

North Carolina State University’s Social Work Programs deliver proven results. They’ve been training students for more than 30 years and were among the nation’s first accredited programs. The university’s social work program awarded 67 bachelor’s degrees during the 2021-2022 academic year, showing a 24% increase from the previous year. NC State has earned its place among the Top 100 Graduate Social Work Programs in 2022.

Students learning about the best social work programs in NC will find NC State’s detailed education options align well with their career goals. The BSW program gives you the essential knowledge, values, and skills needed to serve clients from various backgrounds. Students complete a substantial 420-hour Agency Practicum Internship. NC State’s MSW programs offer flexible options. Students can choose between a two-year Traditional MSW program that requires 60 credit hours and an Advanced Standing option completed in just 12 months with 39 credit hours. NC State’s programs prepare students to create meaningful change through clinical social work or policy advocacy.

Types of Social Work Degrees Offered at North Carolina State University

NC State University’s Department of Social Work provides well-laid-out social work degrees that help students build meaningful careers. Students can choose from undergraduate and graduate programs based on their background and career goals.

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program builds a strong foundation for your career. This degree gives you the essential knowledge of human behavior, social welfare policies, and ethical standards. Students learn through a mix of classroom teaching and hands-on experience. The program ends with a field practicum where students apply their learning in ground settings. BSW graduates can start working in social service agencies or continue their education.

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program has two paths for advanced practice. Students without a social work background can take the Traditional MSW track. This complete two-year program needs 60 credit hours of coursework and field placement hours. Students develop specialized skills in clinical or community practice.

BSW graduates from accredited schools can take the Advanced Standing MSW track. This fast-paced option takes about 12 months with 39 credit hours, unlike the two-year Traditional track.

Both MSW paths focus on evidence-based methods and advanced strategies. Students participate in supervised field work at partner agencies throughout North Carolina. This practical experience helps build professional networks effectively.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has fully accredited NC State’s social work degrees. This accreditation ensures the programs meet national standards. Graduates can take social work licensure exams in North Carolina and across the United States. This recognition plays a vital role in choosing a social work program.

Degree Specializations

NC State University’s Social Work Programs let you customize your education based on your career interests. The MSW program’s core lies in its Advanced Generalist Practice (AGP) approach that takes your knowledge and skills to the next level. Students learn multi-level intervention techniques and social justice principles that prepare them for independent practice.

The Addiction Recovery Specialization stands out as a popular track that gives you targeted skills to work with people facing substance use disorders. This specialization has become crucial as addiction problems continue to impact North Carolina’s communities.

Students can shape their degree through many elective courses beyond these main specializations:

• Clinical Practice Focus: Courses like DSM and Clinical Conditions, Trauma-Informed Health Services, and Biopsychosocial Pain Management get you ready for clinical work.
• Population-Specific Practice: Electives such as Direct Practice with Older Adults, Child Welfare, and Social Work with Soldiers, Veterans, and Families help you support specific groups.
• Setting-Based Practice: Options like Social Work in Schools, Community Mental Health, and Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Practice prepare you for specialized settings.

The program stays current with emerging practice areas through unique electives like Human-Animal Relationships and Introduction to Sport and Social Work. These specialized courses complement your core studies in human behavior, social welfare policy, research methods, and ethical practice standards.

Your chosen path at NC State will help you develop expertise that matches your professional interests. This specialized structure builds on your degree program’s foundation and helps you develop job-ready skills for social work careers in North Carolina and beyond.

Online and Hybrid Options

Flexibility is the core of pursuing higher education in today’s academic landscape. NC State’s Online and Distance Education programs deliver this flexibility while maintaining high educational standards. In fact, these digital offerings uphold similar accreditation standards and are taught by the same expert faculty who lead campus-based courses.

Social workers who juggle professional and personal commitments can choose from three distinct delivery formats at NC State that match their learning priorities:

• Fully online – Complete coursework entirely through digital platforms
• Onsite – Traditional in-person learning experiences
• Hybrid – A combination of online and in-person instruction

The university uses state-of-the-art technology and learning solutions that help students access academic curriculum whatever their geographic location or schedule constraints. Students across all 50 states and U.S. territories can access these programs, which means distance never becomes a barrier to educational advancement.

Online social work education has distinct advantages over traditional programs. Students enjoy greater scheduling flexibility, often with part-time options that allow them to keep their jobs. The virtual classrooms also connect learners with peers and professionals from diverse geographic locations, which expands networking opportunities beyond local communities.

All the same, campus-based programs offer their own unique benefits, particularly in-person interactions and local networking connections. You should think over these factors carefully to find the format that lines up best with your learning style and life circumstances.

NC State’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences welcomes this educational progress by recognizing that quality social work training works effectively in various formats. Students who pursue MSW programs through distance education complete the same intensive curriculum as their on-campus counterparts.

Field placements remain vital components of social work education whatever the delivery method. Distance learners complete required supervised practicum hours at approved sites in their local communities, which ensures practical skill development alongside theoretical knowledge.

Graduation Rates

NC State University ranks among the nation’s best schools with exceptional graduation rates. The university’s overall graduation rate of 84% puts it in the top 10% of universities across the country. These numbers show NC State’s steadfast dedication to student success in every program, including its well-known social work department.

The social work program’s completion numbers tell a compelling story. During the 2021-2022 academic year, 67 students earned their bachelor’s degrees, while the MSW program saw 89 graduates. These results show how well the program helps students reach graduation.

The gender breakdown of social work graduates reveals clear trends. Women made up 93% of BSW graduates and men accounted for 7%. The MSW program showed similar numbers with 90% women and 10% men. These percentages match the wider social work field where women dominate the profession.

White students made up 61% of undergraduate social work graduates and 62% of master’s recipients. These numbers help us understand program diversity and point to room for greater representation.

NC State’s overall graduation metrics paint an impressive picture:

• Six-year graduation rate: 85% (top 20% nationally)
• Four-year graduation rate: 64%
• Standard degree completion time: 4.34 years

Students starting full-time (77% of the 2015 group) graduated at these rates:

• Four-year: 50%
• Six-year: 79%
• Eight-year: 80%

These results beat national averages significantly. Typical first-time full-time student graduation rates nationally sit at 37.92% (four years), 46.43% (six years), and 47.82% (eight years).

The university’s excellent retention rate of 94% places NC State in the nation’s top 10%. This high retention rate proves student satisfaction and program quality across all departments, including social work.

These graduation statistics should give you confidence. NC State’s social work programs offer a proven path to success with an excellent track record of helping students graduate.

Career Outcomes

NC State’s social work graduates have excellent career prospects. 80% of them land jobs right from their internships or within six months of finishing school. This is a big deal as it means that NC State graduates outperform the national standard, where 84% of bachelor’s degree holders find work within a year.

The salary outlook looks great for NC State alumni. Social workers in North Carolina earn $62,078 yearly on average. Healthcare social workers do even better with $63,110 per year, beating the national average of $62,760. Mental health and substance abuse specialists earn $53,940 annually, though this sits slightly under the national figure of $60,130.

North Carolina’s job market shows amazing potential. Social work positions should grow 14% by 2030, jumping from 12,430 to 14,160 jobs. Healthcare social workers can expect an even stronger 16.6% growth through 2032.

Jobs pop up all over the state. Chapel Hill-Durham needs social workers in schools and hospitals. Charlotte focuses on housing and immigration support. Asheville blends healthcare work with community outreach, especially in addiction treatment. Wilmington specializes in culturally aware healthcare and school programs.

NC State keeps supporting you after graduation. The Alumni Association offers great career coaching and access to ePACK, the university’s job search platform. This strong support system helps explain why 97% of NC State graduates end up employed or pursuing further education.

A social work degree from NC State opens doors to many roles – from clinical work to community organization. You’ll make a real difference in North Carolina’s growing communities.

What’s Unique about the Social Work Programs at North Carolina State University

NC State University’s social work programs stand out with features you won’t find anywhere else in the region. The school’s 30+ year history shows its steadfast dedication to excellence, making it one of the first accredited social work programs in the nation.

The Advanced Generalist Practice (AGP) approach makes NC State special. Students learn to handle complex social issues at individual, family, group, organization, and community levels. This complete framework helps them work in settings of all types.

Students get plenty of hands-on experience through extensive fieldwork. BSW students complete a 420-hour Agency Practicum Internship before they graduate. The real-life experience pays off – 80% of graduates land jobs from their field placements or within six months after graduation.

NC State goes beyond regular coursework with special electives that other schools rarely offer. Students can take unique courses like Human-Animal Relationships and Introduction to Sport and Social Work. These classes open doors to specialized areas within the broader social work field.

Students can choose how they want to learn. The program offers fully online, onsite, and hybrid options that fit different lifestyles. The quality stays the same – expert faculty teach all formats under the same accreditation standards.

NC State’s commitment to diversity shines through its student mix and course content. Students learn to work effectively with people from all backgrounds, which is crucial for serving North Carolina’s diverse communities.

The program doesn’t just focus on clinical work. It combines clinical training with policy advocacy and community organization. This balanced approach creates versatile social workers who can drive change at many levels. Strong graduation rates and job placement success make NC State one of NC’s top social work programs.