The Illinois School Code specifies that a school social worker must have earned a Masters of Social Work degree from an accredited university program that has been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) as having met the criteria for preparing students for Type 73 certification in School Social Work. The candidate for certification must pass the Basic Skills test required of all certified teaching staff as well as the specialized test over school social work knowledge and performance standards.

Each university program develops its own curriculum and field experiences to meet the ISBE expectations. At the Carbondale campus of Southern Illinois University, students seeking the recommendation for school social work certification must successfully complete the core MSW program requirements plus the following courses:

1. EAHE 501 or EAHE 503 education administration issues
2. SPED 408 and SPED 420 or special education terms, laws, services
3. SOCW 533 introduction to school social work
4. SOCW 567 advanced issues in school social work
5. SOCW 543 and SOCW 544 field practica in a school social work field site under the supervision of a certified school social worker and participation in the integrative seminar experience

click here to download Standards for School Social Worker

click here to download the Complete Requirements for SSW Type 73 Certification