International students may wonder about getting a social work job in the U.S. The good news is that students with a degree from another country can find work in the U.S. as a social worker.
The Council on Social Work Education
There is only one accrediting body that can transfer international degrees for students who wish to pursue a social work job in the U.S. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the premier organization that accredits social work higher education programs. Two of CSWE’s agencies, the Commission on Accreditation (COA) and the Office of Social Work Accreditation (OSWA), collaborate to provide the International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service (ISWDRES). This program will analyze foreign academic credentials in social work and compare them with accredited baccalaureate and master's degrees in social work in the U.S. This formal accreditation recognition is necessary to establish …show more content…
Ideally, students should select a college that will accept as many of their credits as possible. However, students may be required to re-take non-transferable classes. For example, this may include basic coursework on child welfare programs, human behaviors in social environments and social welfare policies and services. Advance coursework may include topics such as racial justice, social work research and clinical social work practices. Social workers are also required to complete at least two years of paid social work under watchful supervision. Every state’s regulatory board will have their own specific requirements for approved supervision. However, once the student successfully graduates with a degree, they will be ready for ASWB