Overview

If you currently have an MSW from a university in Michigan

  • You have never earned temporary approval as a school social worker in the state of Michigan
    There are two methods for taking the required classes needed for you to qualify to apply for form 310 Recommendation for Temporary Approval Request Form: Requirements
    • 473-Social Work in Educational Settings (SW 873 For Credit)
    • 474-School Social Work Assessment: Integrating Psychological & Educational Testing (SW 874 For Credit )
    • 475-School Social Work Intervention: Children with Special Needs (SW 875 For Credit )
    • 500 Field Education hours in the area of children/youth/families
  • Temporary Approval is good for five years. The refresher course is only required for a previously approved school social worker who has not been employed by a public school in Michigan within 5 years.
  • It is required to take a refresher course if it has been more than 5 years but less than 10 years since form 310 was issued. MSU School of Social Work Continuing Education offers a fully online self-paced refresher course which you may take regardless of where you completed your original school social worker requirements. Because the refresher course is fully online, you can register to take it at any time.
  • If it has been more than ten years since obtaining form 310 Temporary Approval, you must reapply for Temporary Approval and take all of the required courses:
    • 473-Social Work in Educational Settings (SW 873 For Credit)
    • 474-School Social Work Assessment: Integrating Psychological & Educational Testing (SW 874 For Credit )
    • 475-School Social Work Intervention: Children with Special Needs (SW 875 For Credit )
    There are two methods for taking the required classes needed for you to qualify to apply for 310 Recommendation for Temporary Approval: Upon completion of these requirements, an Application for Recommendation for Temporary Approval as School Social Worker will need to be completed and sent to the School via email, socialwork@ssc.msu.edu, or mail. Once the completed application and has been reviewed, those that meet the requirements will be sent an SSW 310 form to present to prospective employers.

If you currently have an MSW from a university outside of Michigan

  • Because requirements for practice as a school social worker vary from state to state, if you have completed your MSW from an institution outside of the state of Michigan and you wish to become a school social worker in Michigan, you must contact the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education at mde-ose@michigan.gov, or by phone 888-320-8384. Once you have verified that you are required to take coursework, please contact Kim Battjes at Michigan State University.
  • The Michigan Department of Education has a document setting out the policy and criteria for temporary approval for out-of-state trained school social worker positions. Download the Competency-Based School Social Worker Evaluation Form.

If you do not currently have an MSW

In order to practice in Michigan, school social workers must hold a Master of Social Work degree from a graduate social work program approved by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). This includes a minimum 500-clock-hour supervised social work practicum in the area of children/youth/families.

If you are interested in the content of the school social worker required courses and you do not need to receive college credit for these courses, you can take these courses through MSU Social Work Continuing Education.

School Social Work