This pathway is designed for students who intend to become licensed clinical social workers. It prepares students for advanced clinical practice and meets the educational requirements for:
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Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) registration
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Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensure
Social work licensure and certification standards are determined and administered by the Board of Behavioral Sciences, a state agency of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. All students who complete an MSW degree at UC Berkeley's fully accredited program are eligible, upon graduation, to register with the BBS to begin the process of pursuing licensure.
Most Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) Additional Coursework Requirements are satisfied in the generalist (first year) curriculum. There are four additional coursework requirements that are not included that students can satisfy through Social Welfare electives in the advanced year or NASW-CA EmpowerEd online modules:
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Aging, Long Term Care and Elder/Dependent Adult Abuse
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Alcoholism and Other Chemical Substance Abuse and Dependency
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Human Sexuality
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Spousal/Partner Abuse Assessment, Detection, and Intervention
While the Associate Social Worker (ASW) application does include fields to report additional coursework, they are not required at the time of registering as an ASW, but must be completed prior to applying for licensure (LCSW).
Licensure Outside of California
While our program is designed for social workers in California, our Student Services team is available to support with any documentation needed for licensure out of state. If you are an alum seeking support, you may contact swstudentservices@berkeley.edu.