Social Work Licensure

Certification as a Certified Social Worker (CSW) requires:

• A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or higher degree in social work
• A Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Code Examination
• Passing the basic level Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) bachelor’s-level national exam

Further details on the CSW requirements can be found on the Wisconsin DSPS form #1992.

If needed, here are step-by-step instructions with screenshots. NOTE: example is for acupuncture licensure, therefore some options may not apply for social worker certification.

1. Go to https://license.wi.gov/.
2. Click Register as an individual.
3. Click Apply for a License.
4. When prompted,
   1. Category: select Health
   2. License Type: select Social Worker
   3. Click Next.
5. Select Licensure by Examination. Click Next.
6. Complete the Personal Information section.
7. Complete the School Information section.
   1. School Name: University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire
   2. Degree (if prompted): Bachelor of Social Work
   3. Click Save & Next.
8. Complete the Application Fee Reduction Request information, if applicable.
9. Complete the Declaration information.
10. You will be asked to complete and upload any supporting documents.
11. Complete the Attestation.
12. Click Pay and Submit.

IMPORTANT: Form 1978 and education verification

UW-Eau Claire’s BSW program is approved by Wisconsin DSPS to electronically verify completion of the required professional education for faster licensing processing. This electronic verification replaces the need to complete and manually upload Form 1978. DSPS uses the same application checklist for all schools, therefore your initial application status may show Form 1978 as “not met”. This is expected and does not indicate a problem with your application.

After UW-Eau Claire BSW program submits your education/degree verification electronically, your application status will show “WI Board-approved Statement of Graduation or Completion” as “met”. This electronic verification serves as the equivalent of Form 1978. Form 1978 might continue to show as “not met”, but the DSPS credentialing team will update this status during their review process. Please note the credentialing team review process may take several weeks.

When will the school verify my education/degree?

The school cannot complete your degree verification until your degree has been officially conferred by the university. Degree conferral typically occurs 3-4 weeks after the semester's graduation ceremony.

If you graduated from the program more than two years ago, email socialwork@uwec.edu to let the program know that your education needs verification. Include your name at the time of graduation, date of graduation, and your application number. It may take several business days for your account to reflect any updates.

Eligibility to take the ASWB National Examination will be determined by DSPS upon receipt of a completed application. Contact ASWB with questions or further information on the ASWB examination.

Study guides and practice tests for the ASWB National Exam are available for free here.

The Wisconsin Statutes and Rules examination is an open book examination relating to the practice of social workers. The Wisconsin statutes and administrative rules contain information needed to answer the exam questions and can be obtained here. You will need the most current edition.

Upon DSPS processing your completed application, you will be assigned a test name, password, instructor name, and an ID. This information will be available on your LicensE Application Status page. Additional technical or exam content-related questions can be directed to DSPSCredentialingCSC@wisconsin.gov.

In Minnesota, there are four types of social work certificates/licensures.

• Licensed Social Worker (LSW)
• Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW)
• Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW)
• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

LSW requires a BSW or higher; the other three require an MSW or higher degree.

Graduates of the UW-Eau Claire BSW program can choose to pursue Licensed Social Worker (LSW) through the Minnesota Board of Social Work.

Review the LSW requirements and the applicion process.

Details about the licensing and certification requirements of all 50 states can be found on the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) website.