Social Work Continuing Education: CE Credit Requirements and Options
- Most states require social workers to complete 20-45 CEUs every 1-3 years, with some mandating specific hours in ethics or cultural competency.
- You can earn CEUs via courses, workshops, webinars, and other activities like presenting and publishing.
- Many reputable platforms offer free or low-cost CEU opportunities that meet license renewal requirements.
Maintaining your social worker license means keeping your industry knowledge and skills up to date through continuing education (CE). Learn how continuing education units (CEUs) work, what states require, and how you can earn them. Explore top CEU providers and resources.
Social Work Continuing Education Requirements by State
Social work licensing boards measure and track required CEUs. Typically, one CEU corresponds to one clock hour of participation. Each state sets its own requirements for the number of hours you must complete during a specific renewal period.
Many states also mandate which types of CEU courses to take. For instance, most states require you to complete a certain number of units on ethics, laws, or cultural competence. You must complete all CEUs before your license’s renewal deadline, so it’s a good idea to keep track of them throughout your renewal period.
Social Work Continuing Education Requirements by State
- Alabama: 30
- Alaska: 45
- Arizona: 30
- Arkansas: 30
- California: 36
- Colorado: 30
- Connecticut: 15
- Delaware: 15-40
- Florida: 30
- Georgia: 35
- Hawaii: 45
- Idaho: 20
- Illinois: 30
- Indiana: 40
- Iowa: 27
- Kansas: 40
- Kentucky: 15-30
- Louisiana: 20
- Maine: 25
- Maryland: 30-40
- Massachusetts: 10-20
- Michigan: 45
- Minnesota: 40
- Mississippi: 40
- Missouri: 30
- Montana: 20
- Nebraska: 32
- Nevada: 30-36
- New Hampshire: 40
- New Jersey: 20-40
- New Mexico: 30
- New York: 36
- North Carolina: 40
- North Dakota: 30
- Ohio: 30
- Oklahoma: 16
- Oregon: 20-40
- Pennsylvania: 30
- Rhode Island: 30
- South Carolina: 40
- South Dakota: 30
- Tennessee: 12-15
- Texas: 30
- Utah: 20-40
- Vermont: 10-20
- Virginia: 15
- Washington: 18-36
- West Virginia: 40
- Wisconsin: 30
- Wyoming: 45
Options for Obtaining Social Work CEUs
You can choose from many different sources for earning CEUs based on your interests, career goals, and any employer or state requirements.
Common Social Work CEU Providers
Approved providers for social work CEUs may offer in-person courses, workshops, online webinars, conferences, and lectures. These flexible formats can help you fit required CEUs into your busy schedule while also covering a variety of topics. Look for CEU opportunities from:
- International, national, regional, state, and local professional associations
- Public schools, charter schools, and education service centers
- Federal, state, city, and county governments
- Accredited higher education institutions
- Religious or charitable organizations with behavioral and mental health missions
- Hospital behavioral and mental health clinics, divisions, and departments
- Other agencies, institutions, and entities approved by your state board
Other Forms of Social Work CEUs
You can also earn social work CEUs outside of traditional courses and workshops. Activities such as presenting at conferences, publishing research, mentoring new social workers, and supervising interns may all qualify for credits. That said, states often cap these alternative CEUs to encourage a blend of learning experiences. Some options you may consider include:
- Preparing and giving a continuing education presentation
- Publishing a book or peer reviewed article
- Teaching or attending a college-level course
- Self-study activities, including independently reading, viewing, or listening to materials directly related to social work
- Providing field instruction to social work students
Social Work CEU Providers and Resources
Wondering where to find reputable CEU providers and resources? We compiled a list to help you get started, including several options offering free CEUs to help keep your budget on track.
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW) CE Portal: NASW’s CE Portal provides hundreds of topics covering ethics, clinical topics, and advocacy. As a member, you can typically access free or discounted courses.
- Social Work Online CE Institute: Hosted by NASW, this platform offers live webinars, recorded sessions, podcasts, and text-based modules. You can browse based on topic and access both discounted and free courses.
- NOCD Academy: NOCD Academy is notable for providing free CE offerings, including webinars and self-study courses focused on topics such as OCD, anxiety, and evidence-based practices, among others.
- CE4Less: This provider offers a large online library of CE courses available via subscription. You can also take advantage of a free ethics course without signing up for a subscription.
- Continued: Continued provides access to ASWB-approved CE credits in formats like webinar, video, and text. You can take a free course to test the platform before signing up, if desired.
- Agents of Change: Agents of Change provides unlimited access to more than 150 CE courses via a subscription plan. The organization also offers occasional free CE courses to allow new users to sample content.
- CEU Academy: CEU Academy specializes in online CE content covering topics like trauma-informed care, cultural competence, and domestic violence, among others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Continuing education requirements vary by state, typically ranging from 20-45 CEUs every one to three years. Be sure to check in with your state’s licensing board, as they may have special requirements around the courses you take (e.g., a minimum number of credits on ethics, etc.).
