For Prospective Students

The California Title IV-E Program administers five programs:

• MSW: Twenty (20) participating schools provide a variety of full- and part-time options for students pursuing masters degrees in social work with a specialized focus on public child welfare.
• BASW: Seven schools (CSU Chico, CSU Long Beach, CSU San Bernardino, Fresno State University, Cal Poly Humboldt, Sacramento State, and San Diego State University) participate in the BASW program.
• Pathway: The Pathway Program is a part-time distance education program for current county employees and is delivered at three schools (CSU Chico, CSU San Bernardino, Cal Poly Humboldt) to develop the workforce in the state’s rural and remote regions, including Tribes and Indigenous communities.
• CSU Long Beach Distance Education: Two distance education sites, Santa Rosa Junior College and Ventura County Community College, deliver a part-time MSW program to current county employees in those regions.
• SERVE: Indigenous Social Workers for Change seeks to increase enrollment of Indigenous students in the program through direct outreach to Tribes and to schools and agencies with Indigenous staff; to increase the number of MSW field placement sites at Tribal agencies; and to foster greater partnerships with Indigenous organizations and advocacy groups throughout the state. Interested applicants apply for any of the 20 Title IV-E universities across the state. SERVE operates from three schools, and all three regional Project Coordinators provide specialized curriculum support and help.
  1. Cal Poly Humboldt for the Northern Region
  2. Fresno State University for the Central Region
  3. San Diego State University for the Southern Region

The table below outlines the support provided and associated obligations for each of the programs:

*The Pathway Program is a part-time distance education program for current county employees and is delivered at three schools (CSU Chico, CSU San Bernardino, Cal Poly Humboldt) to develop the workforce in rural and remote regions of the state, including Tribes and Indigenous communities.

**CSU Long Beach has two distance education sites - Santa Rosa Junior College and Ventura County Community College - that deliver a part-time MSW program to current county employees in those regions.

Students who do not complete employment obligation must repay all monetary support that was received.

Priorities:

• Current county/state/Tribal social services staff and
• Applicants who reflect the diversity of California’s child welfare population

Requirements:

• All students must:
  • be selected in accordance with the federal policies and the priorities of this project;
  • Have been admitted into the school’s social work program;
  • be able to be legally employed in California;
  • be a resident of California;
  • have a valid, unrestricted driver's license and commit to securing use of a car for fieldwork;
  • evidence commitment to public child welfare social work, and and aptitude to carry out the duties of a public child welfare social worker in California.
• Full-time students in either the MSW or BASW program must not be active employees of a public (state, county, Tribal) social services agency during the regular academic year, but may be employed during a period when they are not taking classes (summer and vacation periods).
• Part-time students in the MSW, BASW, or Pathway programs must be current employees of a public (state, county, Tribal) social services agency.
• In the case of students not currently employed in a public (state, county, Tribal) social services agency, the decision to provide support will be, to the greatest extent possible, equivalent to prequalification for employment in a public (state, county, Tribal) child welfare agency, including criminal background checks and other pre-screening procedures.

Students who have been accepted into a participating social work degree program in California may participate in the California Title IV-E Education Program.

Learn more about the program and/or apply to one or more of the programs by reviewing the table below and visiting that school’s website.

 ★ SERVE Regional Office

Child Welfare Worker Realistic Job Preview*

Title IV-E Student Recruitment Video*

Title IV-E Graduate Tesimonial (En Español)*

*The California Title IV-E Education Program was formerly housed at the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) at UC Berkeley until July 2024, when it transitioned to UC Davis and UCLA. Many resources generated at an earlier date may still contain CalSWEC branding.

Learn about the Title IV-E Summit.