Overview
School social work (SSW) is a challenging and rewarding
profession. In schools, social workers often serve as the liaison
between parents/guardians, the school administration and the
community. School social workers collaborate with other school
officials to support students in reaching their academic and
personal potential.
Completion of the Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) will
allow school social workers to serve as a resource to teachers
for behavior and classroom management skills, and to gain the
tools needed to address challenges and promote student success.
“Students must possess a valid Certificate of Clearance
in order to count any school-based PPSC hours collected Fall 2025
and onward.”
CCE proudly offers the post-master’s Pupil Personnel
Services Credential (PPSC) in SSW, in partnership with the
College of Health and Human Services at Sacramento State.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Please join us at our Zoom information session to ask
questions and learn about our PPSC in School Social Work program
and the Summer 2026 cohort admission process. Registration
link follows:
-
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Zoom
link
Benefits
- Small class sizes
- Intensive class format offered on Saturdays in summer
- Gain additional skills to excel in an educational setting
- Program fully accredited by the California Commission on
Teacher Credentialing
Audience
This program is intended for those who wish to earn a credential
in school social work. Visit the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC) for more information about
credentialing options.
To apply to this program, you must either have
your Master of Social Work (MSW) from a Council on
Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program or be a
current student in the MSW program at Sacramento State. No other
master’s degrees will be accepted.
Before submitting documentation toward your PPS
credential, you must have completed a minimum of 45 semester
units or 67.5 quarter units of
post-baccalaureate study.
> Post-Graduate Applicants
Social work professionals who have a CSWE-accredited MSW may
apply to this program. Transcripts must reflect coursework in
social work practice with diverse populations.
If you are graduating with your MSW in the spring prior to the
start of the summer cohort, you may apply to the program. We are
not accepting current MSW students from universities outside
of Sacramento State at this time.
Advanced Standing MSW graduates: may participate
in the program; however, they must meet post-baccalaureate
unit requirements (45 semester or 67.5 quarter units) and a total
of 1000 fieldwork hours to qualify to apply for the credential.
> Current Master of Social Work Students at Sacramento State
MSW students graduating in the spring may successfully
complete the degree requirements for MSW and PPSC in SSW program
concurrently.
Advanced Standing MSW Students: may participate
in the program; however, they must meet post-baccalaureate
unit requirements (45 semester or 67.5 quarter units) and a total
of 1000 fieldwork hours to qualify to apply for the credential.
Structure
Each course meets in a hybrid schedule, either at the
College of Continuing Education from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. -OR-
remotely, on five consecutive Saturdays.
- SWRK 238A – Issues and Practice in Schools – Macro (3
units)
This class is the first of two courses required for students
completing their School Social Work Pupil Personnel Services
Credential. It is also a SWRK general elective. The course
focuses on a macro-level framework for social work within the
California kindergarten through 12th-grade public school system.
Students explore the challenges faced by public schools from a
systems perspective, including influences of federal statutory
and regulatory requirements, state and local policies, community
demands, and the interface with other child-serving systems,
including child welfare, probation, and mental health.
- SWRK 238B – Issues and Practice in Schools – Micro (3
units)
This second course, required for students seeking a Pupil
Personnel Services Credential in Social Work, focuses on
micro and mezzo-level social work within the California K-12
public school system. Students will explore the day-to-day
aspects of school social work, including issues around
confidentiality; mandated reporting; collaborating with students,
school staff, caregivers, and families; attendance and behavior
management systems; mental health services in schools; special
education; crisis intervention; psycho-educational groups;
prevention programs; multi-tiered systems of support; positive
behavioral interventions and supports; data management and
meaningful outcome measures; time management; and self-care.
Plus 450 clock hours of school-based practice under a qualified
person holding a PPS credential, plus 550 fieldwork hours in any
setting (may be collected during the MSW program). Students must
complete fieldwork hours in California and within
seven years of enrolling in the program to apply for the PPS
credential. Please visit our FAQ section for
additional information.
NOTE: Students are required to find their own placements if they
have not completed their fieldwork hours. We offer placement
support to our students through advising, connecting with
employers, and creating legal agreements for our students to be
placed at schools. Consultation is available to support the
completion of the field experience.
Licensure/Credentialing
Admission into programs leading to licensure and credentialing
does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or
credential. Licensure and credentialing requirements are set
by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the CSU
and requirements can change at any time. For example, licensure
or credentialing requirements can include evidence of the right
to work in the United States (e.g., social security number or
taxpayer identification number) or successfully passing a
criminal background check.
Students are responsible for determining whether they can meet
licensure or credentialing requirements. The CSU will not
refund tuition, fees, or any associated costs to students who
determine after admission, that they cannot meet licensure or
credentialing requirements. Information concerning licensure
and credentialing requirements is available from the School of
Social Work, 6000 J Street, Mariposa Hall 4010, Sacramento, CA
95819, 916-278-6913.
Fees
Coursework
Each course is $510* per unit x 3 units = $1,530
per course.
$1,530 per course x 2 courses = $3,060.
Fees are due 14 days after each course begins. You may
register for one course at a time.
Fieldwork
There is an additional field administrative/verification fee
of $1,275 that is due after acceptance into the program
during summer courses. (This fee is waived for Sacramento
State MSW students/graduates whose fieldwork hours are
complete and valid for the PPSC in SSW.)
Credential
Once you complete the credential requirements, you will receive
an email from the CTC requesting payment for the clear credential
to complete the process.
*Fees are subject to change; please confirm pricing before
your cohort begins.
Tentative Schedule: Summer 2026
CCE offers the two required courses in the summer term only.
Each course meets in a hybrid schedule, either at the
College of Continuing Education from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. -OR-
remotely, on five consecutive Saturdays.
2026 Saturday tentative hybrid class meeting dates:
SWRK 238A
- 5/30: in person
- 6/6: in person
- 6/13: remote – synchronous and asynchronous
- 6/20: in person
- 6/27: remote – synchronous and asynchronous
SWRK 238B
- 7/11: in person
- 7/18: remote – synchronous and asynchronous
- 7/25: in person
- 8/1: remote – synchronous and asynchronous
- 8/8: in person
