Postgraduate Social Work Teaching Certificate
The Post-Graduate Social Work Teaching Certificate is designed for experienced social work practitioners called to the classroom.
Whether you are an advanced clinician curious about adjunct teaching, a doctoral student at another institution seeking pedagogical grounding, a seasoned practitioner ready to formalize your role as an educator, or a trainer responsible for developing professional development workshops, this program meets you where you are.
Participants must hold an MSW and have a minimum of three years of post-graduate practice experience. This requirement reflects a core belief that effective social work education is rooted in real-world practice knowledge. We are not training academics in the abstract; we are developing practitioner-educators who bring the field into the classroom and the classroom to the field.
The series is offered through Adelphi University’s Institute for Continuing Education and Professional Development and is selective by application. Cohorts are intentionally small to support deep community, peer learning, and professional relationship-building across the group.
*Please note that this program is not eligible for CE credits. However, participants earn a Certificate of Completion and a digital badge upon completion of the program, perfect for adding to your resume, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile to demonstrate your specialized expertise.
Who Should Apply?
- Practicing MSW-level social workers considering a move into adjunct teaching
- Doctoral students seeking structured preparation for social work faculty roles. (Please note: AUSSW PhD students who have taken or will take SWK 811 “Social Work Education: Issues and Processes” are not eligible for this course. You must indicate if you are an AUSSW doctoral student on your application.)
- Advanced practitioners who already teach and want to deepen their pedagogical foundation
- Social work leaders and supervisors interested in social work education.
Apply Now! (Applications are due no later than January 20, 2027)
Why This Program?
You have the practice experience and the skills to facilitate group process. What you may need is the theory that undergirds what we teach, how we teach, and why we teach. This program offers pedagogical and theoretical grounding designed specifically for social work practitioners moving into the classroom. You will learn to make links between the practice of social work and the practice of teaching, and to recognize where the two differ.
About the Certificate
Participants who complete the series receive a certificate of completion from the Adelphi University School of Social Work Continuing Education and Professional Development department. The certificate is not a teaching license and does not confer licensure, academic credit, or eligibility for hiring at any institution.
What it does represent is meaningful: a structured, cohort-based professional development experience grounded in social work pedagogy, equity-centered teaching practice, and alignment with the Council on Social Work Education competencies. Participants are encouraged to list the certificate on their CV and reference it in applications for adjunct or faculty positions as evidence of intentional preparation for the educator role.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the Post-Graduate Social Work Teaching Certificate Series, participants will be able to:
- Translate their practice expertise into teachable content by identifying the knowledge, skills, values, and cognitive and affective processes they use in the field and structuring them for adult learners.
- Apply adult learning theory and evidence-informed pedagogical approaches, including experiential, case-based, social justice, and trauma-informed teaching, to the design of social work learning experiences.
- Design a course module or professional development workshop with measurable learning outcomes aligned to the CSWE 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) competencies.
- Develop assessment strategies, including rubrics, formative feedback, and holistic competency assessment, that fairly and transparently evaluate student learning.
- Integrate anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) principles into curriculum content, classroom dynamics, and teaching practices.
- Facilitate engaged learning across in-person, synchronous online, and asynchronous formats, including the responsible and ethical use of educational technology and generative AI.
- Navigate the professional and ethical responsibilities of the educator role, including boundaries with students, gatekeeping, academic integrity, and responding to students in distress.
- Articulate a personal teaching philosophy that connects their practice identity to their role as a practitioner-educator.
- Demonstrate teaching competence by delivering a microteaching session and incorporating peer and facilitator feedback into revisions.
Workshop Information
- Session Dates: January 27 – March 24, 2027 (8 Sessions)
- January 27, February 3, 10 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24
- Time: 6:30-8:30 PM ET
- Modality: Via Zoom (16 hours total)
Attendance
Active participation is essential to the learning experience in this certificate program.
- Required Attendance: Participants are expected to attend all scheduled sessions.
- One Absence: If a participant misses one class, they must complete a designated make-up assignment before the end of the course in order to remain eligible for a certificate. It is up to the participant to reach out to the instructor for make-up assignment.
- More Than One Absence: Participants who miss more than one class will not be eligible to receive a certificate of completion. They are, however, welcome to continue in the program to benefit from the remaining content and discussions.
Our policy ensures that participants engage fully with the curriculum and with their cohort, which is central to the program’s collaborative learning environment
Tuition
- $900 – General Registration (includes all materials and resources)
- $800 – AUSSW Alumni
Payment plans are available. A non-refundable deposit of $250 is due upon acceptance to secure your place in the program.
Early Application Rate
Apply by December 1st to receive the early application rate of $800 (regular tuition: $900, alumni $700). A non-refundable deposit of $250 is due upon acceptance to secure your place in the program. Because cohorts are intentionally small and admission is selective, early application is encouraged.
Faculty
Guest Lecturers
Jacoba Rock (she/they) is a Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work at Boise State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies, with a doctoral minor in Criminology, from the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Rock received her M.S.W. from the University of Denver, where she also earned a graduate certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution. She has been a licensed social worker since 2011.
Dr. Rock’s primary experience as a forensic social work practitioner-scholar focuses on pathways, treatment, and system change opportunities that improve circumstances for incarcerated juveniles and young adults. She has provided consultation and testimony as a legal expert on over 50 cases of Juvenile Life Without Parole and many other cases of juvenile sentencing in adult court, as well as cases where clients are facing or serving sentences of capital punishment. Dr. Rock is also a leader in state- and national- level policy initiatives and program development opportunities that initiate or enhance trauma-informed care, mental health service access, family involvement, and re-entry opportunities for incarcerated populations.
Dr. Rock is also invested in progressing social work education through a focus on innovation and collaboration. She is an advocate for making a social work degree accessible and optimally valuable for students and their communities. Dr. Rock teaches across the social work practice, policy, and research curriculum, and has taught at B.S.W., M.S.W., and D.S.W. levels since 2012.
The Adelphi University School of Social Work is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board as an approved provider of continuing education for social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, CASAC, and creative arts therapists.
See full credentialing information and CEs or contact swconted@adelphi.edu for more information.
Program Contact