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Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary

SOC 25-1113.00Job Zone 5 · Extensive Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers postsecondary social work education in university and college settings, spanning classroom instruction, graduate supervision, curriculum development, field placement oversight, and program leadership aligned with CSWE accreditation standards.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Course syllabi and homework assignments — draft and organize under faculty mentorship for undergraduate social work courses.
  2. Classroom discussions on social work topics — initiate using prepared prompts and guided facilitation techniques in a supervised instructional setting.
  3. Lectures on introductory topics such as family behavior and child mental health — deliver to small undergraduate groups following established course outlines.
  4. Student assignments and short papers — evaluate and apply grading rubrics under the guidance of a senior faculty member.
  5. Examinations for social work courses — compile and administer using departmental templates and institutional testing protocols.
  6. Word processing and presentation software — use to prepare course handouts, lecture slides, and instructional materials for classroom distribution.
  7. Foundational knowledge in sociology, psychology, and counseling theory — apply when selecting readings and designing basic course content.
  8. Student laboratory and field observation activities — assist in supervising under the direction of an experienced faculty supervisor.
  9. Electronic mail and calendar software — use to communicate deadlines, office hours, and course updates to enrolled students.
  10. Active listening and social perceptiveness — demonstrate when responding to student questions and concerns during introductory social work seminars.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Full-semester syllabi and course materials for undergraduate social work courses — prepare and refine independently, incorporating current scholarship and practice standards.
  2. Classroom discussions on complex topics such as social intervention evaluation and mental health policy — facilitate with reduced oversight, adapting pacing to student engagement.
  3. Lectures to undergraduate and graduate students on topics including adolescent mental health and social intervention — deliver with appropriate depth and adapted for diverse learner needs.
  4. Student class work, papers, and field practicum reports — evaluate and grade consistently, providing constructive developmental feedback.
  5. Graduate student internship placements and field experiences — supervise and monitor progress against program learning objectives.
  6. Course-level learning strategies — select and apply based on assessment data and evidence-based pedagogical approaches for social work education.
  7. Examination design, administration, and grading cycles — manage for assigned courses, delegating specific tasks to teaching assistants as appropriate.
  8. Information retrieval and database software — use to locate current empirical literature for course integration and student research guidance.
  9. Undergraduate student academic performance — monitor across the term and intervene proactively when learning difficulties or field placement challenges emerge.
  10. Coordination with field agencies and internship supervisors — maintain to align student placement experiences with curriculum competencies and CSWE accreditation standards.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Course curricula for undergraduate and graduate social work programs — plan, evaluate, and revise autonomously to reflect evolving practice evidence, policy changes, and accreditation requirements.
  2. Graduate-level seminars on advanced topics such as macro social intervention and clinical mental health practice — design and deliver with scholarly depth and critical-thinking demands.
  3. Complex, non-routine student academic and field placement challenges — assess, problem-solve, and resolve using advanced judgment grounded in counseling and educational theory.
  4. Graduate student thesis and dissertation research — supervise across the full arc from proposal to defense, providing expert methodological and disciplinary guidance.
  5. Comprehensive assessment systems for student learning outcomes — design, implement, and analyze to drive evidence-based instructional improvement at the course level.
  6. Written instructional and scholarly materials — produce with precision, integrating sociology, law, psychology, and therapy and counseling knowledge for graduate-level audiences.
  7. Teaching, internship, and independent research activities of undergraduate and graduate students — oversee holistically, balancing professional development with program accountability.
  8. Critical appraisal of social work knowledge — model for students by facilitating discussions that synthesize empirical literature with ethical and systems-level considerations.
  9. Computer-based training and document management software — leverage to build accessible, technology-enhanced instructional environments for distance and hybrid course delivery.
  10. Methods of instruction across diverse social work course modalities — evaluate systematically and adapt to optimize learning for students with varied academic and professional backgrounds.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Social work education program vision and strategic direction — set at the departmental or school level, aligning curriculum, research priorities, and community partnerships with national accreditation and workforce needs.
  2. Faculty colleagues and instructors — mentor and develop by modeling exemplary pedagogy, scholarly integration, and standards-driven course design across the full program.
  3. Curriculum frameworks for entire social work degree programs — lead the design, evaluation, and revision of at the program level, ensuring coherence across BSW, MSW, and doctoral sequences.
  4. Institutional and professional standards for social work education — interpret, advocate for, and translate into departmental policy, shaping CSWE compliance and accreditation self-study processes.
  5. Inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaborations — establish and sustain to advance social work research, field education partnerships, and community-based learning initiatives.
  6. Organizational resource allocation decisions affecting instructional capacity — inform and influence through evidence-based proposals presented to deans, provosts, and governance bodies.
  7. Scholarly and pedagogical contributions to the field — disseminate through publications, conference leadership, and participation in national social work education associations.
  8. Equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in social work higher education — champion by redesigning program structures, assessment practices, and field placement systems at the institutional scale.
  9. Complex ethical and professional dilemmas arising in field education and graduate supervision — adjudicate through principled judgment, setting precedent and policy for the program.
  10. Emerging knowledge in sociology, counseling, mental health law, and systems evaluation — synthesize and integrate into program-level curricular innovation that prepares graduates for future social work practice.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors61 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Adjunct Professor · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Clinical Professor · College Faculty Member · College Professor · Faculty Member · Family Welfare Social Work Professor · Field Education Coordinator · Field Instructor · Geriatric Social Work Professor · Health Social Work Professor
RAPIDS apprenticeships
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O*NET skills
InstructingSpeakingLearning StrategiesActive LearningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationService OrientationSystems EvaluationTime ManagementSystems Analysis
Knowledge domains
Education and TrainingSociology and AnthropologyTherapy and CounselingPsychologyEnglish LanguageAdministration and ManagementComputers and ElectronicsCustomer and Personal ServiceCommunications and MediaLaw and Government
Abilities
Oral ExpressionSpeech ClarityInductive ReasoningDeductive ReasoningWritten ExpressionWritten ComprehensionOral ComprehensionSpeech RecognitionNear VisionProblem Sensitivity
Work styles
Social OrientationDependabilityEmpathyIntellectual CuriosityCooperationIntegrity
Technology
Document management softwareComputer based training softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareWord processing softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareElectronic mail softwareOptical character reader OCR or scanning softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwarePresentation software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  2. Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, or handouts.
  3. Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  4. Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
  5. Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as family behavior, child and adolescent mental health, or social intervention evaluation.
  6. Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  7. Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  8. Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
CIP education codes
30.110144.070144.070344.079951.1503

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.