Department of Veterans Affairs NC – Military Social Worker Degree Programs

If you are a veteran or active duty military member contemplating your life after the service, one excellent career path you should consider is becoming a military social worker. This is an engaging, rewarding profession that allows veterans to draw from their own pasts in the armed forces to provide guidance and support to others facing similar situations. It is a wonderful way of staying connected to the military community, fostering meaningful relationships with fellow service members.

Veterans can provide invaluable expertise as social workers, offering their own wisdom of experience to help those who are struggling.

For veterans who become military social workers, this can feel like a fitting and meaningful next chapter following their time as active duty military members.

Your Social Work Career Starts With Your Education

Those who wish to know how to become a military social worker will find it to be a fairly straightforward process, though it is crucial that each step is followed to the letter, as your eventual licensure will depend on it.

Simply put, in order to become a licensed military social worker in North Carolina, one must hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from an accredited institution. This will provide the training and education needed to pass licensure exams and take on the delicate responsibilities of a military social worker.

Fortunately for North Carolinians, there’s no shortage of excellent and military-friendly social work programs that can help you lay the foundations of a thriving social work career.

From full-time to part-time, on-campus to fully remote, bachelor’s degrees to MSWs, there’s a wide range of programs available that all but guarantee that those who wish to become military social workers can do so. If you’re ready to take the next steps to pursuing your social work education, this is the guide for you.

Contribute to the Future of Military Social Work

As a veteran, you are uniquely equipped to help other veterans and service members in need, bringing instant authority to your work as you are drawing from your own life experience. Beyond uplifting other individuals, you also have the opportunity to help create positive change within the field as a whole, contributing to a more responsive and effective support system for the military community.

In fact, though social workers have been supporting veterans and military members for quite some time, the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) only published its first guidelines for military social work in 2010. Since then, there have been numerous advances in social work practice with the military, from expanding the scope of supportive services for military members to developing targeted skill-building experiences specifically for incoming military social workers. These reflect important paradigm shifts in the history of military social work which have made the field better equipped to meet the needs of veterans.

All this is to say that the world of military social work is continuing to evolve for the better. If you are a veteran or active duty service member who chooses to become a military social worker, you will be able to help this field continue to grow, reaching more people in need and making lasting change in the lives of others.

Military Benefits Can Help Make Your Education Possible

Most of the schools featured in this guide are private institutions with the high tuition costs you may expect from independent institutions of higher learning. However, if you are a veteran or active duty military member, there’s a strong chance you’ll be able to use military benefits to your advantage.

Anyone who is eligible for military benefits is highly encouraged to make use of them when pursuing a social work degree, as they can eliminate up to 100% of the cost of your education.

Getting the most out of your military benefits requires no small amount of research, as your individual military history and experience will determine which programs you are eligible for. It’s worth looking into the many resources available to you early into the application process to be sure that you are accounting for your educational expenses, and that there are benefit options at the schools that interest you. There are benefit programs available at both the federal and state levels.

Federal Benefit Programs

Federal programs are managed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. These include (but are not limited to) the following:

Schools can also offer their own military benefits by participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which covers additional educational expenses beyond what is encompassed by federal benefits. Many of the schools listed in this guide are Yellow Ribbon Schools, making them excellent choices for veterans and active duty service members.

State Benefit Programs

There are also numerous state benefits, which are distributed by the Department of Veterans Affairs N.C. These state of N.C. veterans benefits can account for a range of expenses, from tuition costs to school supplies to housing assistance. The NC Veterans Affairs office can also provide guidance for those seeking to better understand their benefit options, making for an excellent support system for those trying to navigate the many programs at their disposal.

Index of Military-friendly Social Work Programs in North Carolina (listed A-Z)

The following is an index of military and veteran-friendly schools in North Carolina offering social work degrees. These include both in-person and online social work programs, offering both Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degrees and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees. It is important to note that not all schools offer both degree pathways, so be sure to look carefully at the offerings of any programs on your list to be sure it is the one you want. In a similar vein, those looking to enroll in MSW programs should take a look at specialization areas offered within each program, since not all schools offer the same concentration options.

The schools on this list have been deemed “military friendly” because they are located in proximity to military bases across the state of North Carolina. In many cases, these schools are Yellow Ribbon Schools, making them even more attractive to students who are veterans or active duty service members.

Belmont Abbey College

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Belmont
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $19,500
Online option: Yes

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: 145th Airlift Wing Charlotte

Campbell University

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Buies Creek
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $40,410
Online option: No

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: 145th Airlift Wing Charlotte

Elon University

Location: Elon
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $44,536
Online option: No

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: Army Research Office Durham

Johnson C. Smith University

Location: Charlotte
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $18-308
Online option: No

Degrees/Formats Offered:

MSW Specializations:

Nearby military bases: 145th Airlift Wing Charlotte

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Hickory
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $30,900
Online option: No

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: 145th Airlift Wing Charlotte

Livingstone College

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Salisbury
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $18,296
Online option: Yes

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: 145h Airlift Wing Charlotte

Meredith College

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Raleigh
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $43,986
Online option: No

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: North Carolina National Guard Wake County

Methodist University

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Fayetteville
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $39,664
Online option: Yes

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: Fort Liberty Army Base, Pope Army Airfield

Shaw University

Location: Raleigh
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $17,176
Online option: No

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: North Carolina National Guard Wake County

University of Mount Olive

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Mount Olive
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $25,950
Online option: Yes

Degrees/Formats Offered:

Nearby military bases: North Carolina National Guard Wake County, Fort Liberty Army Base, Pope Army Airfield

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Chapel Hill
Website

Per-year tuition (in-state): $10,552
Online option: Yes

Degrees/Formats Offered:

MSW Specializations:

Nearby military bases: North Carolina National Guard Wake County

FAQs

What is the average military social worker salary?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports state salary data, has not specifically tracked military social work salary data, but one can look at its 2023 report on the category “Social Workers – all other” for an approximate figure of $68,270 per year. That said, since this encompasses positions beyond military social work jobs, this should not be taken as an exact reflection of military social work pay in North Carolina.

Are there specific State of N.C. veterans benefits?

Yes. In North Carolina, military and veterans benefits are overseen by the Department of Veterans Affairs NC. Scholarships and other funding opportunities provided through this agency can help supplement federal or school-offered benefits to reduce your educational costs as much as possible.

Are there any MSW programs in North Carolina offering a concentration pathway in social work and the military?

No – though there are some schools in the U.S. offering such programs, none of them are based in North Carolina. That said, those who wish to specifically focus their studies on social work in the military can do so by pursuing field internships at the VA or other organizations that support veterans and active duty service members. This will get you started with the hands-on training you seek for a future career as a military social worker.

If I’m enrolled in a fully online degree program, do I still need to complete my field internship in person?

Yes. Your practicum experience is a central part of skill building and career development, allowing you to gain on-the-ground experience in the role for which you will later receive your license. This means even a fully online MSW program will require you to complete your field work hours in person at the organization of your choosing. 2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2025.