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Social workers strive every day to make life easier and better for individuals and communities. Relying on their training in psychology, interpersonal communication, human behavior, the law and ethics, as well as their access to state and local agencies and resources, social workers interact with individuals and groups to strengthen their relationships, assist in recovery from abuse, addictions, illnesses or injuries and help improve their quality of life. Social workers may also be instrumental in sharing important health information with communities, advocating for people or groups in court or government proceedings and helping to shape public policies.
Social Worker Education Requirements
If a career in social work interests you, consider your strengths and abilities first: Social workers must be emotionally mature and self-aware. You should be compassionate, an astute observer of people, and excellent at communicating one-on-one as well as in groups. And, of course, you should have a strong desire to help or guide others.
Social worker education requirements are fairly stringent, as all states and the District of Columbia have guidelines for degrees and licensure. Prior to entering any social work education program, it helps to have some prior training, either through high school or in your work experience. Taking classes in psychology, English, Spanish, sociology and family or consumer studies can be helpful. Also, most colleges and universities require that you complete a college admissions exam (ACT or SAT) for admission.
The baseline educational requirement to become a social worker is a bachelor's degree, usually in social work or a related field. A four-year degree program is comprised of both coursework and a minimum number of hours (usually 400 for accredited programs) of supervised experience in the field. Typical courses or subjects covered in a bachelor's degree program include:
As part of your studies, you'll likely be required to perform a scientific research study and to work as part of a social service agency.
Social Worker Requirements: Licensure
Once you've completed your degree, you are eligible to begin the process of obtaining your license to practice. Most states, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), require two years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience for licensure to work as a clinical social worker. Because requirements vary by state, you should check with the Association of Social Work Boards to find what the licensing and testing procedures are for your state.
Should you wish to work in private practice to counsel clients or earn an advanced position as a supervisor, program manager, agency director or teacher, you'll be required to possess an advanced degree--a two-year Master of Social Work (MSW) or a doctoral degree (DSW or Ph.D.). A master's degree program provides training in performing clinical assessments, managing caseloads, working in supervisory roles and exploring social work resources.
You should make sure that any social work program you are considering is accredited; the Council on Social Work Education currently accredits 468 bachelor's degree programs and 196 master's programs. Doctoral education should be accredited through The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work.
It is important to note that voluntarily obtaining national certification (which is usually not required for employment) demonstrates a level of commitment and competency that could enhance your chances for employment. National certification is provided through the National Association of Social Workers and the Center for Clinical Social Work.
Social Worker Education Requirements: Specializations
The BLS reports that social work employment is growing faster than average for all occupations, which is due to a number of factors, including:
Because of these reasons, several social work specialties, which may be explored through graduate degree programs, are particularly in demand. Other specialties may include mental health; public health; or child, family and school social work.
Resources for Social Workers:
These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).
Request info from multiple schools, by clicking the Get Info links.
| School | Locations | Degrees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argosy University | AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, IL, MN, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA | Bachelor, Doctorate, Master | |
| Argosy University Online | Online | Bachelor | |
| Baker College Online | Online | Bachelor | |
| Everest College | ON | Diploma | |
| Grand Canyon University | Online | Bachelor, Master | |
| Hesser College | NH | Associate, Bachelor | |
| Kaplan University KHE | IA, MD, NE | Associate, Bachelor | |
| Kaplan University Online | Online | Associate, Bachelor, Master | |
| South University | Online | Bachelor | |
| South University Campus | AL, FL, GA, SC | Bachelor, Master | |
| Stratford Career Institute | Online | Diploma | |
| University of Phoenix | AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY | Associate, Bachelor, Master | |
| University of Phoenix Online | Online | Associate, Bachelor, Master | |
| Vatterott College | IA, IL, KS, MO, NE, OH, OK, TN | Certificate | |
| Walden University | Online | Bachelor, Doctorate, Master |
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