What is the career path for social work?

The career path for social work involves jobs as a community social worker, a medical social worker, and a mental health social worker.

Those interested in getting on the career path for social work should attend college and obtain one of the following degrees:

• Associate in Social Work (ASW)

• Bachelor's in Social Work (BSW)

• Master's in Social Work (MSW)

• Doctorate in Social Work (DSW)

ASW degrees help prepare you for paraprofessional positions in social services agencies. Some coursework for this degree includes:

• Introduction to Social Work

• Human Behavior and Social Environment

• Social Welfare Policy

• Experiences in Diversity

• Principles of Human Services

• Counseling Skills

• Crisis Intervention Strategies

ASW degrees help you to gain an understanding of various topics, like the history of social work, the role of a generalist social worker, the impact social work has on communities, and many other areas as well.

BSW degrees are for those seeking to be practitioners in the field of social work. It is recommended to pursue a BSW program that is accredited by the CSWE.

Coursework involved in BSW programs includes:

• Introduction to Social Work

• Human Behavior in the Social Environment

• Social Welfare Policy

• Social Work Research Methods

• Generalist Practice

• Social Work Practice with Communities

• Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families

• Social Diversity and Cultural Understanding

• Practice Evaluation in Social Work

BSW degree programs help you to learn how to practice social work according to laws and ethics standards, advocate for social and human rights, engage in research in the field, evaluate individuals, families, and other groups, and many more essential areas of social work.

To practice social work at the level of a practitioner, most states require you to pass an exam given by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).

An MSW degree program is for individuals that want to focus their work on specific populations or participate in a more generalist practice.

Some examples of coursework in an MSW program include:

• Human Behavior and Social Environment

• Social Work with Individuals and Families

• Social Work Practice with Groups

• Social Work Research

• Social Welfare and Social Work

• Policies and Strategies of Community Intervention

• Diversity in Multicultural Society

You might also encounter many specialized courses that cover various topics; examples are:

A DWS degree program is meant for those who want to achieve high-level positions on the social work career path or for those interested in becoming professors at universities.

Coursework for DWS programs includes:

• Searching the Literature

• Writing the Literature Review

• Historical Approaches to Social Welfare

• Relational Theories and Social Work Practice

• Critical Race Theory

• Ethics in Mental Health Care

• Sociology of Childhood

• Trauma-informed Supervision

• Qualitative Research Introduction

• Applied Social Statistics

• Administration and Leadership

Certain programs also require students to write a dissertation as a culmination of their doctorate degree in social work.

There are also many certifications those pursuing jobs on the social work career path should consider obtaining; some of these include:

• Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW)

• Academy of Certified Social Workers Credential (ACSW)

• Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS)

• Certified Master Forensic Social Worker (CMFSW)

Once a person has completed a social work degree program, they may seek employment in any of these fields of social work:

• Community social work

• Medical social work

• Mental health social work

• Military social work

• School social work

• Social work administration