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Studies & Degrees in Social Welfare

Social welfare is the study of how a society supports people in need: the policies, public services and organisations that deal with poverty, child protection, disability, ageing, health, housing and migration. It is closely tied to social work. The international federation of social workers defines social work as a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment of people.

Programmes draw on several social sciences so that students see social welfare in its social, economic and political context. Typical courses cover social policy, human behaviour, research methods, ethics, and work with individuals, families and communities. Professional programmes add supervised practice in social service agencies.

Qualifications and levels

The name of the degree changes from country to country, and so does what it qualifies graduates to do.

  • United States. Some universities offer a liberal arts major called Social Welfare, others a professional Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), and some both. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a BA in Social Welfare within a degree of 120 credits; students who want the professional BSW apply from within the Social Welfare major and complete two semesters of field education in their final year. The University of Washington in Seattle offers a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare, a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a PhD in Social Welfare. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a BSW is the most common requirement for entry-level non-clinical posts, and MSW programmes generally take two years and include a supervised practicum. A BSW is not required to enter an MSW. The Council on Social Work Education accredits bachelor's, master's and practice doctorate programmes in social work in the United States.
  • Spain. The university route is the bachelor's degree in Social Work (grado en Trabajo Social), taught for example at the Facultad de Trabajo Social of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Official bachelor's degrees have 240 ECTS credits and official master's degrees 60, 90 or 120. One master's example is the Máster en Políticas Sociales y Acción Comunitaria coordinated by the Escola de l'IGOP in Barcelona: 60 ECTS credits, taught in Spanish and Catalan, and described by the school as an official degree awarded by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
  • Vocational training. In Spain the higher vocational (FP) qualification Técnico Superior en Integración Social takes 2,000 hours. It trains social integration technicians, such as staff of prevention and social inclusion programmes; it is not a social work degree.
  • Latin America. The equivalent university degree is usually called Trabajo Social (Serviço Social in Brazil). Duration and professional registration rules differ by country, so check them with the school.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 23 active schools for social welfare. Nine are in the United States and four in Spain. Chile and Brazil have two each, and Australia, India, South Korea, Colombia, Peru and Mexico one each.

In the United States the list includes the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, The University of California at Berkeley, the University of California Los Angeles and Wayne State University. In Spain it includes the Escola de l'IGOP of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and CEU FP Madrid. In Latin America it includes the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the Universidad de Antioquia in Medellín, the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima and the Universidad de Sonora. Ewha Womans University in Seoul and Charles Sturt University in Australia are also listed.

Teaching is normally in the language of the country, because students do their practical training with local services and users. A qualification obtained in one country does not automatically allow practice in another: ask the school what recognition its qualification has, and ask the professional body of the country where you plan to work.

Careers

Graduates work in public social services, child and family services, health care, schools, non-governmental organisations and policy or research units. In the United States, social workers held about 816,100 jobs in 2025, according to the BLS. The largest employers were state and local government (27 percent), individual and family services (17 percent) and ambulatory health care services (15 percent). The BLS projects overall employment of social workers to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.

Licensing rules matter. In the United States requirements vary by state, and clinical social workers need a master's degree, supervised clinical experience and a state licence. These figures and rules are for the United States only.

Frequently asked questions

Is social welfare the same as social work?

Not exactly. Social welfare is the wider field of policies and services. Social work is the profession. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, Social Welfare is a BA major and the Bachelor of Social Work is a separate professional programme that students apply to from that major.

Do I need a master's degree to work in the field?

It depends on the job and the country. In the United States a BSW is the most common requirement for entry-level non-clinical posts, while clinical social workers need a master's degree and a state licence.

How long does a Master of Social Work take?

According to the BLS, MSW programmes in the United States generally take two years and include a supervised practicum or internship.

What is the Spanish equivalent?

At university level, the bachelor's degree in Social Work (grado en Trabajo Social), with 240 ECTS credits. In vocational training, the closest qualification is Técnico Superior en Integración Social, which takes 2,000 hours.