Studies & Degrees in Social Work

Choose where you would like to study Social Work:

ArgentinaAustraliaAustriaBarbadosBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBulgariaCanadaCape VerdeChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCubaEcuadorEl SalvadorEstoniaEthiopiaFinlandGermanyGhanaGuamIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIrelandIsraelKenyaLebanonLesothoLithuaniaMacaoMaltaMexicoNamibiaNetherlandsNew ZealandOmanPeruPhilippinesPuerto RicoRomaniaRussiaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSouth AfricaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandThe United KingdomThe United StatesUkraineVenezuelaVirgin Islands, U.S.Zambia

Social Work Study Programs

Social work is a field for people who want to help others improve their lives. Social workers are highly-trained, skilled and responsible professional. They help people deal with their everyday lives, whether it will be relationship or family problems, unemployment and even abuse. Social workers are constantly working towards improving the quality of life for every individual.

If you want to get involve in this rewarding career, the minimum requirement is a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Though other degree like psychology, sociology, and other related fields can get someone an entry-level job on smaller agencies, a master’s degree in social work will be later on necessary for higher positions. One should take note that most often than not, a licensure exam should be in place. But remember that learning is a continuous process in social work because society can change and laws may be amended and coping up with these changes is necessary.

The field of Social Work varies. Since a social worker will deal with people from all walks of life and their ordeal, studying psychology and human behavior is a must. A lot of times, a social worker needs to make decisions that can change someone’s life forever so being an expert on the different social work policies is a requirement to make a just and humane choice. These courses and many others are all included in taking up Social Work study. Also included in the curriculum are sociology, biology and other elective courses like death and dying, substance abuse, child and family services and many others.

Employment for social workers is projected to grow much faster as compared to other occupations. There are many fields to choose from. Child, family and school social workers are highly in demand now because of the changes in our society. Schools have an increasing population and there is a continuing need to open communication channels between school and family. Also, many disabled and handicapped children are being integrated in the general school population. There is also a rise on the elderly population and social workers will be constantly needed to assist them in finding the best care possible for them and to support their families as well during these transitions.

Mental health and substance abuse is another area where the demand for social workers will grow. This is due to the fact that people enrolling in treatment programs as getting higher each year. Substance abusers who committed crimes are being placed in treatment programs rather than in prison. Social workers are very much needed to assist them on the road to recovery.

In general, employment growth rate is good with an annual earnings of anywhere from $35,000 to $45,000 in the US. This is a career that will allow someone to help people from all walks of life; from the disabled child to the elderly to cope up with life’s ordeal and to be the best that they can be in the future. Social workers save thousands of life everyday. If that is not rewarding enough, then nothing else is.

In every generation, their compassionate individuals who feel called upon to dedicate their lives to helping their fellow human beings overcome hardship. While many of these people volunteer in their spare time, others choose to make a career out of their humanitarian work. For this latter category, the perfect education is a degree in social work. Studying social work means learning about the sort of problems people face in their lives – from finding work to building healthy, stable relationships – and about means and techniques for helping them fix those problems.
 
Personal Qualities

• Personal compassion, empathy, and a passionate desire to help others
• Good social skills and ability to develop a rapport with people whose background may be very different from your own
• Emotional resiliency and ability to help other people’s problems without making them your own
• Desire – or at least willingness – to work and perhaps live in dilapidated neighborhoods and third-world countries
• Knowledge of social problems – background in psychology, sociology, or economics is a plus

Study Options

For many people, learning social work begins with a community service project or volunteer activity, which kindles their love of service. When it comes to formal education, there are many options to choose from: you may want to focus on a specific issue, such as housing, employment, or the well-being of children, or you may prefer to specialize in a certain region or country. Your choice of a focus area will make a significant difference in your educational needs. If you want to help people in their relationships, for example, you may want to emphasize psychology in your education. If, on the other hand, you are more interested in employment issues, then a career in sociology, economics, or business will be more appropriate.
 
Career Options
 
If you are considering a career in social work, remember that it is your job to give others the tools to improve their own lives – not to fix things for them. Social workers live by the adage “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”