Social work involves looking after many aspects of different problems. This includes anything from psychological to political. The job of a social worker usually includes providing counseling, education, therapy, and connecting people to private and public resources. It is a way of helping others to adapt better in society. It promotes change, problem-solving in relationships, and enhance a person’s overall well being. It is also a practice-based career, and the more social workers devote themselves to the betterment of society the more they get better at their job as a social worker. Whether you choose to get an online masters in social work or through a campus-based university, it is a great profession to choose and consists of a variety of broader fields. Some of the different types of social work include substance abuse social worker where a person usually works in a hospital to help others that may be addicted to drugs, a community social worker focuses on the betterment of the community, military, veteran social worker help war-affected soldiers to ease them back into the society or psychiatric social worker as they help people who have received mental treatment from a hospital and help their families to know what to do after that. If you want to study social work and make a career out of it there are many aspects to consider before you choose to enroll in a social work degree program. Today we are going to look at some of the things you should take into consideration.

It Is All About The People

Social work is all about helping people in society to overcome many types of challenges in their lives. These challenges may include disability, addiction, abuse, stress, mental illness or unemployment. It also focuses on equality and social justice. The main aspect of a social work degree is not only helping people but also to work on things for the betterment of society and the environment people live in. it helps people develop new skills or focus on polishing their existing ones. When you become a social worker, you help people change their mindsets and encourage them to embrace a positive attitude.

Types Of Social Work

Social work consists of many different subcategories and can be divided into three main types. Practical work, clinical work, and macro social work. Practical social work, you will only need a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. It will help you in working directly with families and different communities in sectors like child safety, healthcare, and education. For clinical social work, you will have to have a master’s degree in social work as it is more advanced. It will allow you to treat addiction, substance abuse, and mental illness in a clinical setup or a hospital. You might also need thousands of experience hours, but that depends on the hiring policies of the organization you choose to work at. For macro social work, you will not need a degree to practice it, you will work directly with public or private organizations to improve policies or implement new ones. Social work is a very diverse field and there are many different sub-categories you can choose from.

Tuition Fees

Usually, tuition fees for a social work degree start from 1000 dollars to 20,000 dollars per year. Many top-notch universities are offering programs in social work. You will need to find a balance and choose which university program works best for you. If you and already employed in an organization, opt for an online degree program as it would be better suited for you and your busy schedule. For an online social work degree, the tuition fees usually start from 2500 dollars a year. Compared to other degrees, it is usually affordable.

Job Opportunities

According to the US Bureau of labor logistics, there were over 680,000 social workers in the US alone in the year 2016. Social workers are needed all around the world, due to the growing problem in societies everywhere. Due to this, there is an increase in jobs in the social work field. This is also the case in Europe as 19 percent of the jobs include social working jobs in countries like Denmark, Belgium, and Germany. During the 2008 financial crisis, it was the only field that kept growing and the main reasons were an aging population, lower life expectancies, and an increase in the number of diseases.

Prerequisites For A Masters’ Degree in Social Work

Considering what prerequisites you require is an important thing to take into consideration. You usually will not need a bachelor’s degree to apply for a master’s in social work. If you already have an undergraduate degree in any field that is not related to social work, you can use past experiences or a letter of motivation to show what this field means to you and why you want to study it so badly. Usually, universities will ask for a bachelor’s degree in any field, a minimum Grade Point Average that will vary from school to school, references, an application essay, and GRE scores. Consider these facts if you want to do masters in social work.

Universities To Shortlist

You also have to consider what universities are offering degrees in social work. You will have to do some research before you enroll yourself in a social work program. Many universities around the world offer such programs but you will have to take into consideration what the tuition fee is, where it is located, and what the times are. Perhaps the most crucial thing to consider is the quality of education a school provides. You can narrow down the list of universities that are considered the best when it comes to getting a master’s degree in social work.

Graduation Time

Usually in the US, a master’s in social work takes 2 years to complete. However, this can be reduced by 1 year if you already possess a bachelor’s degree in the same field. A bachelor’s degree in social work takes 4 years to complete. In Europe, a master’s degree will also take 2 years, however, a bachelor’s degree in social work will take 3 years, 1 year less when compared to the US.

The Final Words

If you still cannot make up your mind whether you should pursue a degree in social work, the best thing for you will be to volunteer. It will make you work with different communities and people, placing their needs before your own. If it turns out that volunteering is something you like and enjoy and it a great experience for you, it will be a sign that it is the right career path for you and you should get a degree in this field. You will be able to work in shelters, clinics and other organizations and help people better their lives and solve problems in a community. Today we have made you aware of some of the things that you should take into consideration before you studying social work and choosing it as a career path.