How to Get a Social Worker Degree

Social workers are the type of people who can help you solve or cope with everyday difficulties and handle various social issues.

They solve problems through a wide range of generalist and advanced social work skills and techniques.

Social workers can work with children in public schools, elderly individuals in care facilities, or various healthcare sectors.

The field of social work contributes in various ways to fulfilling employment opportunities in every country.

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What Is the Job of a Social Worker

All social workers deliver specialized care in helping people address a particular challenge or obstacle in their lives.

Social worker duties include identifying, evaluating, and addressing the needs of clients individually, in a group, or a community setting.

Caring for clients often involves helping individuals cope with their daily challenges, and lots of social workers work in hand with specialists in mental health like psychologists and counselors.

School social workers collaborate with parents, teachers, and school administrators to help better the students’ academic performance while supporting their development socially.

Healthcare and Mental health social workers can gain employment in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. Social work careers often center on helping their clients grow from care facilities back to their everyday lives.

How to Get a Social Worker Degree

Getting a social worker degree requires you to first get into an accredited degree program and graduating from it.

Bachelor of Social Work programs typically takes 4 years to complete.

Additionally, the council of social work education (CSWE) accredited BSW programs require students to complete 400 hours of supervised fieldwork to obtain their degree.

Steps on How to Become a Social Worker

You need to take steps before starting your career as a social worker.

Be Sure That Any Career in Social Work Is Right for You

To determine whether a social worker career is right for you, you need carefully consider the mandatory obligations, including education.

There are social work programs available for undergraduate and graduate levels of education.

And you can choose to pursue any program in social work depending on your career ambitions and the level of education you have acquired.

You’ll also have to consider the various specialties you can pursue within the field and the career opportunities available to you.

Specific social work programs offer concentrations that can prepare you to work with a particular demographic, such as school children or military members.

If you’re not entirely sure about who you want to work with, there is no cause for shock.

Also, understanding the job outlook, salary expectations, and suitable working environments associated with being a social worker can help you know and make the right decision as to whether it is the right career path for you.

You can make more inquiries from social workers in your community to know how much they earn.

You can also search the national median salary of social workers’ websites gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for more info on their salary.

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Complete Undergraduate Education Requirements

This is self-explanatory so there is no need to go in-depth explanation.

Seek Accredited MSW Graduate Education

Once you’ve completed your research and decided on how to pursue your MSW, it’s essential to look for accredited program options.

CSWE-accredited programs carry out a set of standards and best practices that are widely approved in social work.

Besides, most states typically require applicants to graduate from a CSWE accredited program to meet the academic requirements for licensure.

Pursuing an MSW will open up a variety of career opportunities that would not have been available without completing a graduate program.

From healthcare settings to nonprofits, obtaining an MSW can unlock opportunities to practice in various settings.

An MSW is also necessary for specific social work licenses, which are often required for many positions in the field.

Complete the ASWB Examination

Most states require applicants to complete the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) examination to become licensed social workers.

This is also a Social Work Licensing examination that can come alongside
with any required jurisprudence examinations.

Applicants may be required to obtain approval from their state’s social work board to register for the ASWB examination.

The best step is to check with your state board council for specific examination requirements.

There is a minimum educational requirement for each one, and each exam consists of 170 multiple choice questions, with the difficulty and subject matter varying by level.

Apply for Licensure as a Social Worker in Your State

Acquiring the license to practise as a social worker differs from state to state.

So, inquire about the cost and requirements from the governing body of your state.

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Conclusion

With all the facts we listed above based on our thorough research, we hope that you will be able to know and make the right decision when choosing a career in the social work field.

By now you should know the steps involved in getting into social work and how to go about it.

We believe it’d be of great use to you as it is both interesting and informational.

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