Social Work Careers

Why Social Work?

You are undoubtedly considering a Master’s in Social Work program because you want to help people. When it comes to helping professions, there are a variety of potential career fields to pursue. So, why social work? And what exactly do social workers do?

Social Work is one of the fastest growing helping professions in the United States. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates over 100,000 new social work jobs over the next decade, a 19% increase from the current 607,300 positions. As the social work field grows, it continues to diversify, offering many worthwhile opportunities for MSW degree holders.

Social Work Opportunities

• Child and Family Social Workers serve some of our nation’s most precious resources: children. They support parents getting back on their feet, advocate for children’s rights in court, and help youth find forever homes through adoption.
• Criminal Justice Social Workers assist the incarcerated, ex-offenders, their families, or crime victims to help them move forward, with the ultimate goal of reducing crime and those impacted by it.
• Medical Social Workers work in hospitals, home-care, or rehabilitative settings with older adults, premature babies, newly disabled, hospice, involuntarily committed, or other medical or psychiatric patients.
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers service people with clinical mental health or addiction diagnoses in community settings, including everything from community treatment centers to family work in clients’ homes.
• Military Social Workers support military personnel and family members with the unique challenges they may be facing, ranging from maintaining successful family units to dealing with the traumatic after-effects of combat.
• School Social Workers advocate for the fair and equal treatment of all Pre-K-12 students. They work to remove barriers and connect families with resources in public and private education settings.

Find out how to make your social work dream a reality by visiting our career-specific pages above, or explore Master’s in Social Work programs in our comprehensive directory. Or, if you’re considering social work as a second career, read our post on the 5 questions all career-changers should ask themselves before pursuing an MSW degree. An interview with Janina Kwilos, MSW, LCSW offers career and education advice to students based on her amazing career and experiences as a Social Worker. You’ll learn a lot from her.

Highly Ranked Online MSW Degree Options