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.
- 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
- The Master of Social Work online program from Baylor University is now accepting applications. Learn how to ethically integrate faith and social work practice in as few as 12 months. No GRE required. Request Information!
- Earn your online master's in social work from Case Western Reserve University's No. 9 ranked school of social work by U.S. News & World Report. The degree is CSWE accredited and can be completed in two and a half years. No GRE Required.
- Simmons School of Social Work - SocialWork@Simmons offers a CSWE Accredited Online MSW with full-time, part-time, and accelerated tracks. Four specialized courses of study are offered as well as an Individualized Course of Study. The GRE is not required to apply. Request Information
- Fordham's CSWE-accredited online Master of Social Work program offers a future-focused curriculum, preparing students with advanced integrated competencies that cut across populations and contexts. Traditional and advanced standing online MSW options are available. Request Information!
- The University of Denver's top-ranked school of social work offers two online MSW tracks: traditional and advanced standing. Students with a BSW can earn an MSW in as few as 18 months; students without a BSW can earn an MSW in as few as 27 months. GRE scores are not required. Request Information!
- Capella University's CSWE accredited online Master of Social Work program helps prepare students to enter the general or clinical practice role. An Advanced Standing MSW option is available. Capella also offers an online Doctor of Social Work. Click Here to contact Capella University about their Master of Social Work program or Doctor of Social Work program.
- University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work offers a CSWE Accredited Online Master of Social Work program with Regular Standing or Advanced Standing options. Graduates have consistently done well on the licensure exams. Click Here to learn more about the UK online MSW programs.
