It’s not everyday that you’re prepared to have a significant impact on someone’s life, but as a social worker, you’ll be prepared to do just that.
Governments and many of their agencies employ social service workers for a variety of reasons. From occupations such as Community Social Workers to Public Policy Social Workers, these professionals care about helping others and making a real difference in the lives of individuals and families. Each state government has a Department of Social Services, which consolidates many of the smaller departments, organizations, and professionals who are invested in assisting vulnerable and needy populations.
Within the government sector, social workers may work in:
The government also employs social workers to provide community services like mental health and wellness initiatives, assistance with substance abuse, urban and community planning initiatives, ensuring affordable housing, and assisting, advocating, and promoting the inclusion of those with intellectual, physical, or developmental disabilities.
Social workers also have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives by working in public policy. Public policy social workers engage in policy analysis on large scale projects and issues such as public housing developments, zoning regulations, and public service programs.
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Social workers can find employment in school systems at all grade levels. Schools employ graduates with an MSW to serve as trained mental health professionals, who can assist students and work with faculty and families to create the best possible environment for students to succeed academically and socially.
School-based social workers work directly with students helping them with conflict resolution and anger management, social interaction skills, and to accept themselves and others. These social workers also assist the students’ parents and families, provide services to school personnel and school districts, and work as a school-community liaison.
The umbrella of healthcare-related social work includes many opportunities for employment in a variety of settings and with several different populations. Health care social workers work with patients from diagnosis through treatment, assisting them with the adjustments necessary as their illness, treatment, and recovery progress. Medical social workers serve both patients and families. They provide patients with psychological and social support to cope with chronic or terminal illnesses. These social workers collaborate with the patient’s family and caregivers by helping them understand and support their loved one while caring for themselves.
Health care social workers have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings. From hospitals to in-home care, from rehabilitation centers to assisted living/nursing homes, this particular field of social work is in high demand.
Similarly, as science continues to develop and evolve, more and more of the scientific community is beginning to recognize the importance of mental health and striving for overall well being. Rooted in science and the study of human behavior, social workers offer an extremely valuable professional service to individuals, their families, and their communities.
There is a budding avenue for social workers called entrepreneurial social work. This combines the skills of entrepreneurship with the methodology and practice of social work. Entrepreneurs are thought leaders, taking a passion or idea and creating a service or business around it. Entrepreneurs are necessarily invested in their work, and social workers are passionate about the people they help and about their responsibility to bring about justice in the world. Thus, the overlap between social work and entrepreneurship lies in the creativity of individuals to solve problems that exist within society.
Passionate individuals, with the required training and education, who recognize that it is their responsibility to make the world a better place for those around them — are stepping out and acting on their ideas. The solutions are endless, and these social entrepreneurs are excited to do good in creative and innovative ways.
Much of an MSW education consists of this hands-on exposure to practicum work, and it is important for a student to serve at multiple placements to gain a variety of different experiences and perspectives. Placements are a result of the school’s partnerships and relationships with social work groups and organizations, so look for a well-connected and respected MSW program.
Sometimes after starting out on one career path, many people begin to feel disillusioned—and that’s okay! If you’re thinking about changing careers, social work might be a great career choice for you.
Social work is a great profession for career changers because so many of the skills necessary for the job can be brought over from other careers, and an undergraduate degree in social work is not always necessary to begin a master’s program. By earning your MSW, you are giving yourself an opportunity to take your transferable skills from your previous career and/or education and amplify them through a focused curriculum and practicum placement experiences.
Transferable skills include compassion, active listening, organizational, people, and problem-solving skills. Many career changers choose social work after burn out from a corporate job that didn’t add meaning to their lives and offered little personal fulfillment. They are now searching for a career like social work — one that can add value and purpose to their day-to-day lives.
Although a degree in social work is not required to begin an MSW program, an undergraduate degree in a related profession offers a strong base of prerequisite classes. Related professions such as sociology and psychology complement and can speed up the graduate degree process for a student in an MSW program.
Pro-tip: Which degrees make an excellent launching pad for an MSW? Read our article —
5 Undergraduate Degrees that Will Complement Your MSW — to find out!
No matter what your undergraduate degree or your previous work experience, an MSW is always an option. All applicable prior work experience and transferable skills will assist you in your graduate studies and help you as you break into the profession of social work.
True or false: The median pay for social workers is greater than the average adult’s annual income.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau survey in 2020, the average annual income for one working adult was $41,950. The Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that the 2020 median pay for social workers was $51,760, significantly more than the national average income.
True or false: The average annual salary for MSW holders in Texas is higher than the national average.
In Texas, the average salary for those who hold a Master of Social Work is $63,990, higher than the national average of $41,950. Proving that it is possible to have a financially successful career, while helping others.
True or false: True or false: The social work profession has ties to the socialist ideology.
The social work profession is in no way tied to the socialist ideology. The first social workers came about in the 19th century after the end of feudalism, as a result of the Poor Law. At the time, there were no governmental systems in place to care for the poor. By the late 1800s, Jane Adams had helped to found a system of settlement houses, which grew into a movement that provided legal, educational, and health services to the disadvantaged.
Multiple Choice: By 1929 how many universities had established social work programs?
By 1929, ten university programs had been established in social work, and by 1955, the National Association for Social Workers was formed to provide opportunities for professional development.
True or false: A Master of Social Work is considered a professional degree.
The MSW is a professional degree, meaning that it is designed to prepare graduates for a practice-oriented career within the field of social work.
True or false: The social work profession is dying out and careers are limited.
According to projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of social work is projected to grow faster than average over the next decade. As fields such as health care and the need for specialists in mental health and substance abuse grow, social work will also experience a career uptake.
Multiple Choice: Which subfield of social work is anticipated to grow the fastest over the next decade?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare is expected to experience the highest rate of growth among the subareas of social work, growing an impressive 20 percent between 2016-2026.
True or false: Social work employment opportunities are limited to therapists or working for CPS.
Some licenced clinical social workers do serve as therapists or work for Child Protective Services (CPS) as a case worker, but careers in social work are not limited to only these opportunities. There are countless different environments you can choose to work in, and even more ways you can specialize in your specific area of expertise.
You got a few wrong, not a problem! Now is the perfect time to start studying and learning more about a Master of Social Work degree. You might not have all the answers right now, but with a passion for helping people to become their best self and some personal guidance along the way, you can begin a rewarding professional career as a social worker in no time.
Great job! You got the majority of these questions correct. This means you have probably been thinking about pursuing your Master of Social Work for some time and are very familiar with the field and the employment opportunities.
At the Baylor University Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, we strive to educate the next generation of social workers to be compassionate, qualified, and confident to dive into their chosen area of expertise. Our goal is to instill the strengths and qualities of a good social worker into every student.
Our faculty and student body are one family, made up of individuals who care deeply about helping people. Our mission is to prepare students to be social workers who recognize that their work is about service and justice, the dignity of individuals, and the power of relationships, and who can practice their craft with integrity and competence, ethically integrating faith and social work practice to best serve their clients.
Concentrations
Baylor’s MSW concentrations are an option designed to develop a student’s knowledge base more comprehensively in one area of social work practice. Concentration options are connected with initiatives and students may choose from the following: Diversity, Gerontology, Congregational Social Work, Trauma, International Social Work, or Integrated Behavioral Health. The concentration will go more in-depth into one of the areas of practice listed above, but it does not replace the clinical practice specialization.
Grants are free gifts of money that do not need to be repaid upon completion of your degree. In addition to applying for federal financial aid and applying for financial assistance from the school, grants are the next best option for financing your education. Grants are often need-based, meaning that the student must demonstrate a need for financial assistance, which is primarily determined by the FAFSA. Grants can come from the federal and state government, the college or university, or other private and non-profit organizations.
After applying for grants, the next best source of funding comes from merit-based scholarships. These are generally supported by individual institutions (both public and private), as well as non-profit organizations. Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on a student’s academic or other achievements. Like grants, these do not need to be repaid. There are thousands of scholarships students can apply for and several websites that can help you determine which scholarships you can apply for, but the best practice is to begin applying early and apply to as many as you can.
A loan is money that is given to a student to be used for tuition and other academic expenses but is expected to be repaid with interest upon completion of a student’s degree. If you have no other options, loans can be a great way to get started with your graduate degree, but be aware that you will need to have a plan in place to begin paying the borrowed money back as soon as you receive your diploma. Also, make sure that you look into the terms and conditions of the loan before signing. Compare which loans offer you the best interest rate and what their repayment options include.
Your desire to do good through helping others is a gift worth sharing. Because of people like you, individuals and communities in our world who are struggling are able to find hope and support. To be the best possible advocate that you can be, it is important to arm yourself with the best education and tools. At Baylor University, our Master of Social Work degree is grounded in research, supported by expert faculty, and flexible enough for the busiest working professional.
The resources offered through one of our degree programs will help you to become the most effective advocate you can be for those you wish to serve. We can’t wait to meet you and help you get started on your path to bettering the world.
