If you have the passion to serve the community, pursuing social work careers can be the best line of work for you. Social workers make valuable contributions to the lives of people and help them achieve a respectable standard of living They work in schools, hospitals or voluntary organizations where they facilitate and support mental patients, the homeless, drug and alcohol abusers as well as the elderly. It is a profession that involves a responsibility but also has its rewards.
As a social worker, you will have to conduct interviews with people using various forms of public services to assess their level of satisfaction. You may also be required to maintain records, prepare reports and recommend the best course of action on an individual basis. In addition, you may also be required to organize trainings for public awareness on vital social issues.
Social Work Degree Programs
A college degree is forma a suitable basis for pursuing a career in social work. A number of regular and online schools offer programs in this discipline, including bachelor as well as master's degrees. In addition to classroom instruction, these programs will quite likely have fieldwork, where learners will get a chance to get practical experience in this field.
Online Social Work Degree Programs
Online social work degrees are also available for students who want to get into this line of work studying at a flexible schedule. The ones programs are particularly very useful for the ones who want to switch careers.
Online programs offer instruction by means of various learning technologies such as online libraries, online databases, chat forums, video conferencing and more. These tools help students learn as effectively as they do in traditional classrooms. They can participate in group discussions, interact with instructors and submit assignments from any location. The online social work degree programs are also more affordable compared to traditional programs in this area of study.
Working professionals who already have a degree in social work can pursue an advanced program online and gain the essential credentials for brightening up their job prospects. They can continue with their existing jobs and enroll in an online program without making major changes to their routine.
Curriculum in Social Work Degrees
The curriculum in social work program includes topics such as history and philosophy of social welfare, social welfare policy, social welfare policy and promotion of social and economic justice. Other courses of study students can obtain include macro social work practices, social research methods and clinical social work practice.
Students can also choose an area of specialty within this field such as crisis intervention, family violence, community and rural health, alcohol or drug abuse.
Career Prospects with Social Work Degree
Graduate of social work degrees can pursue a number of exciting and rewarding opportunities in government agencies, social assistance industries and healthcare sector. Jobs for social work degree holders also exist in private businesses, police departments, courts and nursing homes.
Once you earn a degree in this area of study, you can choose to become a caseworker, mental health assistant, residential counselor or group home worker.
The salary of social workers may range from $30,000 to $70,000 a year. The precise income is determined by the location, type of job and qualification.