Social Work (MSW)

What is A Social Work (MSW) Degree?

The MSW degree in Social Work prepares Social Workers who serve clients dealing with social, emotional, economic and environmental problems.  Some provide counseling and other clinical services directly to clients and coordinate help from other agencies in the community.  Social Workers help individual and families in difficult situations to cope with and overcome problems, and they help protect vulnerable people from harm.  They offer direct care to people through agencies, schools, and treatment centers such as those for alcohol and drug abuse.

A Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work or a related area is usually required for admission to an MSW program.  MSW programs include courses in Clinical Social Work, Social Policy, Child Welfare, Advanced Human Behavior and Behavior Modification, Child and Adult Psychopathology, and Social Work Research and Statistics.  Some programs may offer dual majors of social work-law or social work-public health, with two degrees to be earned at the same time.  To become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in most areas you will need to have the MSW degree, the license, and a prescribed number of years (usually around 2 years) in direct clinical supervised service.