Is Social Work a "professional degree"?

Parents Forum
1

<p>I’m a college student majoring in Social Work and Psychology and minoring in a science. My school’s Social Work program likes to emphasize how they are a professional degree versus a liberal arts degree (like Biology or Psychology), seeing as the curriculum teaches practice skills, requires a practicum, etc., and supposedly prepares students for practice after graduation. None of the programs in the College of Arts and Science makes an equivalent statement, except maybe Medical Technology or CompSci. On the other hand, social work programs emphasize a liberal arts background, making sure students take political science, economics, biology, sociology, and psychology courses before being admitted to practice courses.</p>

<p>Yet I never see Social Work listed under professional degrees, a list with usually includes nursing, engineering, and computer science. Is this because social work tends to be lower paying, social work graduates don’t get jobs (do they?), or something else? Is Social Work a professional degree?</p>

2

<p>Yes, there is an MSW, Masters in Social Work, which is highly regarded.</p>

<p>Maybe I’m misreading your question, but I’ve seen MSW on resumes and bios all the time. And yes, graduates with MSWs get jobs all the time.</p>

3

<p>Likewise, MSWs can obtain certification, they then become CSWs. But an undergrad degree in social work (BSW) is not considered a first professional degree the way an undergrad degree in arch or engineering is.</p>

4

<p>See [What</a> is a Professional Degree?](<a href=“What is a Professional Degree? (with pictures)”>What is a Professional Degree? (with pictures)) and this borderline wiki piece [First</a> professional degree](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_degree]First”>Professional degree - Wikipedia)</p>

5

<p>I was referring to the UG degree (BSW). There is a movement in some states to make “social worker” a licensed/protected title (at the Bachelor’s level), al la Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW–for MSWs) or “Psychologist.”</p>

6

<p>Traditionally, in the field of social services, the pay scales between bachelor’s and master’s levels is quite significant, so if you are contemplating entering the field, keep you eye on a masters. (This of course does not mean that you can’t start working with a Bach and then get your master’s, in fact some agencies/hospitals will help you pay for it)</p>