What Is the Difference Between a Master's and a Bachelor's in Social Work?
Being a social worker is emotionally demanding and time consuming. It also has rewards, including being a significant influence in the lives of troubled individuals, and helping families work through difficult situations. Training as a social worker includes both education and hands-on experience. There are several levels of certification exams for social workers, including the BSW, or Bachelor of Social Work, and the MSW, or Master of Social Work. BSW workers complete fewer hours of practical training, and have an overview education, while MSW workers have extensive field experience and specialized educational training.
Other People Are Reading
-
Bachelor's Degree
-
A bachelor's degree in social work generally includes both in-class work and supervised field experience. Some courses include issues in social welfare, diversity and human rights, social welfare policy, human behavior, and social research methods. A typical program will include about 125 hours of college coursework with about 30 in courses related directly to social work. The fieldwork portion will include between 400 and 500 hours of direct contact work. The graduate must pass the BSW licensing exam for the state in which she wishes to practice.
Master's Degree
-
A master's degree in social work does not require a BSW. Applicants to a MSW program may come from psychology, biology, sociology, anthropology, economics or political science, as well as social work. The courses include such topics as clinical social work practice, macro social work practice, poverty, abuse, crisis intervention, family violence and the legislative aspects of social work. Students attend about 60 semesters hours of classwork and about 1,000 hours of fieldwork. Many schools encourage the applicant to complete fieldwork in the area in which she hopes to work. The graduate must pass the MSW licensing exam for the state in which she wishes to practice.
-
BSW Jobs
-
A person who earns a BSW certification may work in direct-service jobs. These include social workers, mental health assistants, group home workers, school counselor or residential counselor. About 54 percent of the BSW workers in 2008 were in health care or social assistance agencies, and about 31 percent were employed by government agencies.
MSW
-
MSW graduates generally work in a particular field of concentration, such as troubled youths, foster child care, educational work or hospital care. Those with an MSW designation are qualified to handle large caseloads, fill supervisory positions and draw on a variety of social services to meet the needs of their clients. Clinical workers require at least a MSW, and may have doctorate level certification. Some MSWs teach, research or work on public policy in political arenas.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
