What subjects are needed to become a social worker?

The general courses are likely courses related to culture, anthropology, gender studies, group dynamics, statistics, human development, psychology, sociology, counseling, family/parenting, etc. After deciding on what type you'd like to specialize in you'll be taking more classes depending on that area...like elder, child, mental health, etc. Most states provide a path toward a social work license only to those who have completed a social work program (masters level), completed the supervision hours, testing and other requirements from that state. Some people will consider themselves to be social workers but are not licensed. I lived in states where one can't be called a social worker unless they have a social work degree. Just to be clear, there are jobs listed as "social worker" (like in the hospital and mental health setting) that only a person with a degree (and in some cases, a license) in social work (specifically) can be eligible for. Find out what jobs you're interested in and get a job description first to see if you even need a social work degree for that job.

"Social Worker" is a term used to define a very broad field of work, and, because the field is broad, the coursework is likewise broad. "The one thing this vast array of occupations has in common is that social work strives to better the lives of people whether at the individual, family, group or societal level. " (https://www.humanservicesedu.org/definition-social-work.html).

Some examples: Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services, Employment Counselors, Food Stamp or TANF Case Managers, Foster/Adoption counselors, Crime Victim advocates, working with patients awaiting organ transplants, marriage/family/individual counseling , etc.

In reviewing job descriptions for these various positions, I usually see something along the lines of "Four year degree, in Psychology, Sociology, Liberal Arts, or related field." Positions which involve more intense counseling skills usually require a Master's, however, a Bachelor's degree will suffice for many entry-level positions. It is the degree itself, rather than any particular coursework, that is normally required. Strong computer skills are also often required: at a minimum, this includes Word, Excel, Outlook, and sometimes PowerPoint.

My degree is in Sociology. I did not have a particular career in mind at the time I went to school. My coursework was in areas that exposed me to various cultures and lifestyles, along with a lot of research and writing! I currently work as an Employment Counselor at a Workforce Center. I work with people who are unemployed or looking for a better job. Before taking this job, I had a career as a police officer.

I encourage anyone who wants to go into any aspect of social work to get some hands-on experience that requires talking to people. This could be in customer service (preferably face-to face, not call-center). The skills acquired in work will be transferable to a social work job: learning to use Active Listening Skills; the ability to "interview" people - determining what they want/need before you start trying to sell them something; keeping documentation; maintaining customer confidentiality (care of credit card information; not discussing customer purchases with others, etc)

I caution people not to go straight from undergrad to graduate school. This is because it is difficult for people with graduate degrees, but no experience, to obtain the positions they are trying to get. Some experience is important at that level! Also, it is possible they can secure positions with companies or agencies that offer tuition assistance. This would be a tremendous help! And finally, because there is always the possibility that the job will not live up to their expectations.

While social work can be very rewarding, the pay is sometimes not enough to live on, and, there are sometimes aspects of the job that seem to be completely opposite of what was expected.

As an example: many agencies are funded by grants. The agency wants to keep its grant. So they implement performance measures, that, sadly, do not seem to be related to the agency's mission. Rather than requiring that I place a certain number of people in jobs, I am rated by how many job referrals I make. I have to keep records of how many phone calls I made, how many e-mails I sent out, etc., but there is no documentation of how much effort I spent in really developing a person's resume and interview skills. This of course results in employees not wanting to do these things, as it takes away from the time they can spend "getting their numbers."

While not every job is like this, I encourage people to try to gain an understanding of what the position is truly about prior to accepting a job offer. This can be done through proper use of interview questions. You can ask "How will I be evaluated?" "Are there performance measures I will be expected to meet?" "Will my performance measures get higher over time?" "Do most people meet their measures?" "How often are employees "let go" for failing to meet their numbers?" "Can you give me an example of the performance measures I will have to meet?"

Of course, not all jobs are like this. There are many different aspects of Social Work, so, it really comes down to finding the job that is the "right fit" for you !

Kim