Students Will...
- Learn how to make a real difference in people’s lives
- Practice doing one-on-one interviews and leading group discussions
- Help design programs to support people and communities
- Write basic plans to guide people through their challenges
- Do simple research and learn to make good, ethical choices
- Work with people from different cultures and backgrounds
- Study laws and rules that affect people and families
- Get hands-on experience by working with real clients as an intern
Find out if this degree is right for you!
Watch expert advice on how to succeed in this major + career options
Highlighted Career Paths
Graduates with a degree in Social Work have a wide array of rewarding careers before them. Check out some of the top careers students get with this degree or explore more career options in I-Plan.
Child Protection:
- Investigate reports of child abuse, neglect, or abandonment
- Step in to protect children who may be in danger
- Work with police officers and other safety workers
- Write reports for court and speak at court hearings
- Check if children are safe and if parents can meet their needs
- Help families get support and services to keep kids safe at home
Corrections:
- Work with teens or adults in jail, prison, or on probation
- Serve as a probation officer, case manager, or counselor
- Help people follow the rules and stay out of trouble
- Refer clients to programs like therapy or job training
- Teach problem-solving and life skills
- Support people in making better choices and safer communities
Mental Health:
- Provide individual therapy, group counseling, or case management
- Work with clients in offices, homes, or communities
- Help clients manage mental illness through listening and support
- Teach problem-solving and coping skills
- Connect clients with helpful resources
- Speak up for clients’ needs and rights
Social Work in Schools:
- Provide therapy for students individually or in small groups
- Help students with mental health, substance abuse, and relationship issues
- Teach skills like anger management and problem solving
- Manage cases involving poverty, child abuse, housing, hunger, and learning disabilities
- Support students facing challenges that affect their school success
Getting Started in this degree
If you are interested in Social Work, start with one of the following major-specific courses. Students are required to apply to the Social Work Program and be accepted before they can declare Social Work as their major.
Related Majors
The Sociology degree provides students with an understanding of our place in the greater puzzle that is the human experience. Students will study how we connect and interact with those around us.
Help people improve their well-being through recreation! A degree in Therapeutic Recreation trains students to work at recreation centers, after-school programs, daycares, assisted living centers, retirement homes, and respite care centers.