Becoming a Social Worker
Bachelor's
Degree
According to
the Council on Social Work
Education,
baccalaureate social work education programs prepare
graduates for generalist professional practice. The
foundation curriculum content for all social work
education programs includes: (1) dealing with culturally
diverse clientele; (2) populations-at-risk and social
and economic justice; (3) human behavior and the social
environment; (4) social welfare policy and services; (5)
social work practice; (6) social research methods; and
(7) field education. Accredited Bachelor of Social Work
(BSW) programs require a minimum of 400 hours of
supervised field experiences
Master's Degrees
The Master of
Social Work (MSW) programs prepare graduates for advanced
professional practice in an area of concentration.
Graduates have the theoretical and practice expertise
needed for providing direct services to individuals,
families, groups and communities and/or for working in
administrative and policy making positions. An MSW degree
is typically required in health settings and in clinical
work. Supervisory, administrative, and staff training
positions usually also require an advanced degree.
The MSW is the most common master's level degree. Some
schools offer such degrees as Master of Arts and Master of
Social Sciences. All programs accredited by the CSWE must
meet the same criteria.
Students who
already have their bachelor's level degree in social work
(BSW) typically enter graduate programs in social work with
advanced standing. Students who have not taken
undergraduate courses in social work generally take two
years to complete their master’s degree.
Doctoral
Level Degrees
Doctoral
degrees in social work include the Doctor of Philosophy
(PhD) and the Doctor of Social Work (DSW). These degrees
are designed for experienced social workers who want to
further their careers, in research, teaching, and/or
administration. Students are required to complete
dissertations, which are typically based on in-depth
research projects. Graduates are expected to contribute to
the scientific knowledge base and to share this knowledge
through teaching and writing.
Because social work doctorates are academic, not practice,
degrees, they are not regulated by the CSWA. Consequently,
the nearly 70 social work doctoral programs in North
America vary widely in their specific missions, goals, and
curriculum.
Advice
for Preparing for a Career in Social
Work
People who are
interested in applying to social work school can prepare
themselves in a number of ways. Spero Manson, Pembina
Chippewa, PhD, says: “I think we Native people operate
very much on a mentoring and modeling approach to
personal career decisions. There’s nothing to replace
learning a lesson that someone else– maybe an Elder–will
be able to share with you. Most of them are very open
and approachable. They are eager to see young Native
people pursue these paths. Search out these people and
speak with them about their experiences. Share your
interest. Seek their guidance. After that get a little
exposure that will give you a sense of what the
possibilities are.”
Most educators recommend that students do volunteer or paid
part-time social service work in such settings as
hospitals, nursing homes, or social agencies.
Priscilla
Day, Leech Lake
Bank of Ojibwe, MSW, EdD, says that this kind of work
helps students “have an idea of what they’re getting
into so they can see if this is really what they want to
do.” She also says that volunteer work strengthens
applications to social work school. Day further notes
that most Indian students have an advantage because they
hold values that are congruent with the philosophical
basis of social work, namely, a high valuing of family
and community and a holistic, systemic approach to the
world.
Dan Edwards, Yurok,
DSW, gives the following advice to American Indian
students who are looking for a good program: “Find out
if the school has a reputation for being open to various
ethnic groups, particularly American Indians. Find out
if there are Indian students and faculty members and
whether there is an Indian or Ethnic Center on campus
and whether there is an Indian community in the area of
the school. See if there are resources for helping
students get through the program. Also, see whether it’s
possible to have some of your clinical education in
Indian communities.”
This is an exciting time for Native people to enter careers
in the human services. Eddie Brown, Pascua
Yaqui/Tohono O'odham, DSW, feels that there are a number
of reforms underway that will make it more possible to
“move people from a dependent state to sustainable,
healthy communities”.
For descriptions of a few programs that recruit/support
American Indian and Alaska Native students, see
Schools/Programs.
Parts
of the article above were originally published in the
Summer 2000 issue of
Winds of Change. (The cover
artist is Helen Hardin, Santa Clara Pueblo.)