Basic Education

• A high school diploma or GED is the basic educational qualification required for a two-year Associate Degree or four-year BSW. These degrees allow you access to entry level positions in the field. Some bachelor's degree programs allow you to transfer credits from an associate's degree, but it depends on the individual institution. If you are looking for an advanced level position in the social work sector, you must complete an MSW program. You must have a bachelor's degree in social work or a degree in another social science such as sociology, psychology, counseling or anthropology to qualify for master's degree program in social work.
  
  

Admission Requirements

• Official transcripts of your previous coursework, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a resume detailing your educational qualifications are all required for the social work master's degree. Your resume should highlight previous work experience as a volunteer with nonprofit social service organizations, assisted living centers, group homes, hospitals or crisis centers. Use your statement of intent to highlight your interests and life experiences that are consonant with your desire to pursue social work. Some, but not all schools offering the MSW programs require Graduate Record Examination scores.
  
  

Course Work and Field Experience

• BSW and MSW students to take courses that will develop an understanding of human growth and behavior. You must study social welfare policy, communication and counseling, child welfare, family violence, and substance abuse. Completion of a field program helps students apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom to real-life situations. Most institutions assign students to a community service based organization or a nonprofit organization involved with social work. Accredited bachelor's degree programs in social work require a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field work, whereas accredited MSW programs specify at least 900 hours of supervised field work.
  
  

Temperament

• Bachelor's and master's degree programs require you to complete prescribed hours of field work involving hands-on experience in social work. To complete this requirement, you will need to have a strong desire to help people, and the temperament to cope with those in trouble and distress. To be able to truly help such people, you will need to have empathy, sensitivity, emotional strength, good communication skills and the ability to independently handle responsibility.