Career Opportunities

It was reported in the February 1999 issue of NASW News that U.S. News and World Report selected social work as a top career choice.

The social work workforce will increase by over 36 percent from 1998 to 2008, much faster than the average for all other occupations. Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Department of Labor.

There are many careers in social work available to graduates with a BA in social work from an accredited program such as ours. Careers include:

  • Child Welfare Services - Work in foster care, adoption, protective services for abused or neglected children and in-group homes for children and youth.
  • Juvenile Delinquency/Troubled Youth - Serve as probation officers for juveniles or as counselors in-group homes or youth centers.
  • Health Care - The largest single field of practice for social workers. Generalist practice in either hospital-based practice or community-based practice.
  • Drug and Alcohol Abuse - Work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers or group homes.
  • School Social Work - Work with school children, parents and teachers to solve personal problems that hinder a youngster's academic progress.
  • Services to the Aging - Work in area agencies on aging, which help older people lead productive lives and remain in their homes as long as possible. Work in nursing/rehabilitation or retirement centers.
  • Rehabilitation of the Disabled - Help the mentally or physically disabled, through health care facilities, group homes or day care centers, to lead more productive lives.
  • Mental Health - Work in community mental health systems, mental hospitals or hospital units as social workers, case managers or supervisor/administrators.
  • Adult Criminal Justice - Serve as probation officers. Work in adult correctional settings.
  • Public Welfare - Provide access to programs people need and also focus on individual and/or family growth and development.
  • Emergency Shelters - Work as counselors or activity directors in temporary refuges for youth or abused women.

Social work is a challenging and fulfilling profession that attracts persons who have the spark of idealism, a belief in social justice and a natural love of working with people. Social workers work directly with people in need, but many hours also may be spent with attorneys, judges, physicians, psychologists, teachers, clergy, police, correctional officials and group home directors, as well as fellow social workers. Frustrations that occur in social work positions are balanced by the many satisfactions.

The social work profession offers high employability in widely diverse fields. Surveys of Millersville social work graduates consistently find a large majority with full-time employment in social work.