Study Online for your Masters or Bachelors degree in Social Work/ Human Services
The US Department of Labor reports that employment of Social Workers is expected to increase faster than all other professions through 2010 due to the increasing elderly population and the aging baby boomer generation. Thus there could hardly be a better time for you to pursue your online social work degree.
Featured Online Schools for Human Services/ Social Work:
Checking School Availability
Earn your Bachelor of Science in Human Services Management from the University of Phoenix. The program helps equip students with the basic skills and knowledge needed to begin careers in the human services industry, such as psychology, counseling and social work.
University of Phoenix is an accredited online university that will accept you into the program as long as you are 18, have either a high school diploma or GED and are currently employed or have access to a work environment.
Checking School Availability
Post University Online: Study completely online for your Master of Science in Human Services Degree. The University promises that your education experience will be as personal and meaningful as if you were on campus. You will have access to consultation and interaction with instructors who are practicing their health care profession as well as with other students like yourself.
Checking School Availability
Bellevue University, accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, is offering a Bachelor of Science in Human and Social Services Administration. Speed up your education at Bellevue by taking advantage of your existing education, whether it be through military service, previous college credits, or professional certification.
Checking School Availability
Walden University is one of the few online schools that offers advanced research-oriented degrees with specialties such as Clinical Social Work (PhD), Family Intervention, and Human Services Administration. With its accredited social-work degree program, students are taught action-oriented research skills and context-sensitive knowledge for application in practice.
Checking School Availability
Capella University, one of the largest online universities in the world, offers a Master of Science in Human Services with an emphasis in Social and Community Services. People who complete this program often pursue management positions in organizations that serve community needs.
Checking School Availability
Kaplan University offers a B.S. in Human Services degree program. Whether you choose to focus on Gerontology, Human Services Administration, or Child and Family Welfare, you will be preparing yourself to serve your community as an advocate for those most vulnerable in our society. The program is in line with curriculum standards set by the Council of Standards in Human Service Education.
Checking School Availability
Upper Iowa University offers a Bachelor of Science in Social Science degree. This degree will give you a broad education in the Social Science disciplines, enabling you to pursue graduate work in history, psychology, sociology, economics, or political science. The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Find additional schools offering Social Work/Human Services »
Social workers try to improve the lives of people. They work with individuals, families, small groups, and even organizations. Activities often involve counseling, teaching in a community center or school, and working with government agencies on behalf of the public. Social workers help people who are trying to cope with a disability, or who are victims of substance abuse, unemployment, domestic conflicts, lack of housing and more. They might help childless parents in the adoption process or arrange for transportation when an ailing family member must travel long distances for treatment. They can manage support groups for all types of chronic diseases and conditions. In many cases, people can even get help and counseling from a social worker through employee assistance programs.
In the public school environment, social workers might work as guidance counselors or as advisors to teachers and parents on behalf of children with learning or behavioral disabilities. Social workers help teachers by making sure requirements of the law are obeyed in the process of teaching or disciplining disabled students.
Gerontology social workers specialize in the elderly. They act as liaisons between family and patients in a nursing home, both monitoring the treatment of the patients and helping family members understand why certain procedures on behalf of the patient are necessary. If care in the home is a possibility, the health care social worker will help in locating the right care giver for the family member.
If you are changing jobs or just beginning to pursue your career, you can start by earning an online bachelor’s degree in social work. The bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for finding employment, but many people find that the master’s degree opens the door to many more opportunities. Even the bachelor’s degree, however, requires a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field experience.
Master’s degrees extend the education an additional 2 years and require a total of 900 hours (counting the hours earned with the bachelor’s degree) of field experience. It is possible to enter a master’s degree program in social work without having a bachelor’s degree in the same field as long as your undergraduate work included the required courses.
Salaries of social workers range from $25,000 to $45,000 a year while those who have advanced degrees or who specialize in a particular sub-field—such as child abuse detection and prevention—may earn even more. Employment of social workers is expected to increase at the rate of 22 percent during the 2006 to 2016 decade. Hiring of those who specialize in mental health and substance abuse is expected to increase even more—by 30%. No other occupation holds as much opportunity for new graduates.
