The most commonly opted-for social work courses would have to be those for a master's and a doctorate in the course. Your average Masters in Social Work course is one designed to help you get started on a satisfying career path. A doctorate, on the other hand, prepares students to conduct research and policy analysis mostly in academic and non-academic research centers.
The masters-level course is designed to impart lessons on how to further the development of communities as well as individuals. A Masters of Social Work can be completed within two years. In addition, plenty of financial aid programs are available to students taking masters degrees that can spare students the extravagant tuition expenses of education.
Aside from completing coursework, students of MSW programs must also complete at least 900 hours of fieldwork in an accredited agency. Since social work actually does involve a lot of working with society, people in MSW courses shall find their lives to be rich with activities for the organizations for which they work. You may choose a particular concentration for your studies to help sharpen your skills towards a goal.
There are various foci possible for people studying social work. Generally, most students end up working in public and non-profit organizations in order to instill values in social planning and social changes. Most of the people who go the joint degree route do so by adding a medical qualification to their resume.
There is a body called the CSWE that works on accrediting programs of this type. In fact, students who majored in a CSWE-accredited program have the option to further their educational status. Some people actually accomplish all requirements of the program in a single year.
If your goal is to become a true expert in the theories and concepts as well as analytical models used for social work, you can seek out a doctorate program. There is no consensus on which is the better term: PhD or doctorate. Generally, there is no difference between the two as some schools just prefer to use one name over the other.
Professionals in the field of social work generally earn a doctoral degree to move their career into research and teaching. The end result of a doctorate is commonly a seat in an educational board or department. Those with a serious interest in research work need to consider a doctorate program to get them to the positions they want.
A doctorate program will typically emphasize the learning methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis. To get the PhD, students are asked to submit a dissertation. You usually choose a topic that interests you, do extensive, probably year-long research on it, then compile that research into a single body of text.
Your average doctoral degree demands about 3 years of studying and research. It is possible to work in the field even if you are a doctorate-holder in social work, even if most of your colleagues shall be opting for the academe. It might be an option for those who cannot choose either one to work in both town and gown, so to speak.
Compared to a masters in social work, the CSWE does not accredit doctoral degrees in social work. Financial aid options are also not available in doctoral degrees. In addition, applicants are expected to have not only significant work experience in social work but also a strong academic background as well.
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