Social Work

Degree program at Bay College

Counselor working with patient in an office setting

Why Social Work?

Social Work is a profession for those with a passion to help others. Most social workers enter the profession because they want to improve the well-being of people and society. It is an excellent career choice for those who care about social justice and human dignity and enjoy working with diverse populations. Additionally, Social Work explores social environments as well as a person’s physical and mental position in those environments. It challenges students to develop empathy, compassion, caring, and intuition. It also asks students to challenge social injustice and strive to find answers to hard situations. Students who want to be on the front lines of helping others would be very well suited in social work.

The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people, with a focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. If you’re looking for a career with meaning, action, diversity, satisfaction, and a variety of options, consider social work.

Social work is different from other professions, because we focus both on the person and their environment. Social workers deal with the external factors that impact a person's situation and outlook. And we create opportunities for assessment and intervention, to help clients and communities cope effectively with their reality and change that reality when necessary. Social workers help clients deal not only with how they feel about a situation but also with what they can do about it.

In thousands of ways, social workers help people of every age and background, across the country. The most well-known aspect of the social work profession is providing direct services or therapy directly to clients. We help guide people to critical resources and counsel them on life-changing decisions. We also advocate for change to improve social conditions and strengthen the social net.

There are more than 600,000 professional social workers in the United States, that either have a BSW, MSW or a DSW/PhD in Social Work. There are more clinically trained social workers than clinically trained psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses combined. These individuals can be found in hospitals, helping people cope with acute conditions and chronic illness. They provide therapy and community health centers and help prevent students from dropping out of school. Additionally, they also help prisoners as they reenter communities and provide rehabilitative support in drug and alcohol centers.

Social workers provide outreach and long-term care in nursing homes and homeless shelters. They are clinical therapists to members of the military and veterans as well as first responders during natural disasters. Additionally, social workers are executive directors of nonprofit organizations, community organizers, professors, corporate leaders and members of Congress. If you see yourself in any of these roles, you should consider joining the social work profession.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

PROGRAM SHEET

Why Bay College?

The Social Work program at Bay College offers a solid and straightforward course pathway, including: Introduction to Social Work; Ethics in Social Work; Interviewing Strategies and Techniques for Social Workers; An internship option tailored for social workers. You will earn an Associate in Arts with a Concentration in Social Work degree.

A degree in social work provides a strong academic foundation to become ethical leaders who advocate for social and economic justice. This versatile degree opens the door to a variety of career options and builds critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills. 

Degree Options
Certificate/DegreeCompletion CreditsContact Hours
Social Work60.00

Beyond Bay College

Students interested in transferring to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor's degree or higher may find opportunities in the following areas of study:

  • Bachelor of Social Work
  • Master of Social Work
  • PH. D in Social Work

Job Market Outlook

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