Agree with PPs that you cannot do this online. You need an MSW from an accredited program. This involves two full time years, if you have all the necessary prerequisites first. Unpaid supervised internship hours are substantial, as noted above. Each state has its' own licensing requirements, and some do and some do not have reciprocity with other states (particularly relevant in the DC/MD/VA area). In general nationally, the standard is to get the first level of license post-MSW; then to complete an additional 2,000 supervised hours before taking the test for the independent clinical license.

I worked for many years as a clinical social worker. Many of those years were great. But honestly, once I had nieces, nephews, and my own child, life changed. Social work involves a lot of energy directed outward. This has its' good and bad points. Even with excellent supervision and peer support, and a great personal support system, you need to be prepared to be the professional responsible for addressing extremely intense and often unfixable life problems, and still have energy left over at the end of your day for your own family and life.

Not only should you set up informational interviews with social workers at different career stages, I would highly recommend seeking out some volunteer experiences in settings such as you are describing. The field of social work is so diverse, and the areas of interest that you mentioned are among some of the most demanding and high-burnout in the profession. Get a realistic view of what the work is like on a daily basis, and then decide if this is something you are willing to devote the next four years to full time before you can practice independently.

Best of luck to you.

Unless you want to do counseling/therapy, you may not need an MSW. You said you wanted to teach young women about healthy relationships and self-esteem. You may not necessarily need a clinical degree like an MSW if you're talking about doing something more presentational. Volunteering in this field will help you hone what you really want to do. There's no way to get an MSW online.

Also, in your first two years out of grad school before you get your clinical license, you will probably only make $35K-$45K. With grad school debt, it's tough financially. Just know what you're getting into.

Do some volunteering in this area before you commit to a social work degree. A lot of women find themselves in these situations because they make poor decisions, and don't seem to learn from their mistakes. It can be extremely frustrating and burnout is high.

Anonymous wrote:

Skip social work. Ok pay, but you are treated very poorly. Many of the folks I went to school with have either dropped out and are not working or career changed after 6-10 years as the burn-out rate is really high. You don't need any online classes. As PP said, you just apply to a program that has an MSW degree.

This makes no sense. You do know that an MSW degree is a social work degree, right?

Humm, yes, I know and MSW is a social work degree. I stated in the post I had one. Social work sucks! Very few people I know enjoy it. Actually no one I know enjoys it after the first few years.

Skip social work. Ok pay, but you are treated very poorly. Many of the folks I went to school with have either dropped out and are not working or career changed after 6-10 years as the burn-out rate is really high. You don't need any online classes. As PP said, you just apply to a program that has an MSW degree.

This makes no sense. You do know that an MSW degree is a social work degree, right?

Skip social work. Ok pay, but you are treated very poorly. Many of the folks I went to school with have either dropped out and are not working or career changed after 6-10 years as the burn-out rate is really high. You don't need any online classes. As PP said, you just apply to a program that has an MSW degree.

Or try Psych RN...even more options later, MSN or DNP.

You are required to do 2 years full-time, or 4 part-time to get your graduate degree in Social Work, plus 21 hrs/week in the field if you're full-time, whatever is the equivalent part-time. It's very expensive, time consuming & can be emotionally draining. Its not impossible, but I would imagine very difficult with a baby. I think a strong support system is crucial. Also, I really don't think online is an option. Once you have your degree you can take a licensure exam for a graduate level license, but will need two additional years of supervision in order to sit for your clinical license. I'll also add to the other schools mentioned, University of MD in Baltimore also has a good program. It's a great career and the field is so diverse, you can do many things once you get your degree. I love it, the only thing I regret is the student loans. If I could do it over, I'd go part-time so I could work and pay as I went. Good luck!

In DC, this means Catholic or Howard. They have pipelines into most areas of social work in the District.

It's two years of course work AND field work (practicum). It's the practicum that eventually gets you the job, once you've gotten your first license. Then you'll need to acquire a large amount of hours of supervision before you're able to take the more meaningful license.

I would go and do a tour, speak with professors, see the average student, course curricula, see what types of field placements students have, etc. before making any decision.

There is no way you can do this online.

You need an MSW from an accredited school to be a licensed social worker.

In order to work in a high school, you need to be a school social worker. Jobs are competitive and you'll need your license and it could take many years to get to that point, after you get your masters.

I think I am ready to bite the bullet with my desire to make a career change. I want to work with victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault or work in a high school or college campus educating young women about healthy relationships and self-esteem. Honestly, I would like to do anything where I felt like I was making a difference or working on women's issues.

Any way, I have a bachelors degree in Arts & Humanties and have a varied professional background (worked in finance, associations, etc.) but realize that to make a credible change I need to get a degree or license in Social Work. My question - do you recommend an online school or course(s)? Also, I have a 10 month old. How reasonable, time consuming and expensive might this be? Any advice would be appreciated.