Career Resources
A Master of Social Work is a versatile degree that prepares students to work in a variety of settings, with a wide range of populations. The growing demand for social workers across the United States presents numerous opportunities for MSW graduates who have advanced skills in direct practice with individuals and families.
The MSW Program at WCU has gathered resources for you to plan your career path. These presentations can help you get started:
- Career Planning for MSW Students, presented by the Twardowski Career Development Center
Our students and graduates are in demand at local agencies and organizations, which send us employment opportunities throughout the year. We list these postings in our Job Board. Listings are related to the field of social work and come from trusted sources within the field. Questions about particular job listings should be directed to the employer.
Career planning FAQs
- How can WCU's career center help me?
- What is a graduate certificate? Would a certificate help me advance in my career?
- What is social work licensing? Do I need a license?
- What does it mean to work on a fee-for-service basis? Should I apply for these jobs?
- What does it mean to work on a per diem or temporary basis? Should I apply for these jobs?
- What is clinical supervision? Should I obtain clinical supervision after I graduate?
- How can I get help repaying my federal loans?
How can WCU's career center help me?
The Twardowski Career Development Center provides a variety of services to students, including:
- Career fairs
- Job openings posted on the Ram Career Network
The Career Development Center is open to students and alumni, no matter how long it has been since graduation.
What is a graduate certificate? Would a certificate help me advance in my career?
WCU offers several graduate certificates that may be a good fit with an MSW.
What is social work licensing? Do I need a license?
Professional licensing and regulation is a way of protecting the public by ensuring that those who have a license are qualified to work in their professions.
Each state has its own laws that determine how social workers become licensed. Requirements for licensure include earning a degree in social work from an accredited program and passing an exam.
Most, but not all, jobs in social work require a license at the Licensed Social Worker or Licensed Clinical Social Worker level. Those who work in private or nonprofit practice often obtain clinical licensure so their fees can be reimbursed by insurance companies, Medicaid, and Medicare.
What does it mean to work on a fee-for-service basis? Should I apply for these jobs?
If you take a fee-for-service position, you will be paid based on how many clients you work with rather than receiving a regular salary. You will most likely not be paid if a client misses an appointment. Social workers who are paid fee-for-service often say they need to maintain a full caseload to earn a comfortable income.
Many private practitioners work on a fee-for-service basis. Many agencies hire fee-for-service employees as well. Some of these positions include benefits, although many do not.
One major advantage of fee-for-service work is that it's usually more flexible than a regular schedule. Taking a fee-for-service position can also be a good way to break into professional social work or gain experience in a new area of practice.
What does it mean to work on a per diem or temporary basis? Should I apply for these jobs?
The term "per diem" means "for each day" in Latin. A per diem position could mean you are filling in for social workers who are sick, on vacation, or taking parental leave. Social workers are hired on a temporary basis for similar reasons.
Taking a short-term position can be a good way to break into professional social work or gain experience in a new practice area. It might lead to permanent, full-time work.
Some temporary or per diem social workers are hired directly by employers. Others work for placement agencies.
Here are some sources of short-term social work positions:
What is clinical supervision? Should I obtain clinical supervision after I graduate?
Professional social workers are supervised in several different ways. Clinical supervision is a process in which social workers grow in their competence by building a relationship with a supervisor, who serves as a sort of mentor. It is sometimes called “educational supervision.”
Social workers who plan to pursue clinical licensure need to complete a specific amount of clinical supervision. Each state has a required number of hours of clinical supervision that a social worker needs to apply for clinical licensure; this number varies among states.
Clinical supervision might happen one-on-one, or it may take place in a small group. While supervisors document the time they spend on supervision, social workers should keep track of their supervision time as well.
Some employers provide clinical supervision to social workers who don’t yet have clinical licensure. However, some settings don’t provide enough supervision for social workers to accumulate the necessary hours for clinical licensure, others provide no clinical supervision at all. In these cases, a social worker can hire a clinical supervisor. Here are some online directories of clinical supervisors:
How can I get help repaying my federal loans?
- Delaware State Loan Repayment Program: Loan repayment assistance available for Licensed Clinical Social Workers who commit to at least two years of service in an underserved area
- Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program: Up to $40,000 toward student loans in exchange for at least two years of service in facilities that serve American Indian and Alaska Native communities
- National Health Service Corps: Up to $50,000 toward student loans in exchange for two years of service in an underserved area
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: Direct Loan balance forgiven after 120 on-time monthly payments, while working full-time for certain government or nonprofit organizations
Social work licensure
If you decide to become a licensed social worker, you will need a license from your state. Each state has its own procedures to apply for licensure:
- Pennsylvania
- Contact information for licensing boards in other states, territories, and Canadian provinces is available through the Association of Social Work Boards.
Online Job Boards
Professional Associations
Professional associations exist for many fields within social work. Many professional associations maintain their own job boards, and some offer student memberships.
Getting involved in these organizations is an excellent way to meet practitioners in your area of interest. Joining a state or regional chapter gives you these opportunities closer to home. WCU's Graduate Student Association may reimburse your expenses for attending or presenting at a professional conference.
- Aging Life Care Association
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
- American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
- American Case Management Association
- American Council for School Social Work
- The American Geriatrics Society
- American Public Human Services Association
- American Society on Aging
- Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
- Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
- Association of Oncology Social Work
- Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers
- Clinical Social Work Association
- International Association for Social Work with Groups
- International Employee Assistance Professionals Association
- International Federation of Social Workers
- Latino Social Workers Organization
- National Association of Black Social Workers
- National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists
- National Association of Perinatal Social Workers
- National Association for Rural Mental Health
- National Association of Social Workers
- National Organization of Forensic Social Work
- The Network for Social Work Management
- New Jersey Association of School Social Workers
- New Jersey Society for Clinical Social Work
- North American Association of Christians in Social Work
- Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work
- Pennsylvania Association of School Social Work Personnel
- Professional Association of Social Workers in HIV & AIDS
- School Social Work Association of America
- Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care
- Social Welfare Action Alliance
- Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network
- Society for Spirituality and Social Work