Earning a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in social work is the most obvious area of study to prepare for a career in the field. A degree program in social work will commonly include coursework focused on the promotion of social justice, how our social environment affects human behavior, dealing with at-risk and culturally diverse populations, the practice of social work, welfare policy and services, and research methods. With this degree, you can obtain positions that deal directly with clients such as a group-home worker, mental-health assistant, caseworker or other counselor.
Studying and earning a B.A. in psychology will also help you land work as a social worker. Psychology delves into why people behave in certain ways. Social workers tend to focus on how to resolve a client's problems and better their current situations. Organizations looking for social workers will often hire those with a psychology degree.
Sociology is another field of study that may help you gain entry into the field of social work. Sociology is the study of society; social scientists focus on human social activity and how it is affected by society at large with the aim of improving human welfare. Having a background in social science can help you understand how elements in a community may have affected a client, and find solutions based on that perspective to help that client.
To perform clinical assessments as a social worker, you must have a master's degree in social work. Those with a master's can manage larger case loads, take on supervisory positions and explore new ways to meet a client's needs. Many health, schools and private agencies require social workers to have an advanced degree.