A career in social work requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Educational requirements vary by individual state and licensing requirements. For clinical social work, a master's degree is required. Clinical social work education usually involves a master's degree with a concentration in the area of clinical practice. Further study can be pursued at the doctoral level by completing a Ph.D. program. Ph.D. programs in clinical social work. Master's degree programs typically take about two years to complete, while Ph.D. programs can take from four to five years on average, but sometimes longer due to dissertation research.
Master's degree and Ph.D. programs in clinical social work usually offer students opportunities to pursue areas of specialization. This is especially true at the doctoral level where students can pursue research in nearly any area related to the field of social work. Some of these include areas such as cognitive behavioral therapy, sports therapy, couples therapy and even hypnotherapy.
Because of the specialized nature of the work in clinical social work, students in clinical social work are required to complete a certain number of hours of supervised experience as part of their education. At the bachelor's degree level, the requirement is generally 400 hours of supervised experience and at the master's degree level, this number increases to 900 hours. This supervised experience can usually be attained by completing an approved internship program.
In addition to education and supervised work experience in the field, all clinical social workers must meet the proper licensing requirements for the state in which they practice. Depending upon the state, this may require the social worker to take additional examinations. Advancement within the field may be contingent upon attaining further certifications in various fields of study. Some universities offer post-master's certificate programs to this end. Clinical social workers can also join organizations like the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) after attaining the proper amount of work experienced to be considered for credentials through the organization.
The National Association of Social Workers mandates that all clinical social workers should make certain that clinical work supervision is available to them during the first five years of practice. This supervision is necessary in order to review case history and make proper recommendations to those receiving the benefits of the social worker's clinical service. In this way, clinical social workers engage in ongoing training even through the first five years of their work experience.