What Can You Do with an MSW Degree? Career Paths and Opportunities

A Master of Social Work (MSW) is an advanced degree that helps qualify you for various roles within the field of social work. Although some states allow you to obtain a license with just a bachelor’s degree, most require a master’s degree for licensure.

With an MSW, supervised clinical hours, and state licensing, you can work in settings such as hospitals, schools, nonprofit organizations, senior care facilities, addiction treatment centers, and private practice. An MSW degree also helps qualify you for clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist and health care social worker roles. The degree can also open doors to corporate roles such as human resources, especially in areas focused on diversity and inclusion.¹

In addition to the many career paths you can take with an MSW, the field will continue to offer promising growth opportunities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts seven percent growth in the number of jobs for social workers through 2033, which is faster than the growth of the overall job market.² This guide will explore different types of social work programs and career opportunities where a master's in social work can help you excel.

Clinical social workers help clients address psychological, emotional, social and behavioral challenges. These highly trained professionals combine mental health treatment with a deep understanding of the social factors that contribute to these issues. They’re licensed by the state and engage in person-to-person treatment, prevention and education in private practices, hospitals, mental health clinics and schools.³

Clinical social workers often advocate for their clients and perform counseling services such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems therapy, group therapy, and crisis intervention. There are more clinical social workers than any other type of mental health provider in the United States.⁴

Social workers who practice in medical or healthcare settings such as hospitals, clinics and rehabilitation centers are part of a team that includes other healthcare providers such as doctors and nurses. Medical social workers support patients and their families to help them regain and maintain their physical health. They advise family caregivers, support patients and refer patients to community services when needed.

Medical social workers also advocate for their patients, help with discharge planning and offer counseling services. They help patients transition from the hospital to home care and ensure they have access to the outpatient services they need after discharge.

School social workers operate within educational settings to help students with mental health and behavioral challenges, providing positive behavioral support and academic and classroom guidance. They also collaborate with teachers, parents and administrators to help schools meet the needs of their students. When necessary, school social workers provide individual and group counseling to students, participate in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings and establish behavioral intervention strategies.⁵

Nonprofit organizations, such as addiction treatment centers and teen outreach centers, often employ social workers to help them meet the needs of the people in the diverse communities they serve. In this role, social workers attempt to address the root causes of issues, including substance abuse and family dysfunction, by providing direct services, such as counseling and hot meals; providing educational programs, addressing topics such as nurturing methods for effective parenting, and working to build communities. These agencies often advocate for more just social policies, and social workers help them influence legislation and policy decisions to enact systemic changes.⁶

Social workers are on the front line of advocating for social justice since they see the results of inequalities and hardships in their daily work. All social workers are advocates in some ways.

Many social workers advocate for their clients or teach them to advocate for themselves on the micro level. However, other social workers advocate on a macro or mezzo scale, meaning they work to make changes at the community level and higher. They work in policy advocacy, community advocacy, legal advocacy, and media and communications advocacy.

As the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported in 2024, 48.5 million people aged 12 or older in this country had a substance use disorder in the previous year.⁷ A substance abuse social worker helps people with addictions to substances, including drugs and alcohol, work to overcome them through group and individual counseling as well as other methods, such as addiction education. They also provide support and intervention strategies for family members who are living with loved ones who have addiction issues. These counselors may work in rehabilitation centers, clinics or private practice.⁸

Many children are traumatized by violence, loss, abuse or neglect. Child welfare social workers support at-risk children and families to ensure child safety. They work with government agencies such as Child Protective Services. They investigate claims, intervene when children are in danger and work with children and their families. Though their ultimate goal is generally family reunification, when that’s not possible or appropriate, they also work to place children in foster care and adoption services.⁹

Older adults and their families face specific challenges, particularly as they near the end of their lives. A gerontology social worker works with patients and their families to navigate issues such as treatment planning, depression, abuse situations, crisis management, and coordinating with healthcare providers. They can work in hospitals, long- and short-term rehabilitation facilities and hospice agencies. In these settings, social workers can help provide palliative and end-of-life care and match patients with community support services such as nutrition support.

Social work administrators work in nonprofit, government, and healthcare settings to oversee social service programs. These leadership roles are available to experienced social workers and those with advanced degrees. Social work administrators usually also have a background in business or management, which they use to deliver social services such as crisis management and rehabilitation services, engage in future planning and promote more just policies.¹⁰

Social workers who perform academic research measure and evaluate social work outcomes so they can recommend effective, evidence-based practices to educational institutions, other professionals and policymakers. Researchers collect data and evaluate outcomes using strict methodologies rather than intuition or guesswork. This information allows social workers to develop treatment plans proven to work based on rigorous standards. Having a master's degree is a foundational requirement for career advancement and opportunities in social work research and academia.

Whether you’re interested in working with elderly patients, children or people with addiction issues, an online Master's in Social Work from Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work can equip you with the skills you need to improve the overall well-being of individuals and communities.

The convenient online delivery of your coursework will prepare you to live your purpose and thrive in a meaningful career. Yeshiva Wurzweiler's expert faculty are there to help you at every step along the way. Depending on your background, you can complete the MSW with the Advanced Standing option in just a year and a half.

Learn more about your career options with a Yeshiva Wurzweiler online MSW at the online career center. Check the admissions page or contact an admissions outreach advisor today to get started.