Why Getting a Social Work Degree Online Is a Good Idea

A career in social work requires a lot of commitment and nerves. Some people are extremely blessed in terms of patience and empathy. Their reflection of the world is different from the rest. With extreme ease, they are able to put themselves in other people’s shoes and feel their pain. It is with this understanding these people wish to bring meaning to their lives by helping out others.

Social workers make it their life’s aim to fight the injustice and the cruelties certain individuals or groups suffer from. Some people, without being affiliated with any organization, aid the aggrieved in their own capacities. Whereas many professionally pursue this career and seek jobs in this field. Social workers deal with a wide variety of issues, including those associated with child and family, substance abuse, the criminal justice system, environmental, medical, mental health, occupational, hospice, political, etc. The growth and opportunities in this field are endless.

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To professionally pursue this career, you need to have the appropriate education. It is very important to understand that while we all can socially help to the best of our abilities, social workers have an in-depth knowledge of their specialty and all the laws and protocols surrounding it. Also, having a proper degree in social work teaches you time management, commitment, patience, empathy, teamwork and tolerance. With proper monitoring and assistance, you can witness real cases and fully grasp how the real world will be. This is why many accredited universities worldwide offer online social work masters as well as on-campus, so students get familiarized with all the tools they need once they start practicing.

Back in 2002, Florida State University emerged as the first-ever institute to launch their Masters in Social Work (MSW) degree online. Many social workers back then were skeptical of the graduating students and their abilities. Over time, such programs gradually gained popularity, and many top universities began offering social work degrees on similar lines. By 2019, more than a third of master’s in social work students were enrolled part-time, with almost a thousand international students every year. These statistics have greatly changed after the outbreak of Covid-19 as distance learning became the need of the hour for all. And even those who were cynical of distance learning were left with no choice but to opt for it.

Even after two years of the pandemic, we still come across a debate or two in favor or against online learning. This article will prove how an online master’s degree in social work can hugely benefit professionals.

Better work-life-studies management

Have you been delaying pursuing your master’s degree because you feel you can’t manage your social work and studies along with your personal life?

Worry no more! Opting for an online degree can make your life easier. You do not have to juggle every aspect of your life and put yourself under immense stress. With an online degree, you can listen to pre-recorded lessons and work on your assignments or projects at whatever time you get free. You do not have to quit your job or change your shifts. In the comforts of your home, you can get your masters’ degree easily because online MSW degrees offer flexibility. It is because of this ease that 77% of US companies provide online learning opportunities for their employers without losing their workforce. This has also encouraged more women to enroll in online MSW as they find it easier to study online without worrying about their family obligations.

More affordable

Many professionals drop the idea of pursuing higher education because of the tremendous burden it can cause on their bills. For example, quitting their jobs or seeking child support just to go and physically attend lessons makes this an affordability problem.

Online MSW degrees in the USA cost between $8,418 and $22,110 annually. Based on your specialization and needs, you can choose the appropriate program. The reason for the lower cost of online programs is that they do not require any proper on-campus setting. Thus these universities cannot demand additional maintenance charges. Additionally, by removing the hustle-bustle of the daily commute to the campus and other logistics, you can save a lot of your time and money.

Every person these days is equipped with a high-speed internet and a good device to use it on. And this is all that is required of an online degree. You do not need anything else!

Learning autonomy

Social work requires a lot of commitment and effective time management. Social workers have their fixed routines as any changes can adversely affect their clients. And this is exactly what studying online MSW will teach you.

By being liable to your own schedule, you will learn responsibility and understand the consequences of lagging behind in projects or assignments. You can learn personal time management and bring more discipline in your life to complete the coursework on the given deadlines.

Accessible to all

Have you been fantasizing about pursuing an MSW from your dream university, but distance has been an issue?

The biggest advantage of distance learning is that you can access all the university coursework from any part of the world. You can be traveling due to some personal reasons or for work and still cannot miss your deadlines. You can even live a thousand miles away and still have the same access to the material and teachers’ assistance as someone physically pursuing the degree. In 2019, statistics showed that 875 international students were enrolled in online MSW. This gives massive opportunities to deserving students who live in rural or remote areas with very little to no accredited universities.

Conclusion

With proper research, you can find an affordable and accredited online MSW program that can professionally polish you and help you progress in your career. With the ease of everything being online, you do not have to put your job or family life at stake to pursue a masters’ degree. Your life-long dream of serving your community and helping out the marginalized, vulnerable people can be fulfilled easily now.