Careers in Social Work

Social workers help people cope with problems in their everyday lives.

They can work with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Work settings for social workers include mental health clinics, schools, child welfare and human services agencies, hospitals and private practices.

Popular career areas include therapy and counseling, substance use recovery, healthcare, school social work, and nonprofit management.

Explore career areas in social work and the types of practicum placements available for KU School of Social Welfare students.

Careers Resources

Career Options in Social Work

Resources from KU Career Center
Popular social work career paths, related skills, jobs to consider and places to seek employment.
Explore Social Work Careers

Social Work Career Areas

A social worker with a child working on a puzzle

Children & Families

Do you want to help children and families? Social work areas include school social work, child welfare, mental health and healthcare.
Children and Families
A therapist talks with a patient

Mental Health

Do you want to become a therapist? Mental health social workers work in inpatient or outpatient settings to help people with mental illnesses.
Mental Health
An older man with a case worker sitting in a garden

Aging Adults

Do you want to work with older adults? Hospice programs, hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies employ social workers.
Aging Adults

More Careers in Social Work

A pharmacy student and a social work student meet with a patient during a simulation exercise

Healthcare

In healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and hospice programs, social workers may help clients connect with services, provide patient education and counseling, or advise caregivers.
Healthcare
Glass of alcohol and pills on a table

Substance Misuse

Social workers support individuals, families and communities with recovery from substance use. They provide counseling, coordinate treatment plans and meet with patients.
Substance Misuse
Kansas State Capital building

Administration and Policy

Social workers in macro practice focus on organizations and communities. Additional career options include community development, fundraising and community relations.
Administration and Policy

More Careers in Social Work

A woman meets with a teenage student

School Social Work

Social workers in schools help to identify and address the social and emotional difficulties that students face that can interfere with their success in school.
School Social Work
Wooden figures of a family, sitting on a desk with a gavel and scales of justice

Justice & Victim Services

Social workers can be advocates for victims, program coordinators or family counselors. Job settings include courts, corrections facilities and domestic violence shelters.
Justice & Victim Services

More Information: Social Work Careers

Practicum Education

Social work students in the undergraduate Bachelor of Social Work program and graduate Master of Social Work program complete a required internship, or practicum, as part of their degree.

The KU School of Social Welfare's Practicum Education Office works with students to find practicum placements and deliver an enriching educational experience.

Learn more about practicum education at the KU School of Social Welfare.

Practicum Resources

Social Work Licensing

KU’s BSW and MSW degrees meet the licensure educational requirements for all the U.S. states that license at the Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) levels.

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Questions about licensure? Contact the Practicum Education Office at practicum@ku.edu.

Learn more about social work licensing.

Licensing Resources

Practicum & Licensing

Students in the BSW and MSW programs complete a required internship, or practicum, as part of the degree. The Practicum Education Office supports students as graduates as they prepare for social work licensing exams.
Practicum Education Practicum Education
Licensing Information Licensing Information

Alumni Spotlights

Chris Beal

Alumni Spotlight: Chris Beal

“Sitting in on a lot of conferences over the years and getting to know a lot of different people with their struggles,” Beal said. “That's probably where the inspiration came from.”
Leslie Butsch

Alumni Spotlight: Leslie Butsch

Leslie Butsch started her career as a direct social worker. In roles as a case manager and advocate within the foster care system and in a domestic violence shelter, Butsch said she began to see the gaps in the systems her clients interacted with.
Brandy Williams

Alumni Spotlight: Brandy Williams

Brandy Williams graduated with a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a macro specialization in 2019. Today, she works as the education director for the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) in Kansas City.
Ashley Williamson

Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Williamson

Ashley Williamson graduated from KU’s Master of Social Work (MSW) with a specialization in social work macro practice program in 2017. Today, she works for an urban agricultural organization called The Giving Grove.
Alumni Stories

Study Social Work at KU

KU's School of Social Welfare offers social work degree programs at undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels: BSW, MSW, DSW and PhD. Learn more.
Degree Programs Degree Programs
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