What Can I Do With a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work?

Although you will need a master's degree and in some states a license to become a social worker, you can still find a meaningful career in social work with only a bachelor's degree. You may consider becoming an executive secretary at a non-profit agency or working with a state child protection agency. You may also consider a career as wellness program director for a hospital.

Non-Profit Agencies

For those with a bachelor's degree in social work, non-profit work is a good starting point. You can work as the manager of your local Second Harvesters Food Bank, work as the program manager for the United Way, become the director of support groups who assist cancer or diabetes patients or become an assistant secretary at your local teenage pregnancy outreach center. Another idea is to start your own non-profit agency. For example, you could start a service that provides low-cost relationship counseling to residents in your area.

Education

With a bachelor's degree in social work, you can work in education. You may decide to work as a conflict resolution coach at local middle and high schools, where you conduct classes on how to control anger, being assertive but not aggressive and handling bullies in school. Another option is to work as a school counselor, talking with students about problems they face at home, how these might be affecting their learning, and viable solutions to the problems.

Research Careers

If you enjoy researching the latest issues in social work and writing about them, you can work as a research assistant with your university's social work department or utilize your years of research and establish yourself as a freelance magazine writer about issues such as child sexual abuse, juvenile crime and fatherlessness.