There are few things more admirable than choosing a career dedicated to helping others. If you’ve decided your best path to that goal is through providing hands on intervention and support, you’ve probably narrowed your choices down to being either a counselor or a social worker.
To be a licensed practitioner in either profession, you’ll need a master’s degree. There are plenty of good reasons to choose either. After all, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting that the need for social workers is expected to grow by 12% from 2020-2030, while the demand for mental health counselors is projected to grow by 23%.
Whichever you choose, you’ll likely find yourself in demand and making a real difference in the lives of people who really need you.
What Are MS Counseling MS Social Work Degrees For?
Though there are similarities between many of the courses taught in master’s in social work and master’s in counseling programs, there are also significant differences. Most notably, the two lead to very different careers.
If your goal is specifically oriented toward providing therapy and support for mental and emotional health, you should go with a Master’s in Counseling program. With this degree, you could become a marriage and family therapist, a mental health counselor, a rehabilitation counselor, and possibly a school counselor.
By contrast, while the curriculum in a Master’s in Social Work program will include classes in human behavior, they also prepare you to provide services other than counseling by incorporating classes in social policy, social services, and creating strategic plans to help clients help themselves.
How To Choose Between A Master’s Degree in Counseling vs. A Master’s Degree in Social Work Program
Both educational pathways lead to a professional degree and highly respected, impactful careers. So, which you choose is really a question of personal preference.
To help decide, you should focus on who you want to serve and how you want to serve them. The information below will help clarify the differences between the two.
What Is A MS in Counseling?
A Master of Science in Counseling degree is an educational program that leads to professional counseling licensure in your state. It is generally a two-year program that includes coursework and field work. Classes provide an overview of these topics:
- Counseling theory
- Patient assessment and diagnosis
- Counseling methodology
- Research
Many programs offer the opportunity to specialize in areas such as substance abuse or children and families.
Who Should Get A MS in Counseling?
If you are interested in helping people improve their ability to function, individually and in their relationships with others, then you are a good candidate for an MS in Counseling. You will learn to do the following:
- Address emotional, physical and mental needs
- Help clients become more productive and positive
- Help clients deal with stress
- Improve clients’ sense of self-worth
What Can You Do with A MS in Counseling?
Once you’ve graduated with your MS in counseling, you will have a wide range of professional options available to you. The most common career paths for those with an MS in Counseling degree include:
What Is A MS in Social Work?
A Master of Science in Social Work prepares graduates to support and advance social and economic justice for vulnerable populations. Graduates of these programs have the knowledge and training they need to work in several environments:
- Community-based healthcare
- Mental health counseling
- Child protection
- Public policy
- Hospital care coordination
Earning a Master of Science in Social Work degree is a prerequisite for licensure in many social work roles, including Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Independent Social Worker. Most MSW programs take two years to complete and are comprised of both academic studies and hands-on field work. The first-year’s curriculum is generally devoted to general social work classes, including:
- Social work practice with corresponding field instruction
- Human behavior and the social environment
- Psychopathology
- Introductory social work research methods
- Social welfare policy and services
- Diversity and oppression
The second-year is often comprised of specialty electives as well as extensive field work.
Who Should Get A Master of Science in Social Work?
People who choose a career in social work are equally interested in helping people, but they focus on teaching them to help themselves and connecting them with the resources they need to thrive. To be an effective social worker, you need to be empathetic and a good listener. But you also need to be organized and able to point people in the direction of the resources they need.
Social workers help people in a way that is focused on connecting people to the external help that is available to them and giving them the tools and support they need to make use of that assistance.
What Can You Do with A Master of Science in Social Work?
Graduating with a Master of Science in Social Work Degree prepares you to work in diverse environments with all demographics. Graduates of MSW programs have enough education in human behavior to qualify for jobs in psychology and counseling as well as advocacy. Some of the most popular career paths available to those with an MS in Social Work degree include:
Comparison chart of MS Counseling vs. MS Social Work
What to Look for in Counseling Graduate Degree Programs
10 Best Schools That Offer Counseling Degrees
- Northwestern University
- Boston College
- University of Chicago
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Denver
- Lehigh University
- Northeastern University
- Fordham University
- Boston University
If you’re looking for other schools that offer online/offline Counselor degree programs, check out the Find Your Perfect “U” tool. You can search over 6,000 colleges and universities with 11 different filters to find the perfect school for you!
On-Campus vs. Online Counseling Degrees
Though counseling is a career that involves direct engagement with patients, the development of new technologies has allowed students to choose whether to study for their Master’s in Counseling Degree in a traditional on-campus setting or online.
Remote and in-person programs both cover the same curriculum and lead to the same degree, but each offers its own advantages. Where the traditional brick-and-mortar setting invites greater engagement with professors, fellow students, and all of the social aspects associated with being on the campus of an academic institution, online learning allows greater flexibility for students who have a career, social, or family obligations. These students can attend classes from anywhere that has a WiFi connection while still earning a living, raising children, or caring for elderly loved ones. In many cases, online education also carries fewer expenses.
Counseling Certification and Licensure
Becoming a counselor and seeing patients requires more than just earning your degree. Once you’ve graduated, you will need to meet your state’s requirements for licensure.
Every state has its own unique eligibility criteria established for the protection of its citizenry, and in most cases, they require these three things:
- Graduation from a master’s degree program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
- Completion of either an internship or supervised clinical hours totaling approximately two years
- Successful passing of the National Counselor Examination (NCE) administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors
Accreditation
Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Counseling requires a significant investment of time, effort, and money, so before you choose a school, it is essential that you confirm that it has been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
This highly respected agency accredits both master’s and doctoral degree programs in counseling and its specialties. Accreditation confirms that an academic institution has met minimal standards with regard to specific categories:
- Settings
- Program content
- Mission and objectives
- Student selection and advising
- Faculty qualifications
- And more!
For your own assurance as well as to confirm its quality to future employers and clients, make sure that every program to which you apply meets this important requirement.
Pros and Cons of Counseling
If you’ve known you wanted to be a mental health counselor forever, then the career is likely a calling for you. For everyone else trying to make the decision, here are the pros and cons of earning an MS in Counseling.
What to Look for in Social Work Graduate Degree Programs
On-Campus vs. Online Social Work Degrees
Choosing between an online and on-campus learning experience as you pursue your Master’s Degree in Social Work is highly personal and depends on your particular circumstances. As long as you are choosing from accredited programs, you can feel confident that both remote and in-person programs offer the same curriculum and content.
The difference between the two lies in the convenience and flexibility they offer to their students. For degree candidates who are working or raising a family while pursuing their education, having the ability to attend classes from home rather than living on campus or commuting to a brick-and-mortar has obvious advantages and may also come with a lower cost for tuition.
Alternatively, students who choose a campus-based education have the opportunity to establish important relationships with their fellow students as well as their professors. They have greater access to on-campus student services such as career counseling and the university library and may benefit from the more rigid schedule that in-person education demands.
Social Work Certification and Licensure
Every state, and the District of Columbia, requires that social workers pass a state licensure examination and graduate from an educational institution that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
Each state also has its own additional requirements, which vary depending on the title that a social worker is seeking licensure for. Most states require two years of supervised clinical experience in order to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and there are other requirements to become a Licensed Independent Social Worker. To find out what your state requires, visit the Association of Social Work Boards’ website.
Accreditation
Aspiring social workers have many Master’s in Social Work programs from which to choose, and their pick will depend on many different factors. One important factor for every school is the accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE has a commission that is specifically dedicated to developing standards for social work education and currently has 296 MSW programs that meet their rigorous criteria for inclusion. To ensure that any school you are considering applying to has qualified, visit the CSWE website.
Pros and Cons of Social Work
Social work is both intensely challenging and intensely rewarding. It provides the opportunity to serve people with tremendous needs and to make a real difference. If you are trying to decide whether this is the right career for you, it is important that you weigh the pros and cons of becoming a social worker.
Applying to Counseling and Social Work Master’s Programs
No matter what your intended area of study, there are some common aspects to applying for admission to master’s degree programs. These include:
- Having earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college
- Submission of transcripts detailing your coursework and grades in college
- Completion of an application submitted with appropriate fees
- GRE scores (if required)
- Letters of recommendation from college professors, mentors, or employers
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Personal statement of intentions, interest, or goals
Because both counseling and social work are helping fields that demand high levels of compassion and empathy, admissions committees also require a history of interest in the field. This can be demonstrated through your chosen curriculum as an undergraduate, relevant volunteer work performed, or relevant work experience since your graduation from undergraduate school.
Admission Requirements for MS Counseling and MS Social Work Programs
Students applying for admission to Master’s Degree in Counseling programs or Master’s Degree in Social Work must meet a higher standard for admission than is true of many other advanced degree candidates. Though social work and counseling are different areas of study and have different admissions criteria, in both cases admissions committees are looking for particular types of personalities and levels of commitment to the field of study.
Though every academic institution has its own application process, common additional requirements for admission to Master’s in Counseling programs include:
- Bachelor’s degree reflecting a minimum of 9-12 hours in psychology, counseling, or marriage and family studies courses
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Work experience (paid or volunteer) in an area related to counseling or mental health
- Personal statement addressing the contributions you believe you will make to the mental health field
- Evidence of ability to meet the qualifications required for field placement as a counselor
Common additional requirements for admission to Master’s in Social Work programs include:
- Bachelor’s degree preferably reflecting studies in social work, history, society, the living world, or related areas of study
- Transcript should reflect courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences
- Some programs will require a bachelor’s degree in social work
- Social work experience, either volunteer or paid
- Personal statement addressing the contributions you believe you will make to the field of social work
Evidence of ability to meet the qualifications required for field placement as a social worker.
FAQ
Get all the Universities.com's college news, advice, updates, financial aid, and more straight to your inbox.
Sources