Psychology or social work?

I still confused which major should I go for American university. I have planned to take psychology, but I also interested with social work major. I love people and love to work with people. I still confused between those majors. Can you please explain and what the differences between psychology and social work?


is there any graduate school for social work? because I really want to do graduate school after undergraduate. What kind of graduate school after social work? Can I go for education psychology or social psychology or school pyschology?


how about psychology graduate program?


what the differences between sociology and psychology?


and the last one..what job will you get if you take social work major in the university?





thanks!

Psychology or social work?
Sarah has given you some very good information.





Social work is a very broad degree (much broader than psychology - contrary to what one poster said her). Psychology looks at the individual only and primarily at pathologizing the individual. Social work looks at social problems and at working across multiple systems to address these. So this can include doing psychotherapy, group work, community work, organizational change and policy work.





There are 181 MSW programs in the US (you can find them all at (www.cswe.org). There are many graduate programs in psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy (all three of these are options depending on licensing in your state).





You do want to go to an accredited BSW program (as this opens many more doors). As Sarah suggested you will have a chance to take intro to psych and social work...see which resonates more with you.





DA
Reply:A lot of questions there.





To start of, I think Psychology is better than Social work.





Psychology is a VERY wide field. Like, you can get into neuropsychology, therapy/councelling, cognitive psyc, abnormal psyc, marketing, etc. It also includes stuff that social workers do. Which is, helping out people in need (e.g. homeless people). I just think Social Work is more limiting than Psychology.





Yes, there are graduate schools for social work. You can do masters or phds. Look at the website of the school you want to go to.





Yes, you can do educational psychology. I don't know of it's a separate field on its own. But if you do cognitive (or social) psychology in graduate school, you have the option of focusing on educational systems. You'd find graduate schools for psyc students everywhere.





As for sociology, you basically look at the way a society is organised. E.g. you survey a town, look at the pattern of settlement, culture, etc and pass that info onto educators, planners and business people. It's very research oriented (usually through surveys).


Psychology, on the other hand, is looking at how poeple behave and what motivates them to act in certain ways. Again, a very very wide field compared to sociology.





A social worker might be employed by a community service organisation (e.g women's groups, child welfare, for drug addicts) or different sorts of charity groups.





Good luck!
Reply:I have a master's in clinical social work, so this is my perspective...





If you are aiming at a career helping people, I would consider social work. The first positive is that there are careers available in social services beginning at the bachelor's degree level (such as in case management) and you are able to be licensed to practice with a bachelor's. With a master's and a clinical license you can practice psychotherapy including in a private practice. Much of the intensive therapeutic work you might want to do with experience in psychology requires post-graduate work.





Second...due to the state of mental health funding in the US if nothing else, social workers or LPCs (licensed professional counselors...another route for a master's degree) fill most direct therapeutic jobs such as counseling, direct care staff, case management, etc. There is a very healthy job market for social work/LPC positions right now.





One very good thing about social work is the possible jobs are almost endless...there's child welfare, the justice or prison system, nursing homes or hospice, hospital social work, case management for severe mental illness or disabilities, domestic violence, addiction, at-risk kids and families, and of course psychotherapy in every form.





Graduate schools in social work are very common. Ask your academic advisor. You can also do a master's in social work if you have a bachelor's in sociology or psychology (there are just a few extra courses). Psychology graduate schools are also extremely common because you really do need at least a master's to do very much with a psychology degree.





Sociology is the study of culture and society and does not directly relate to "practice" in the way that social work does. But the theory is very complementary and most social workers take a lot of sociology classes.





I would recommend starting by taking the intro social work course at your university to learn more. You will almost certainly HAVE to take an introductory psychology and sociology course, too, so you can compare. Good luck!!
Reply:Social Work. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people with psychology degrees to find jobs. In fact, many (I know a few, including my mom) have gone back to college to get their MSW.





I live in NY so these are the only schools I know that offer MSW degrees. Fordham University, NYU, Columbia. You can can check up more schools at this site http://www.petersons.com/.





WIth a MSW, you can get jobs working with abuses children, mental health/MICA population, or the homeless. What I like to do is go to sites such as monster.com or craigslist.org and see what jobs I can get with my major.





Edit: I minor in sociology and this is the difference b/w sociology and psychology: Sociology is the study of the affect your environment (i.e.: class, race, gender) has on you and psychology is focused more on how what goes on inside affects you (I.e: depression, anxiety).
Reply:unless you go for being a psychiatrist you will never make much money.

veneers