Let’s face it: we never know what life is going to throw at us. So many people seek an education, but may not be at a point in their life where that’s super possible. Even for those who are in the typical college age-range, there are plenty of reasons to consider college online. Online learning has a ton of benefits over in-person learning, such as
- Lower costs
- Flexibility
- Course variety
Online schooling also has the benefit of knocking down travel times. Sure, you could pay a fortune to live right in the middle of campus or rent a place nearby and take a bike, bus, or car, but, if you have a family or another job, it can often be difficult to give up so much of your time and energy to commuting.
Social workers are people specially trained to work with other people. Social work may not be the most popular major out there, but 7% of all college graduates got a degree somewhere in the social sciences, so you’ll still be in good company. Whether you want to go into clinical therapy, child social work, geriatric social work, or any number of other fields within the social work category, there’s a school out there for you.
It’s also important to remember the different schools will offer different degrees in social work. After obtaining your bachelors in social work (BSW), you may want to go after a more specific degree that will help to prepare you for a more specialized field, like a masters in social work (MSW) or a licensed clinical program (LCSW). You may even want to go after a doctorate of social work (DSW) or a related PhD program. Most schools online programs don’t offer every kind of degree, but you can always get your bachelors at one school and your masters at another, so here are some of the best schools for your social work needs.
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
Appalachian State University is a small town school in North Carolina with a thriving small-town community, but it can also be attended from anywhere. Their online social work program is often regarded as one of the top virtual MSW programs in the country. App State doesn’t offer an online LCSW degree, but if you aren’t looking to go into clinical social work, this school, based on its professors and class quality, should probably be a top choice.
One important distinction that App State has on its side is its online professors: they’re all just the regular, in-person professors. You’re still getting the exact same education from the people who would be teaching your in person classes. App State also puts a particular emphasis on group work online by making sure online students can see each other's faces with a computer screen and speak to each other, working on group projects. In some cases, you may even get more group and discussion time online than if you were at the same school in-person.
While App State also prides itself on its flexibility, they do have one notable issue. Fully-online students have complained that there isn’t perfect consistency in terms of Zoom. Some professors run their classes fully asynchronously, and some run them with a required Zoom meeting at set times throughout the week. This can cause problems when scheduling, so just make absolutely sure you have the ability time-wise to take all the classes you plan on going for.
University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knowing it’s one of the top 25 in-person colleges for social work in the US, it’s no wonder the University of Tennessee-Knoxville has such a strong online program too. UT-Knoxville’s virtual degree program focuses on getting students BSWs, meaning, if you’re looking to go after a masters in social work, UT-Knoxville may be a great place to start your MSW journey. They also offer online MSWs, but the BSW program is their specialty.
Even if you don’t plan on going after the masters degree, UT-Knoxville can still help you in your field. Their field placement program, which helps connect students with social workers in the real world for hands-on job experience, is fully available to UT-Knoxville’s online social work undergraduates, and it clearly works. UT-Knoxville’s virtual social work program boasts a 95% hiring rate within the first six months after graduation.
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
All the way down in the Yellowhammer State sits the nationally known university of Alabama. In-person, the University of Alabama is known for its intense party culture and extreme school spirit, particularly over their football team (Roll Tide). Not a lot of people know, though, that they have a thriving online social work program. Bama’s primarily online social work degree, a BSW, finds itself on having an identical curriculum to the in-person program. Bama has a clearly laid out course load good matches what you would have in-person.
You may have noticed that Bama calls this program a “primarily online” study, so don’t worry, you won’t be required to attend in person classes. Bama actually has an in-depth online curriculum that initially never requires leaving your home. The school, like UT-Knoxville, has an in person mentorship program where they work with you to match you with an organization that can give you hands-on experience while earning your bachelors degree. This isn’t just encouraged— it’s a mandatory class. In order to graduate from the social work program, you have to work in the field, which the school will find you a way to do. This leads to every student feeling much more confident and prepared for the social work workforce.
That’s a wrap on the best online colleges for social work!
No matter where you are in life, online schooling is always a great option, and, for those of us who want to work with people, social work is the perfect direction. Take a look at a few of these schools for your own life!
