Why Major in Social Work?

Learn how to turn your passion for helping others and making a difference into a career working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Majoring in Social Work at UMBC prepares you to help individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations address challenges. Commit to enhancing the lives of others with a bachelor’s degree in social work. The only undergraduate major at UMBC that prepares you to become a professional social worker, this degree provides you with field experience and a comprehensive course of study.

You’ll graduate with a strong understanding of how to navigate a variety of social issues such as health care, addiction, poverty, service provision to families and children, and welfare reform.

The UMBC social work major balances the humanities with the social, behavioral, and biological sciences. As an undergraduate, you will take courses in technology in social work, social work practice methods, social welfare policy and services, human behavior, the social environment, statistics, and social research. You will also get field experience with a community-based social service department or agency. Career opportunities for social workers include working with children and youth as well as people who are older, have developmental disabilities, have mental health concerns, struggle with addiction, or are in poverty. You could also work in a health-care setting, in policy and program development, or in the fields of disaster relief, immigration, veteran affairs, criminal justice, family therapy, and more.