Being a social worker in Arizona is a very interesting career. You will first need to obtain your master’s in social work, however, after which you can start the process of getting licensed through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. You also need to decide whether you want to become a Licensed Master Social Worker, or if you want to go even further and become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In the latter case, you will also need to work in a relative field for 3,200 hours.
Salary and Job Outlook
Arizona offers some fantastic opportunities for social workers. The cost of living is low and the population is highly ethnically diverse. Indeed, it is around 5% cheaper to live in Arizona than in any other state. The average salary of $50,256 is therefore quite high.
The best opportunities can be found in areas, such as Tucson, Phoenix and Mesa. Additionally, if you are Spanish speaking, you will have even more opportunities, as some 30% of the Arizona population have been identified as Hispanic.
You do need to make some decisions during your education in terms of what you want to focus on. For instance, if you choose child welfare and family services, most of the employment opportunities will be with the government. Indeed, around 41% of all Arizona social workers are government employees. There is also a significant demand for substance abuse and mental health social workers, and particularly for those who also speak Spanish.
Healthcare social workers tend to earn the highest amounts of money. The average salary for these social workers has been found be around $50,300 per year. Family social workers earn around $37,000 and mental health social workers can enjoy a salary of around $33,700.
Healthcare social work is also seeing the quickest growth. It is expected that the increase in jobs in this field between 2010 and 2020 will be 30%. There will also be an increase of 23% in the mental health and substance abuse field and, finally, an 11% increase in child and family specialists.
Unfortunately, there is but a single school in Arizona that offers a master’s of social work degree. It is very important, therefore, that you contact this school in order to find out whether or not it meets you own personal needs and requirements. An alternative would be to choose a different national program from an online university, allowing you to still study in the state. It is incredibly important, however, that your school is then CSWE accredited in order for your degree to be accepted in the state. We have included three online universities that you could take into consideration should Arizona State University not meet your personal requirements.
1. Arizona State University
Arizona State University offers four different master’s degrees in social work. Students choosing the advanced direct practice track must complete a capstone project. Those choosing the administration or community practice must complete a thesis. Focus is on a variety of different issues, including drug and alcohol abuse, children, the developmentally disabled and more.
• Campus: Phoenix and Tucson, AZ
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: CSWE
• Tuition: Varies, please inquire
• Minimum time commitment: Two years minimum
• Online availability: No
• Degree requirements: Application form, personal statement, three letters of reference, resume, transcripts, GRE and MAT (if GPA is below 3.20)
• Programs: Social Work Advanced Generalist, Social Work Advanced Standing (Planning, Administration and Community Practice), Social Work Advanced Standing Direct Practice, Social Work Standard Program
• School Site: Tuition and Financial Aid
2. Boston University
The MSW program offered by Boston University is designed for currently employed social workers in a variety of fields. The learning format is fully online, which means students can remain in their own communities, where they can also continue to work while studying.
• Campus: Boston, MA – Online
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: CSWE
• Tuition: $705 per credit hour
• Minimum time commitment: 65 credits
• Online availability: Yes
• Degree requirements: GPA of 3.0 minimum, BSW, interview, TOEFL, personal statement, three letters of reference, transcripts
• Programs: Clinical Social Work Practice Concentration
• School Site: Tuition and Financial Aid
3. California State University
California State University prides itself in offering an online MSW program with a difference. This difference is the fact that it takes a generalist approach. As a result, students expand their knowledge on micro, mezzo and macro groups.
• Campus: Northridge, CA – Online
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: CSWE
• Tuition: $695 per unit
• Minimum time commitment: Two years
• Online availability: Yes
• Degree requirements: Bachelor’s degree, GPA of 3.0, work experience, personal maturity, three letters of recommendation, transcripts, TOEFL
• Programs: Master of Social Work
• School Site: Tuition and Financial Aid
4. Case Western Reserve University
The online program at Case Western Reserve University is designed to ensure graduates have all the required practical knowledge to become social work leaders. They will be able to empower communities and promote social justice, using local, national and international social work best practice.
• Campus: Cleveland, OH – Online
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: CSWE
• Tuition: Please inquire
• Minimum time commitment: 2 years
• Online availability: Yes
• Degree requirements: BSW, GRE, TOEFL, personal statement, resume, transcripts, three letters of recommendation
• Programs: Community Practice & Social Change and Direct Practice (Child, Youth, & Families) or (Mental Health/Adults)
• School Site: Tuition and Financial Aid
All schools shown here have been contacted and informed of their inclusion on this list. Schools that do not wish to be featured are immediately removed. School names are the registered trademarks of their original owners. The use of any trade name or trademark does not imply any association with the school.
