Study social work abroad
An in-depth guide to studying social work as an international student.
Social work degrees abroad
Social work is an academic discipline that is committed to human rights and social justice by helping those in need. You will learn how to work with vulnerable people across different ages and cultures, and how to build respectful and trusting relationships.
While studying a social work program you’ll cover a range of subjects including sociology, psychology, and law amongst others. Working in social work is a demanding and rewarding profession, that plays a crucial role in communities all over the world. If you have the drive and commitment to improve the lives of others, then social work could be the ideal program for you.
Social work is a popular program that is offered at universities all over the world, including the UK, US, South Africa, Canada and many others. By studying abroad, you’ll get to develop important skills like interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Social work program structure
There are a variety of degree qualifications you can study for in social work at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At bachelor’s level you can study for a BA, BSc or a BSW (Bachelor of Social Work) over three or four years, depending on where you study.
If you study at bachelor’s level in the US, you can choose to study social work as a major or minor subject. To graduate, you’ll need to earn a certain amount of credits in social work modules.
Most postgraduate social work degree programs are offered as an MA or MSc over two years, but you can also study for a PhD over four years. In the US and some other countries you can study an MSW (Master of Social Work), and some universities also offer PgDip (Postgraduate Diploma) programs.
Social work programs are usually taught through student-led seminars, group workshops and lectures. You will also spend time on placement where you’ll be able to shadow professional social workers and interact with the local community. The program content will be unique to each program, but some of the main areas of study include:
- Introduction to social work
- Equality and diversity
- Law and social policy
- Introduction to psychology
- Professional practice
- Social work with children
- Social work skills
Best countries to study social work
How to study social work abroad
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Social work study abroad programs
Social work undergraduate programs
Bachelor's in social work
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Social Work - BSW Long Island University Post, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 35,736 USD
- Start date
- January, September
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Social Work - BSW Greenville University, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 27,580 USD
- Start date
- January, August
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Social Work (Downtown Phoenix Campus) - BSW Arizona State University, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 29,834 USD
- Start date
- January, May, August
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Social Work - BSW University of Kentucky, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 29,050 USD
- Start date
- January, August
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Social Work - BSW University of Central Florida, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 22,478 USD
- Start date
- January, May, August
Social work graduate programs
Master's in social work
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Social Work - MSW Long Island University Post, USA
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 2 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 44,100 USD
- Start date
- January, September
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Social Work - Advanced Standing - (Planning, Administration and Community Practice) - MSW Arizona State University, USA
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 1 year
- Tuition fees per year
- 26,518 USD
- Start date
- May
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Social Work - MSW RMIT University, Australia
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 2 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 30,720 AUD
- Start date
- February, July
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Social Work - MSW University of Dundee, UK
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 22 months
- Tuition fees per year
- 18,150 GBP
- Start date
- September
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Social Work - MSW University of Newcastle, Australia
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 2 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 31,070 AUD
- Start date
- February, July, September
Doctorate in social work
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Social Work and Social Care - PhD University of Gloucestershire, UK
- Program type
- Doctorate
- Duration
- 3 years
- Tuition fees per year
- 13,200 GBP
- Start date
- January, September
Future social work careers
Social work is a vocational degree, and most graduates go on to become practicing social workers in their local community. However, there are several different roles you could pursue, including:
- Social worker
- Care manager
- Persistent offender coordinator
- Family support worker
- Housing adviser
- Support worker
The skills you’ll acquire on a social work degree program like compassion, communication and teamwork are also easily transferable to other areas of work.
If you’re not quite sure what role you want to pursue after you’ve graduated, make use of your university’s career services, who can help you work out which path is right for you.
