Associates in criminal justice, social work career?

Question

Ok I am currently working on my associates in criminal justice in an online school, my goal is to be a social worker, I am going to go on and get my bachelor's but my school does not offer it in social work but they do in psychology and human services, so question one is what one should I do? Question two is it going to be possible for me to get a job in the social work field when I am done with my associates, I am very impatient I do not want to have to wait another two years or more just to get in the field, hope all of this made sense, please help!

Answer 1

An associate's degree is not going to get you any more than an entry-level job in social work, if you can find one. Most jobs want a BA/BS AND a license/certification for the state you work in. An Assoc. in criminal justice is not going to be much of a help, esp. if it is from an online school. I hate to break all of this to you, but that is the way it is.

I would look into social services/human services places near you for entry-level jobs. Also, look on your state's Dept. of Employment website and see if they have anything. Once in a while, my state will place an ad and all they want is 60 college credits in any discipline. You may be able to find something like that.

As for your BA, I would not do either of those. A BA in Psychology is a stepping stone degree most of the time, meaning you need to go for an advanced degree to get a job. A BA in Human Services is also too general.

The problem is, employers want specific degrees with targeted skills. Those BAs are too broad on their own.

Check out your job market and area, see what is happening. I would not pay for that BA unless you know exactly where you will work after graduation.

Good luck!