The best international Social Work degree programs abroad are found worldwide and are great opportunities for cultural growth! Considering international social work degree study abroad programs can help you cast a larger net for finding the proper training to heal human hurts across borders. Initially started in Amsterdam in 1899, social work spread around the globe from Europe to South America and Africa to correct injustices.
Staying sheltered in the United States won’t necessarily give you the same social work perspective as colleges abroad. After all, the US holds $63.5 trillion of the globe’s $153.2 trillion total wealth, according to Fortune. Getting ready to address the complex problems of poverty, disease, abuse, and conflict worldwide is best done overseas. Here are six of the best social work degree study abroad programs that expose graduate students to international experiences.
1. Alice Salomon University
Founded by the German social reformer and IWF secretary in 1899, Alice Salomon University is an independent, vocational applied sciences institution located in the Hellersdorf district of Berlin. ASH Berlin offers a seven-semester, 210-credit BA in Social Work in German with an international emphasis, including one term abroad and a thesis. In addition, the MA in Social Work as a Human Rights Profession admits four-semester cohorts each April for 120 credits of full-time, hybrid online courses in English that address global strategies with vulnerable groups, and local social welfare organizations. The SWHR program costs €2640 per term for 75 diverse graduate students from Syria to India and USA.
2. University of Kent
Endowed for £5.98 million, the University of Kent is a public, research-intensive institution founded in January 1965 under Princess Marina that’s now educating 19,670 undergraduate students in Canterbury, England. The Faculty of Social Sciences has a 94 percent placement rate after its four-year, HCPC-recognized Social Work BA. Beginning in September, this TEF Gold program emphasizes international practice with 12 months spent abroad. Kent also awards a Social Work MA with second-year tracks for Adult Mental Health or Children and Families. The masters include the Global Skills Award Programme and 170 fieldwork days.
3. University of Stavanger
Belonging to the ECIU since 2012, the University of Stavanger is an interconnected research center. Rector Marit Boyesen is the head, and the center also teaches over 10,000 students on its Ullandhaug campus in Norway’s third-largest metropolitan. The four-term Nordic Master in Social Work and Welfare admits English speakers with 80 ECTS credits. Terms start each March to prepare for globalized practice on-campus, at Umea University in Sweden, and also at Aalborg University in Denmark. Partnered with Lisbon, Gothenburg, and Makerere, Stavanger also has the Erasmus Mundus in Social Work with Families and Children. In addition, this 120-credit, four-term thesis program includes international preparation at 25 study places in English.
4. National University of Singapore
Opened in 1905 as the King Edward VII College of Medicine, the National University of Singapore is a Southeast Asian independent, research-based IARU member of the GEM4. Additionally, the school serves over 35,000 students on its 150 hectares in Pasir Panjang, Queenstown. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences launched the Bachelor of Social Sciences in Social Work with a Human Services Minor in 1952. The four-year undergrad option includes two 400-hour field placements in both domestic and abroad agencies. The Master of Social Work has a 36-month, full-time timetable with Family/Community Studies or Health specializations, 800 practica clock hours, and at least one global exchange.
5. Kingston University London
Dedicated to “Advancing Through Science,” Kingston University London is a public, polytechnic research institute endowed for £2.3 million under Chancellor Bonnie Greer to instruct 20,885 students at its Penrhyn Road, Knights Park, and also Roehampton Vale campuses. Furthermore, the Social Work BA (Hons) teaches the HCPC-accredited, award-winning Practice Learning Suite. It is for four-year undergrads to master a foreign language and tackle 170 days of fieldwork. The Human Rights BA (Hons) also won The Guardian Teaching Excellence Award. Adhering to the Professional Capabilities Framework, the Kingston Social Work MSW in Nightingale Centre offers a full-time, two-year or part-time, and also a three-year track with five days of practicum weekly.
Honorable Mention: University of Delhi
Headed by the Vice President of India, the University of Delhi is a public institution, not like an american university. The research-intensive college opened in 1922 and now teaches over 120,000 students atop 28 hectares in New Delhi. The Delhi School of Social Work has 85 seats each year for its competitive practice-oriented, four-semester MA Social Work. Elective specializations are in Disability, Women’s Welfare, Youth Work, Correctional Services, Employee Relations, and also Gandhian Social Work for the two-year, research-based M.Phil. Social Work. The Ph.D. in Social Work is another Delhi program open each January and July for advanced specialists to conduct dissertations in the Social Sciences Faculty.
Best International Social Work Degree Programs Abroad
There are over 600 institutions offering undergrad and post-grad social work degrees with cross-border opportunities. Other great schools dotting the social work map include the University of Leeds and the University of Witwatersrand. Additionally, the University of Sydney, University of British Columbia, and the University of Buenos Aires have special programs. However, the best international social work degree study abroad programs will vary significantly based on your dream destination. In addition to Masters degree programs abroad, there are many international social work programs in the United States.
Can you get a social work degree abroad?
Yes, it is possible for students to get a social work degree abroad. It is important for students to know that they will need to obtain their bachelor’s degree in social work and then enroll in a master’s degree program to be able to enter the field of international social work. This is because that certain level of education will teach students the advanced clinical and case management skills that they will need while studying abroad and obtaining their social work license. Some schools of social work offer several opportunities for specialized international social work education.
Some universities throughout the United States also offer certificate study abroad programs in which they can earn certification and topics such as global human rights. Other universities have opted to incorporate an international social welfare agenda that is already built into their social work degree programs. This allows students to receive cross-national content in several of their classes and to be able to participate in student exchanges to study abroad. There are also plenty of social work internships students can participate in for a variety of countries.
Types of Work you Can Do Abroad:
- deeper understanding of social justice
- sustainable development social work program
- global practice in social work
- social inequality in the world
- global social work
- social work practice abroad
- work with local social welfare organizations
- Understanding rules in a new environment and new culture
Which country is best for social work study?
Social work is a very rewarding field to work in, but it can be difficult at times. Some students may want to work in other countries as social workers upon completing their degree programs in the United States. There are several countries that are great for students to study social work and two work in the field after they graduate. Germany is one of the best places for studying abroad in social work since there are several opportunities for training while on the job.
Social workers will be able to provide counseling and head up community programs that are always needing extra help from students in the social work field. Germany is also a safe place to live so many students and social work programs choose this country to pursue their degrees as well as their job opportunities when they graduate. Other countries that are great for social work degree programs and social work jobs are Norway, the United Kingdom, and India.
Which countries are looking for social workers?
There are several countries throughout the world that are in desperate need of social workers at their local social welfare organizations. These countries offer great opportunities for international social workers who want to study and work abroad. One of the main continents in need of social workers is Africa and its vulnerable populations. Local people need help with social justice, sustainable development, gender equity, as well as other issues in social services. This is due to the epidemics the country is facing from Ebola and AIDS which has left many children orphaned and several adults with mental health issues as well as survivor guilt.
There are also local social welfare organizations that need social workers throughout the country that provide emergency relief services to the residents there as well as serve as victim advocates. The countries within Africa that are in need of social workers include Liberia, Sierra Leone, Jordan, South Africa, and the Central African Republic. Other countries throughout the world that are in need of social workers include the Caribbean and Latin America, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom in Europe as well as several countries in Asia.
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