Bachelor's Degree

• The minimum requirement for becoming a social worker is a bachelor's degree in the field, although this level of education may not be enough for many employers. The Council on Social Work Education accredits 31 Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) programs in the state of New York, including Buffalo State College, Fordham University, College of New Rochelle, Iona College and Long Island University. Many colleges also offer master's degree programs in the same departments, along with combined degrees. At Marist College, for example, students in the bachelor's program cover topics such as ethics, social policy, human behavior, research and practical theories and methods.
  
  

Master's Degree

• The social work master's degree, the Master of Social Work (MSW), is the most common degree that social work students achieve. The state offers 16 accredited Master of Social Work degree programs. Prospective social workers take courses such as human behavior in the social environment, public ethics, diversity and oppression, research methods in social work, social work with families and social work with groups.
  
  

Licensing Steps

• Earning the necessary license requires more than just a degree in social work; candidates must spend about two years or 3,000 hours under advisement in a clinical social work practice setting, observing experienced social workers and treating their own patients.
  
  

Potential Income

• The 2009 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report tracked the salaries of New York's 14,680 social workers, who earned an average annual wage of $51,580, just over the national average of $50,470 for the profession. New York social workers earned as high as $73,820 that year and bottomed out at approximately $33,790.