Social Work Program

Social Work

Identify and facilitate access to community support, such as food, shelter, clothing, employment, and child care.

Social workers provide services to families in need and work with seniors. Social workers are also the largest providers of mental health and substance abuse counseling in the country. Social work is a practice-based profession that promotes social change, development, cohesion, and the empowerment of people and communities. Social work practice involves the understanding of human development, behavior, and the social, economic, and cultural institutions and interactions.

Social workers can also pursue advanced degrees to become licensed therapists. They can open their own practice and provide psychotherapy. Social workers can also serve as social justice advocates and engage in community planning.

At Motlow State Community College, students can earn an Associate of Science (A.S.) or an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Social Work. Both are Tennessee Transfer Pathways (TTPs). TTPs enable you to complete your degree at Motlow and then seamlessly transfer to any Tennessee public, and many private, universities to complete your bachelor’s degree.

An associate degree in social work is a great way to get your foot in the door and gain valuable real-world experience. There are countless opportunities for entry-level positions in human services.

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Earn an average of $51k per year with an advanced degree in social work.

A female social smiling with an elderly man and two female social workers organizing donated food

Career Opportunities

The annual average salary of social workers in Tennessee ranges between $36,810 for substance abuse social workers to $52,110 for specialty social workers.

With an associate degree, graduates can work as:

Residential Counselors ($40k/year)
Social Services Assistants ($30k/year)
Community Health Worker ($43k/year)

Practical Experience

History of sociology, critical thinking, and research methods in sociology
Identification of basic human relationships, including sociology, culture, inequality and social class, political, and economic orders
Understanding of and solutions for major current problems in American society such as poverty, social deviance, environment, energy, population, health, education, and medical care
Courtship customs and modern family problems with an emphasis on social change
Critical thinking
In-depth research and analysis
Interaction with students and instructors