4 answers
Kenia
Student
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1
Question
Updated
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What is some advice you would give a High school senior who wants to major in psychology and looking into social work?
I'm interested in going into social work but I am not sure If i should take a major in psychology or major in social work. Is there a main difference between the two?
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4 answers
Wong Loke Yuen
Head of Programme cum Senior Lecturer
645
Answers
Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Updated
Wong’s Answer
Hi Kenia. If you major in psychology, you'll learn about how the brain works and why people behave the way they do. You might study things like emotions, mental health, memory, and relationships. Psychology majors often go into jobs where they help people understand their thoughts and feelings. However, to become a licensed psychologist or therapist, you'll usually need to go to graduate school after earning your bachelor's degree. A psychology degree can also lead to other careers, like working in schools, marketing, or human resources, since understanding people is useful in many fields.
A social work major is more hands-on and focused on helping people solve real-life problems. Social workers support individuals, families, and communities who might be struggling with things like poverty or mental illness. In college, you would take classes about human behavior too, but also about social issues, community programs, and public policy. Most social work programs include fieldwork, which means you'll get to work with real people in hospitals, schools, or social service agencies while still in school.
The main difference is this: psychology helps you understand how people think and feel, while social work helps you take that understanding and use it to make a direct impact on their lives. If you want to talk to people, guide them, and connect them with resources, social work might be the better choice. If you're more interested in studying the brain, behavior, and mental health from a scientific view, psychology might be the right path.
A social work major is more hands-on and focused on helping people solve real-life problems. Social workers support individuals, families, and communities who might be struggling with things like poverty or mental illness. In college, you would take classes about human behavior too, but also about social issues, community programs, and public policy. Most social work programs include fieldwork, which means you'll get to work with real people in hospitals, schools, or social service agencies while still in school.
The main difference is this: psychology helps you understand how people think and feel, while social work helps you take that understanding and use it to make a direct impact on their lives. If you want to talk to people, guide them, and connect them with resources, social work might be the better choice. If you're more interested in studying the brain, behavior, and mental health from a scientific view, psychology might be the right path.
Michelle M.
Actress
3276
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Kenia !
I would say that you have chosen a very beneficial academic path to become a Social Worker. The choice is up to you, but I can shed some light on it so that you can make a decision.
If you Major in Psychology, that will give you a good foundation for theory and technique and understanding human behavior at an optimum. You should read the curriculum courses of the college you would be attending, however, typical courses/subjects that a Psychology Major covers are Introduction to Psychology which includes biological bases of behavior, perception, learning and memory, development, personality, and social psychology. Also Psychological Principles in Health and Wellness or Psychophysiology, Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and many more depending on your specific college's Psychology Program. In general, the Bachelors path usually contains courses about biological bases of behavior, perception, learning and memory, development, personality, and social psychology as mentioned above.
If you do a Social Work Major for your Bachelors Degree, in general the courses you would take - depending on the particular college's curriculum - deal with history and values of the social work profession, human behavior in the social environment, social welfare policy, and research methods. Human Behavior and the Social Environment examine individual and family functioning within social systems, engagement, assessment, and treatment planning. statistics, and what you don't take for your Bachelors you could take for your Masters.
If you want to get the most out of your career as far as being prepared to do clinical social work (therapy) and probably get the most populations as clients, I'd go with the Psychology Bachelors. If you want to do social policy, go with the Social Work Major, but you can still do therapy with that degree, too. You'd need your Masters. Take a Social Work Masters Degree as that is the mandatory Masters Degree needed.
The Certification exam will consist of questions about human development, diversity, and behavior in the environment, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning; psychotherapy, clinical interventions, and case management, professional ethics and values, and supervision, consultation, and program evaluation. So it is up to you to decide.
What you can do now in 12th grade, this summer and any time really, is to obtain books that focus on the specific behaviors. Some subjects are depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, addiction, narcissism, border personality disorder, anti-social behavior, dysthymia (which they now term as persistent depressive disorder), adjustment disorder, the criminal mind, and any other behaviors that you want to learn about in a one subject context. This will break the ice for when these terms come up during your Psychology Bachelors.
I do just want to say, pursuing clinical social work will probably enable you to obtain the better salaries. I know clinical social workers that do very well.
What would be good would be to obtain the college's webpage or catalog and read both the Bachelor Program for Psychology and Social Work. Your Masters in Social Work will most likely prepare you for the Certification exam. I know some social workers that majored in history or sociology and they passed their Masters program and certification and were able to become Licensed. So it's really up to you. If it was me, I'd do the Psychology Bachelors and the Social Work Masters, just like you've stated in your question.
I hope this helps and it took some length to provide the important information so I hope it's something useful for you. I wish you all the best on your amazing journey !
I would say that you have chosen a very beneficial academic path to become a Social Worker. The choice is up to you, but I can shed some light on it so that you can make a decision.
If you Major in Psychology, that will give you a good foundation for theory and technique and understanding human behavior at an optimum. You should read the curriculum courses of the college you would be attending, however, typical courses/subjects that a Psychology Major covers are Introduction to Psychology which includes biological bases of behavior, perception, learning and memory, development, personality, and social psychology. Also Psychological Principles in Health and Wellness or Psychophysiology, Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and many more depending on your specific college's Psychology Program. In general, the Bachelors path usually contains courses about biological bases of behavior, perception, learning and memory, development, personality, and social psychology as mentioned above.
If you do a Social Work Major for your Bachelors Degree, in general the courses you would take - depending on the particular college's curriculum - deal with history and values of the social work profession, human behavior in the social environment, social welfare policy, and research methods. Human Behavior and the Social Environment examine individual and family functioning within social systems, engagement, assessment, and treatment planning. statistics, and what you don't take for your Bachelors you could take for your Masters.
If you want to get the most out of your career as far as being prepared to do clinical social work (therapy) and probably get the most populations as clients, I'd go with the Psychology Bachelors. If you want to do social policy, go with the Social Work Major, but you can still do therapy with that degree, too. You'd need your Masters. Take a Social Work Masters Degree as that is the mandatory Masters Degree needed.
The Certification exam will consist of questions about human development, diversity, and behavior in the environment, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning; psychotherapy, clinical interventions, and case management, professional ethics and values, and supervision, consultation, and program evaluation. So it is up to you to decide.
What you can do now in 12th grade, this summer and any time really, is to obtain books that focus on the specific behaviors. Some subjects are depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, addiction, narcissism, border personality disorder, anti-social behavior, dysthymia (which they now term as persistent depressive disorder), adjustment disorder, the criminal mind, and any other behaviors that you want to learn about in a one subject context. This will break the ice for when these terms come up during your Psychology Bachelors.
I do just want to say, pursuing clinical social work will probably enable you to obtain the better salaries. I know clinical social workers that do very well.
What would be good would be to obtain the college's webpage or catalog and read both the Bachelor Program for Psychology and Social Work. Your Masters in Social Work will most likely prepare you for the Certification exam. I know some social workers that majored in history or sociology and they passed their Masters program and certification and were able to become Licensed. So it's really up to you. If it was me, I'd do the Psychology Bachelors and the Social Work Masters, just like you've stated in your question.
I hope this helps and it took some length to provide the important information so I hope it's something useful for you. I wish you all the best on your amazing journey !
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1185
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Kenia!
It's fantastic that you're considering your career path before attending college; having this kind of clarity early on will be really useful for you.
Although there are some similarities between psychology and social work, their approaches to assisting people are different.
Psychology is primarily theoretical and research-based and focuses on understanding human behavior, emotions, and mental processes. On the other hand, social work is practical and system-focused; it analyzes ways to assist people and communities via direct services, resources, and advocacy.
A psychology major can be the best choice for you if you have a strong interest in counseling, therapy, or understanding the "why" behind people's behavior. However, a social work degree might be more appropriate if you're interested in working directly with families, kids, or communities, connecting people to support systems, and having a real influence.
In fact, many people combine the two, first majoring in psychology for a solid foundation and then going on to earn a master's degree in social work (MSW). You can pursue careers that are both clinical and community-focused by taking that approach.
You can begin your exploration as a senior in high school by taking tiny steps, such as helping with neighborhood organizations, shadowing a social worker or counselor, or enrolling in introductory sociology or psychology classes. You'll be able to see where your enthusiasm is most at home thanks to those experiences.
Both paths result in a really fulfilling job. It's more important to choose the lens you wish to use to assist others than it is to choose the "right" one.
Best wishes!
It's fantastic that you're considering your career path before attending college; having this kind of clarity early on will be really useful for you.
Although there are some similarities between psychology and social work, their approaches to assisting people are different.
Psychology is primarily theoretical and research-based and focuses on understanding human behavior, emotions, and mental processes. On the other hand, social work is practical and system-focused; it analyzes ways to assist people and communities via direct services, resources, and advocacy.
A psychology major can be the best choice for you if you have a strong interest in counseling, therapy, or understanding the "why" behind people's behavior. However, a social work degree might be more appropriate if you're interested in working directly with families, kids, or communities, connecting people to support systems, and having a real influence.
In fact, many people combine the two, first majoring in psychology for a solid foundation and then going on to earn a master's degree in social work (MSW). You can pursue careers that are both clinical and community-focused by taking that approach.
You can begin your exploration as a senior in high school by taking tiny steps, such as helping with neighborhood organizations, shadowing a social worker or counselor, or enrolling in introductory sociology or psychology classes. You'll be able to see where your enthusiasm is most at home thanks to those experiences.
Both paths result in a really fulfilling job. It's more important to choose the lens you wish to use to assist others than it is to choose the "right" one.
Best wishes!
Diana Rodriguez Velasquez
Psychologist
54
Answers
Memphis, Tennessee
Updated
Diana’s Answer
Hi Chinyere!! This is a great question, and it’s very common to feel torn between psychology and social work—especially if you’re interested in helping others.
Here’s a simple way to think about the difference:
Psychology focuses more on understanding human behavior, mental processes, assessment, research, and therapy. A psychology major is often more theoretical at the undergraduate level and usually requires graduate school (master’s or PhD) to work clinically as a psychologist.
Social work, on the other hand, is more practice-oriented from the start. Social workers are trained to support individuals, families, and communities by addressing both mental health and social systems (schools, hospitals, community agencies, policy). With a Master of Social Work (MSW), you can become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and provide therapy sooner than with psychology.
Some advice for deciding:
-If you enjoy research, assessment, and are open to a longer academic path, psychology may be a better fit.
-If you want earlier hands-on work, advocacy, and a clearer clinical pathway after a master’s degree, social work may be ideal.
-Many students major in psychology and later pursue an MSW—this is a very common and valid path.
What you can do now as a high school senior:
-Look at course requirements for both majors at schools you’re considering.
-Volunteer in mental health, community organizations, or youth programs to see what type of work you enjoy most.
-Remember: your undergraduate major does not lock you into one career forever—graduate training matters more.
Both paths lead to meaningful careers in mental health. The best choice is the one that aligns with how you want to help people and how you want to be trained.
Here’s a simple way to think about the difference:
Psychology focuses more on understanding human behavior, mental processes, assessment, research, and therapy. A psychology major is often more theoretical at the undergraduate level and usually requires graduate school (master’s or PhD) to work clinically as a psychologist.
Social work, on the other hand, is more practice-oriented from the start. Social workers are trained to support individuals, families, and communities by addressing both mental health and social systems (schools, hospitals, community agencies, policy). With a Master of Social Work (MSW), you can become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and provide therapy sooner than with psychology.
Some advice for deciding:
-If you enjoy research, assessment, and are open to a longer academic path, psychology may be a better fit.
-If you want earlier hands-on work, advocacy, and a clearer clinical pathway after a master’s degree, social work may be ideal.
-Many students major in psychology and later pursue an MSW—this is a very common and valid path.
What you can do now as a high school senior:
-Look at course requirements for both majors at schools you’re considering.
-Volunteer in mental health, community organizations, or youth programs to see what type of work you enjoy most.
-Remember: your undergraduate major does not lock you into one career forever—graduate training matters more.
Both paths lead to meaningful careers in mental health. The best choice is the one that aligns with how you want to help people and how you want to be trained.