Are online social work degrees frowned upon in the job market?

[newnavymami]

I found a couple of accredited schools online that offer a degree in social work. Only some of the comment about the program weren't very positive, someone commented that online SW degrees aren't taken seriously in the job market. Is this true?

[kbk823]

Online degrees aren't taken as seriously as degrees from other schools. The online school may not be accredited. I have seen job ads that specify that University of Phoenix or DeVrey graduates need not apply.

[Athena]

Yes and No. But really, the question you should be asking is: can I get the job I want with a degree from this program?

Generally, to get a social work job you need an MSW or a BSW from an accredited school of social work. You also need a certification or a license from your state. Most states won't give you a license without a degree from a CSWE accredited school. So, really, the program should be accredited by the CSWE (Council on Social Work Education) and the college or university should be regionally accredited.

There are very few distance learning programs in social work (two that I can think of ) but any program should require some in person contact and field work in order to graduate. If you are going to do a distance learning program, I would suggest pursuing one at an established school with a good reputation. Michigan State is one good option (https://www.msu.edu/~swdisted/) but I'm sure there are others.