Are you exploring a career in social and community services? Public health and social work are two career paths that appeal to professionals focused on helping and uplifting others. While these two careers have similar goals, their strategies, fields of study, and techniques are strikingly different.

Every academic path to becoming public health workers and social workers are quite different. If you’re confused about these two career paths, keep reading to explore their differences and similarities.

Academic Pathways

Students pursuing public health have to adopt different academic paths than those who aspire for social work. Let’s take a closer look at both degrees.

Social Work Degree

The Master’s in Social Work degree is usually a two-year academic program that focuses on coursework and fieldwork. Naturally, fieldwork has a greater emphasis on helping prepare vigilant, efficient, and competent social workers. As compared to a Master’s of Public health degree, an MSW degree requires more practical field experience and skills.

Coursework is focused mainly on sociological research, human social development, and social welfare systems’ structures and administration. In both social work and public health degrees, specialization is instrumental for career advancement. Students typically choose between three major specializations:

• Clinical work
• Macro Social work
• Advanced Generalist (Non-Clinical)

Unlike public health professionals, most social workers require licensure to establish credibility in handling sensitive situations. Social workers who gravitate towards clinical work, for instance, a career as a psychotherapist, must obtain a state license. If you’ve studied psychology or work as a psychotherapist, you can explore numerous rewarding opportunities in social work.

Aspiring professionals can pursue an Online Master of Social Work to expand career advancement opportunities and work closely with underprivileged communities. Interestingly, social workers come from diverse academic backgrounds, including psychology, sociology, political science, and more.

If you lean towards clinical work, you will need to pass the clinical licensure exam. Aspirants must also obtain licensure to work as an advanced generalist, alongside two years of post-masters work experience.

Public Health Degree

Professionals in the public health sector come from diverse academic backgrounds and pursue a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree. MPH is a two-year academic program that focuses on coursework, research, and practical training. Students train in the structure and administration of public health policymaking, medical and healthcare research, and public awareness.

Students ready to analyze research findings and develop communication and coordination skills to manage public health projects effectively. Aspirants are strongly encouraged to find their calling and specialize in advancing their careers.

Some major public health specializations include:

• Biostatistics
• Epidemiology – The study of disease
• Health Policy & Administration
• Environmental Health
• Social & Behavioral Sciences

Aspirants often confuse an MPH with a Master’s of Science in Public Health (MSPH), which focuses more on research and academia. Students and working professionals can expand their career opportunities with an online Master of Public Health. It will make the academic journey more comfortable and less financially burdensome. Professionals can also obtain a (CPH) Certified in Public Health to cement their expertise.

Working Settings

Social workers and public health professionals work with similar goals of eliminating societal issues and uplift their communities. While many of their responsibilities and duties overlap, they also work in different settings. However, the exact nature of their job descriptions depends on their specializations and expertise.

Social Work

Social work professionals generally work directly with people and communities. For instance, social workers connect people with different services, such as women’s rights and empowerment, mental healthcare providers, and nutritional assistance. They also connect people with vocational training facilities, housing services, child care, and support, healthcare, and more.

Many social workers are employed as caseworkers and are responsible for the wellbeing of families, children, or troubled adolescents. It is vital to note that social workers work across multiple settings, including state and community agencies, hospitals, and non-profit agencies.

Clinically trained social workers work closely with mental health agencies and government programs to provide psychotherapy. Trained clinicians and psychotherapists help families and people struggling with substance abuse and mental illnesses. Social workers typically operate on the micro-level of a community, helping people and families. Macro social work often overlaps with the public health domain as it involves enhancing social welfare programs and systems.

Social and public health professionals come together to enhance social welfare systems with dynamic social policy initiatives. Social work professionals also work closely with the federal, state, or local government to develop and fun social work programs.

On average, social workers bank an annual income of over $50,000. Income typically increases with advanced specializations, training, experience, and marketability. Licensure, more specifically LCSW, is a common route for career advancement and financial stability amongst social workers.

Public Health

What can you do with a Masters in Public Health?Public health careers are more focused on addressing macro-level issues that impact communities, cities, nations, and people worldwide. Interestingly, public health professionals rarely have direct communication with the communities and people they serve. These professionals are responsible for handling and mitigating environmental disasters, such as outbreaks of deadly infections and devastating tornados.

Some other public healthcare career paths include public awareness and education, healthcare research, and analysis. Public health professionals are focused mainly on health issues, disease prevention, intervention, and treatment. They work to promote vaccines and health awareness on a national and global level.

Public health workers pursue specializations as an epidemiologist, health and safety engineers, and environmental scientists. Many professionals focus on conducting research and innovating public policy with groundbreaking initiatives. Public health experts also work closely with government agencies, federal and state health departments, and non-profits. They also work with hospitals, pharmaceuticals, and universities.

On average, a professional with an MPH degree is likely to make an annual income between $38,000 and $74,000. In general, public health experts enjoy financial stability and career advancement with advanced training and specializations. The salary and contributions depend entirely on the specific job role, training and experience, and work nature.

Conclusion

It is interesting to note that social work and public health come with differences and similarities. But essentially, these two professions complement each other and promote initiatives for the greater good of societies. It is common for social workers and public health professionals to work on similar issues and challenges.

For instance, in the event of a devastating hurricane, these professionals work together. Public health professionals organize aid and mitigate the crisis. Simultaneously, social workers operate on the front-lines by providing assistance, shelter, and safety. Social workers come in direct contact with people and communities, while public health professionals work behind the scenes and organize