Understanding the Effects of Socioeconomic Variables, Career Motivation, and MSW Education on Practice Preferences: A Quantitative National Study of MSW Students

The decision to pursue a degree in social work is often rooted in personal experience and socialization. The aim of this study was to explore factors that influence MSW students’ career motivations. The study was a cross-sectional, correlational design using a complex multistage sampling to select 30 CSWE accredited schools of social work. The final sample included a total of 399 MSW students aged 20-64 years (Mean= 33.93, SD= 10.38; median=30.00) enrolled in 22 CSWE accredited social work programs across the U.S. Although semi-structured interviews were conducted, this study focuses on the results using Biggerstaff’s (2000) Social Work Career Influence Questionnaire (SWCIQ) with thirty-two close-ended statements on a 5-point Likert scale in their decision to enter social work, yet also explored variety career outlet choices. Qualtrics was used and data were entered into SPSS 26 to analyze descriptive, bivariate and multivariate factors related to career motivations. Frequency distributions were analyzed on the SWCIQ four subscales (1. Personal and family experiences, 2. Desire to be a therapist, 3. Prestige of the profession, and 4. Social change mission of the profession).

Participants were primarily female (93.4%) and White (82%). Most respondents had completed 0-30 course hours (60.2%) and had completed 0-200 field hours (39.8%). The majority of MSW students received their undergraduate degrees from other fields (45.57%) than the fields of psychology (27.9%), social work (19.75%), or sociology (7.59%). Respondents indicated that Direct Practice with Individuals was their most preferred area of social work practice (82.7%) followed by Group Work (54.0%). Respondents indicated a preference to work for non-profit agencies (66.9%) above the other agency settings of private practice (55.6%), government agencies (52.4%), and for-profit (49.4%).

Respondents’ preferences for working with the poor (67.7%) was the highest rating, followed by work with teenagers 247 (61.9%) and children 219 (54.9%). This scale received the highest rates of neutral responses among the four practice preference scales indicating that students are more open to work with diverse client groups. Respondents identified that mental health hospital as their highest preference rating 209 (51.6%), prison 133 (33.3%), and infant mental health 131 (32.8%) as the top three work place settings.

Younger female and nonbinary students were more likely than older and gender binary students to gravitate toward community-based practice. The findings were counterintuitive that there would be large variations between direct practice over community organization and policy work. Higher income was inversely related to community, groupwork and organizing, yet 67% of the respondents declared interest in working in the nonprofit sector. Experience with the social welfare system revealed people of lower income were less likely to want to work in social welfare agencies. A MANOVA determined that the social justice/ social change mission of the profession had the highest influence on their decision to enter social work. Research to understand motivations of professionals provide data to encourage exploration of a valued and varied profession in hopes to meet the complex needs of a hurting society.