Fields of Social Work Practice: Social Work Students' Attitudes and Interests

This article reports the results of a study designed to examine factors that influence social work students' interest in eight fields of practice, through the use of a multidimensional measure of attitudes. BSW students indicated greatest interest in school social work, children's services, and child welfare services, whereas MSW students preferred medical social work, children's services, and mental health. A common predictor of students' interest in six settings was the belief that working in a particular field would be depressing. Social work educators must determine trend areas of highest demand for professional services and adapt curricula to enhance interest and prepare graduates to meet the changing needs of society.