htotheizza

It is a great degree for advancing your career. I have had a very positive response to my being a student in such a program. Only challenge is that you have to pay out of pocket.

I disagree completely. Is it dubious that undergraduates are charged for their degree activities? The only reason PhD students are not charged tuition in most instances is that the programs are paying students for the service of publishing on their behalves. The DSW program advances student knowledge, prepares them to work with PhDs, and places their graduates in another category of employability altogether, so I think it is a fair exchange for the investment.

I think I responded to you elsewhere, Olayak. Good to do your research. My understanding is that DSW programs are not so competitive, so don't sweat the small stuff, so to speak. (Don't let that dissuade you, the DSW simply attracts a whole other type of student than the PhD and has not quite "caught on" yet, so you are ahead of the curve.) Just impress upon them that you have serious passions, interests, and goals; high motivation to learn and work hard; and that you would thrive in the program. Tell them what you intend to do with the degree. I bet the most critical factors for acceptance are the personal essay and the case evaluation. So work hard on those and don't forget to ask for help. (I have made that mistake one too many times in applying for doctoral study). NYU also seems like it has a fine program - perhaps even better than UPenn, given the caliber of clinical faculty there - are you considering NYU?

Hi, Just wondering if anyone heard back from admissions yet? -htotheizza

Definitely go with the MSW over the MA in counseling. Its a more recognizable and flexible degree. Salary stinks, but there are always jobs. I don't think you'd make 50-60 starting, unless you did administration. Figure 30s to 40s for clinical social work in NYC.

In social work, where you got your degree does not matter as much in other fields. If anything, you will be at an advantage getting your MS from Columbia when you return to California because it is a highly respected degree. To get a license, it doesnt matter if you got your degree by mail order or from oxford so long as you pass the tests, have taken the coursework, and and have at minimum the required hours of experience. Job prospects will be good for you whether you choose to stay in NY or return to CA --- social work is a field in which there are always jobs.

This is wonderful news, congrats to you!

Go with Columbia. It sounds like you've fallen in love with the place isnt that reason enough?

Listen, I was in your shoes years ago and Columbia was definitely the right choice. I don't know much about Columbia's policy track, except that you are focusing on policy analysis, economic research, and work in think tanks and for the government. The Social Enterprise Administration track is actually very strong at the master's degree level, from what I've observed. We have a CUSSW intern at our agency right now who was in this track and he is getting a really solid overview of all things administrative in a nonprofit setting, from fiscal, to development, to marketing and communications, to program evaluation and policy. I'm also friendly with a bunch of people who graduated from this track and they seemed to have had the coolest jobs upon graduating, mostly in middle management in the private and nonprofit sectors. The two tracks you mentioned are indeed significantly smaller than their clinical track, but that is a good thing. You want the individualized attention at Columbia, a school so large it can be easy to get lost in the crowd.

There was only one faculty member I wanted to work with at NYU...but four faculty members at Columbia. I am not so much interested in clinical practice as I am in evidence-based interventions for serious mental illness, which Columbia does superbly well.

Does anyone know how seriously the requirement of two-three years practice experience is taken? I think my application is a strong one, in general, save for the fact that I have no experience working as a therapist outside of volunteer experience. I.e., I have published and won several major grants; scored 670 verbal, 650 Quant. and 4.5 analytical on the GRE; I have seven years of research and program evaluation experience; extensive coursework in statistics. I have worked mostly as a consultant and development professional since graduating from my MSW program. I am only applying to one program - Columbia - because I must be in NYC and I applied to the advanced practice track. I am wondering what my chances are. Sincerely, eager to know