Bella429

I'm kind of embarrassed to write this, but here it goes. I plan on starting a MSW program full time in the fall and I have no idea what to expect in terms of the coursework, which is kind of causing me to freak out. As an undergrad I excelled academically, but it has been 3 years since I graduated and I feel quite rusty.  In addition, I am a single mom to a 2 year old who I love dearly and I am not sure how I am going to manage family life and school; in the past I only had to focus on school work and now I feel like my attention is going to be divided.  That being said, right now I'm trying to decide between NYU and Fordham's MSW program.  Does anyone have experience with these programs? I love NYU's program and I personally think they have better opportunities for field placements when compared to Fordham, but I am not sure how factual this opinion is.  I plan on working in clinical practice post grad so having a good field placement is extremely important to me, but on the other hand Fordham seems to be more laxed academically, which is both a pro and con.  Any advice or insight into the amount and type of coursework to expect from either program would be much appreciated.  Thanks in advanced?

A certificate in DBT is just an additional certification/specialization that a mental health or in this case MSW clinician can receive.  Typically one receives their MSW and then takes their licensing exam after graduation to become an LMSW, which is basically a license to practice under supervision. Then from after receiving the LMSW you can become a LCSW; in order to receive this credential in NY you need 3000 hours of supervision within a minimum 3 year time frame and you have to take your clinical licensing exam.  From the LCSW you can become a LCSW-R by obtaining 6 years of post graduate supervision.

I've also been accepted and currently deciding between Fordham and NYU. I've been seeing better reviews for Fordham so far 

I would complete my MSW and seek a DBT certification. Alternatively schools like Columbia, Smith, DePaul, Loyola, Aurora, University at Buffalo, and UC San Diego all have faculty that specialize in mindfulness training/practice. I would recommend reading through the faculty pages at schools you're interested in to see whether any of their instructors share your interests.