michigan girl

Advanced standing programs are for prospective students who earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at a CSWE-accredited program. They are in school for a shorter time frame because they already completed a portion of the 912-mandated fieldwork hours in their BSW program..

It's too early because different states have different licensing requirements. Some require the Master's exam first; some only require the Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam. The MSW foundation courses will prepare you for the licensing exam.

As the OP, I have good news: Just when I was about to give up on the job search, I received a call from someone, who forwarded my application to my previous supervisor's supervisor. She was looking for someone to complete an evaluation project by this summer, and thought I would be the right candidate for the position! So, I am earning a good wage and working on an topic that is related to my second master's degree this fall!! Although I could say "God Is Good!", the moral of the story is don't give up! You never know what life has in store for you.

Congrats on your acceptances! I wouldn't necessarily overrule Syracuse -- they are giving you full funding plus assistantship! You'll be able to graduate with little to no student loan debt. That's very important in these uncertain economic times. As ZeChocMoose stated, the prestige of the program is not significant at the master's level; focus on whether the program can help you reach your end goals without putting you into so much debt. I would definitely recommend you visit Syracuse to get a feel for their program.

I am not a doctoral applicant but from my experience an unfunded master's degree is not worth it. I understand Harvard and Stanford are considered the "holy grail" (for bragging rights) in education rankings but everything still comes down to funding and academic fit. If Harvard and Stanford don't offer you any funding, then it's a sign that they don't seriously want you. You may pursue the master's route for the name, but you will also end up with more ($60,000?) student loan debt. That is a lot of money, especially when graduate students are ineligible for subsidized Stafford loans this fall. My professor told me to go with the program that will give you the best funding, faculty, coursework, resources and environment to succeed.

I watched the funeral on CNN and thought it was very lovely and appropriate. The world got a chance to see a side of her that we never knew. Whitney's accomplishments will always outweigh her negatives. People need to recognize that. She was a gift to all of us. Kevin Costner's (co-star in The Bodyguard) words were so amazing. Here is the quote below: http://www.accesshol...e_article_60862 Clive Davis, her industry manager and mentor, discusses Whitney's talent for interpreting lyrics below: http://www.cbsnews.c...ive-davis-says/

^ I can't speak for all schools, but it seems higher education master's programs don't operate on rolling admissions and are popular in demand (especially at top-ranked programs).

^ Ann Arbor is located within Southeast Michigan. While Ann Arbor is not considered a suburb of Detroit, it is within Detroit's sphere of influence (radio, print and broadcast media is Detroit-based) and the closest airport is Detroit-Wayne Metropolitan Airport.

From my experience, you are more likely to get better funding in a social work master's program. You also have to consider how much rankings matter to you. Second- and third-tier sociology master's programs may offer you decent funding packages.

^ Detroit (proper) is actually 45 miles (48 minutes) away from Ann Arbor. Of course, it's a longer trip if you're coming from the far north and northeast suburbs. Revo, why are you ashamed? Most U-M students do not drive to Detroit unless they are visiting family, friends, work and special events.

Yes, it is possible to do practicum and a part-time job. In my MSW program, I did fieldwork (16 hours per week) and part-time work-study job (10-12 hours per week). If your fieldwork requires 16-20 hours per week, make sure your part-time job doesn't exceed 15 hours per week. The worst-case scenario is you will risk doing poorly in your coursework. Remember, your schoolwork always come first no matter how much you need the extra money. Find a balance. That's also why student loans exist.

It has begun! http://music-mix.ew.com/2012/02/12/whitney-houston-music-sales/

I noticed no one has posted a thread. Although it's five hours since the breaking news, I am still at a loss of words. Whitney Houston has died. In my childhood (1990s), I used to have Whitney posters on my wall and videos of her concerts. She was simply amazing with the golden voice. Her songs were also very uplifting and filled with joy, love and faith. Despite her struggles with drugs, she released over 20+ hit songs and several popular films in her 30-year career. More shocking, she died in February, the month of Black History Month. In my opinion, she will always be the Queen of Pop. At the time of her death, Houston was the most awarded female act of all time (total of 415 career awards as of 2010). She also sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. She was extremely talented and will be missed! Does anyone have similar condolesences and memories of her?

Initially, I avoided this thread because the OP's interests were all over the place, making the original post very difficult to follow. OP likes advising/counseling students, but later on discusses their passion for new media and women's studies. Although OP seeks practical experience, OP also desires more research experience. I get the sense that the OP could have pursued a master's degree in journalism (new media track), master of liberal arts (gender studies track), or master of social work (very social justice-oriented)! If the OP is not interested in how higher education is structured, governed, financed, and managed, then I don't see how the master's degree in higher education is a good fit for the OP's goals.The OP will gain exposure to the individual, institutional and societal aspects of higher education. Nevertheless, I knew several social work classmates who earned a graduate certificate in women's and gender studies (I also have a MSW). A graduate certificate is typically 15 credit hours (5 credits on the quarter system). When the MSW students applied, they made a compelling case on how the women's and gender studies certificate would further enhance their social work concentrations. The good news is both Northwestern University and Loyola University Chicago offer graduate certificates in women's and gender studies. The downside is the graduate certificate will use up all of your electives in your master's program. A higher education master's student with a women's and gender studies graduate certificate typically focuses on gender issues in higher education. OP, is this what you want?

Definitely experience. If you have a GPA of a 3.0 or higher, you will be fine as long as you have demonstrated experience in the field. It can be jobs, campus activities, volunteer service, or social research. There are so many ways to get involved, ranging from mentoring youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters to building homes with Habitat for Humanity (just to name a few). The admissions team want to see how well will you fit with social work's dual mission (maximizing human potential and promoting social justice).

I also want to add that certain social work programs have special programs for students who are interested in emerging fields, such as child welfare, international social work, and geriatric social work. Sometimes, students enrolled in these special programs also receive unique financial aid packages and perks (i.e., 1/2 tuition scholarships, seminars, one-on-one career counseling, etc.). For instance, If you apply to one of those programs, get accepted, and later realize you want a different concentration, you may lose the financial aid funding! That's why it's very important to be honest in your statement of purpose. You may face stiffer competition in the applicant pool if your intended concentration is clinical. Nevertheless, if you are accepted into a MSW program, you may receive a good financial aid package because there are more scholarships and fellowships available for clinical practice social work students.

Not necessarily. Admissions officers are trained to figure out who is committed to clinical or macro social work. If your heart is in clinical practice, then select the clinical concentrations. Grants and scholarships are also tied to students' incoming concentrations.

In some professions (i.e., social work, urban planning, counseling, public health), the master's degree is the entry-level requirement for career advancement and licensing/certification. Thus, the master's degree is not a worthless investment at all.

^ I don't think you should pass up the Discovery Channel job offer (if you receive it). Earning income is always better than $60,000 in debt (true cost when you add living expenses). One-year education master's programs, IMO, are only worth it if you receive a graduate assistantship that will help defray some of the costs.

Social workers pursue careers in children, youth and family services; health care and health prevention; community revitalization and development; higher education; research; policy and planning; organizational development; and international social work. Direct (clinical) social workers work with individuals, families and small groups, and indirect (macro) social workers with with organizations and communities. Although most social workers pursue the clinical track, many macro social workers have obtained positions in non-traditional areas, such as government (policy-making and evaluation roles) and non-profit organizations (management, grant-writing/fund-raising). Some apply their MSW to dual-degree programs in law, public health, religion, and public policy.

"You are expected to have a higher level of introspection and critical thinking." I also want to add that in graduate school you will find yourself doing a lot of group assignments and large-scale single projects that may require lots of critical and introspective thinking. The workload is also heavier (more reading, writing, and learning jargon). It doesn't matter if you have no experience in X area. The professors will evaluate you based on how creative and innovative you can work under unfamiliar (and sometimes stressed!) situations. Looking back at my own MSW experience, I thought some of my assignments were exhaustive and nearly impossible (I graduated from a Top-5 MSW program). Since I have completed my fieldwork and degree requirements, I have the confidence to take on difficult tasks and situations. Unlike undergrad (where the focus is a gaining a liberal arts foundation), the MSW professors will help you become a competent and effective social work professional.

I think the Master of Social Work (School Social Work track) and Master of Education (School Counseling/Special Education/Rehabilitation track) will work. In your case, I would lean more social work since you want to specifically work with special education (IEP) students. The degree is also flexible in case you want to switch careers or start a private practice in the future. Both fields will require state/province licensing. Just make sure you pick field placements in high school or college settings (disability offices, counseling and psychological services).

The next question you should ask yourself is do you see yourself working in a K-12 or university setting? I can give you better advice based on your choice.

It depends. Which field do you want to enter: school social work, special education teacher, or school counselor? Keep in mind they are all not the same. School social work route requires a MSW, special education teacher route requires an MEd in special education, and the school counselor route requires a MEd in counseling and mental health (K-12 track). Research each career carefully and possibly do informational interviews. Once you figure out which field is best for you, then you can select a master's program.

^ This. I am also curious which program rejected the OP. Some higher education master's programs emphasize different criteria. For instance, some programs are more research-intensive and other programs are more practice-intensive. If the OP tells us which program rejected them, then we can offer better suggestions for their future SOPs.