TheCrow

While men are sparse in the field, they're not really a "dying breed." The field has been mostly women since we saw "overseers of the poor" yield to "friendly visitors" and caseworkers.

Note that the FAQ states "The Clinical DSW does not offer any scholarships or fellowships. However, the University of Pennsylvania is committed to helping students meet the costs of receiving a Penn education through other means. Students are encouraged to apply for federal student aid and other loans to help finance tuition and living expenses." http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/programs/dsw/faq.html One motivation for schools to offer programs like EdD and DSW degrees is it's a good way to make money.

If you already have an undergraduate degree, you can apply directly to MSW programs. If you do not, earning a BSW (rather than another undergraduate degree) can allow you to be admitted with "advanced standing" and complete an MSW afterwards in only one year. Also, if you do not have an undergraduate degree, you might explore what BSW options are in your area and take community college courses online to substitute for your first year before transferring to a BSW program (of course, talk to the BSW program before doing so). These courses would be cheaper and would likely work with your schedule better--I don't believe that most BSW programs require students to take social work classes their first year. Rather, you'll be taking prerequisite courses like psychology, sociology, and biology.

Can anyone make any comments about financial aid at any of the following schools? Boston College Bryn Mawr College Columbia University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) New York University (NYU) University of Chicago University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) University of Pittsburgh University of Southern California (USC) Washington University in St. Louis (WashU/WUSTL)

I can only imagine that the MSW/PhD program at Berkeley is among the most competitive social work programs out there.

I think it's unfair to equate extreme focus on LGBT issues with liberalism per se. I'm sure there are many liberal schools that provide a well-balanced education. I'm only a prospective applicant, but my anecdotal experience is that the higher ranked a school is, the more likely it is to be liberal. Conservative schools are more likely to be religiously affiliated (e.g., Asbury University).

Thanks! That's reassuring to know. I don't know why I was so paranoid that social work schools were looking for something so different.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. The concern about experiences came up because most MSW programs emphasize "social work experience" (and recommendations from those supervisors) and I have a hard time conceptualizing what that looks like for macro-level work. For instance, I'm interning at the U.S. Department of Education right now developing outcomes assessments for federal grants to strengthen historically black colleges and universities and I'm not sure if that counts. I have some direct experience (e.g., AmeriCorps term of service, tutoring at a community college, advocate at a juvenile justice deferral program), but most of my experiences are in policy, management, and administration—but, again, I'm not sure what constitute the essential qualities of "social work experience" and what level of experience is expected for someone applying straight out of undergrad. I've heard that social work schools also value experience under the direction of an MSW social worker, but I've never encountered one employed by anywhere I've worked (or at similar organizations). I'm attending what many consider to be an "elite" undergraduate institution and I've been fortunate enough to have many experiences (e.g., I've served on state boards, commissions, and projects), but largely because of the privileges I enjoy (e.g., gender, race, class). I don't want to appear in my application as though I think I'm "too good" for direct practice positions, but I don't feel that those positions are the best fit for me. I'm particularly sensitive to what I see as an occasional trend of students from elite schools seeking to open practices and "fix the Ghetto." Rather, I want to use my privilege to liaise among underserved populations, individuals and organizations that work directly with them, and the decision-making institutions that can effect systemic change.

Happy Holidays! I'm a current sophomore--I was wondering what courses and experiences you might recommend as preparation for macro-level social work. Though I'm interested in macro-level social work rather than direct practice, are there courses I should take to prepare me for the courses that will focus on direct practice? I've only completed one course in psychology (child development) and plan to take one course in human biology.

I e-mailed UNC previously and that noted that no preference is given to in-state applicants.

I would wonder if grading is significantly different in India than in the U.S. For instance, you would not have been admitted to a master's degree program here with a 2.3-2.5 and you would not have been allowed to graduate from a master's program with a 2.3 to 2.5 GPA. I also wonder if, being from India, you're familiar with U.S. schools. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor is one of the very best schools for Social Work and for Economics. In fact, it's ranked 2nd (US News and World Report) in the United States for Social work. If your GPA really is equivalent to a US GPA of a 2.3 to a 2.5, you have a hard path ahead of you. Doctoral admissions is usual much more competitive than master's degree admissions, especially at top schools, where departments often only admit those they're willing to fund. If you look at Howard University, ranked 42nd (ibid.) in the United States, they require a 3.0 to even apply for the master's degree. Even Our Lady of the Lake University, ranked 112th (ibid) in the US, requires a 2.50 overall undergraduate GPA or a 3.00 on the last 60 semester hours for admission to their master's degree program.

I know there isn't much funding for non-terminal, non-professional master's programs (e.g., MA in History)... is there more funding available for the MSW degree? "Fit" is what's driving me crazy--I realize there's a lot of uncertainty that I'm going to have to accept in my first few years, but I'm having a hard time identifying all of the essential qualities that differentiate fields from each other. I guess I would say that, at the moment, I'm most interested in research/policy work/direct practice related to the role of tertiary education as a vehicle for social mobility and equality.... which seems to decidedly fall in the social welfare/social work area more so than education or sociology in and of themselves. However, I'm certainly not committed to any particular field at this point. There were times that I came close to burning out in high school, but what I realized is that it's much better to pick a few extracurricular endeavors to fully devout myself to; I need to make time for myself; and that I'm by no means required to take the most rigorous course-load in the history of mankind.

I'm an incoming freshman (though I completed two years of college while in high school). I'm intrigued by the field of social work... I know it's early, but how can I begin to seriously explore the field? Research in macro/mezzo topics is my primary interest, but I could see doing some clinical work on a part-time/ad-hoc basis. I'm especially interested in the idea of an MSW/PhD program... can I get in by being a good student and getting involved in research, or are these programs reserved for prodigies? What GPA/GRE combinations are usual? I've only been able to find a few schools that offer such a program: the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; the University of Chicago (AM/PhD; only 1 or 2 a year); the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; the University of Pennsylvania; and Boston College. I imagine, therefore, that all of these programs are extremely competitive. Where I am so far: Intended Plan: BA, Educational Studies & Sociology; MA, Sociology (Combined, four-year program) SAT: 1440/1600 (Rough Indicator of GRE?) Research Experience: Institutional-Research Assistant (2011-2012), Summer Archival Research at local University Social/Human Services Experience: AmeriCorps: 300 Hours of Service with At-Risk Teens; Teen-Court Attorney, First-Time Offender Deferral Program (3.5 Years); Vice-President, Mayor's Youth Council; Master of Ceremonies, City/County Human Affairs Awards Banquet; Completed NAMI 12-week Family-to-Family Course Education Experience: Two Statewide Appointments, Education Policy; Represented State in Two International Education Projects; College Tutor; Co-Coordinated Summer Tutor Training at local College; Invited Speaker/Presenter at various Statewide Events. Next Steps: Education Policies Internship, Southern Regional Education Board (Hoping to secure in Junior Year); Summer Research at UNC-CH School of Social Work (NC is my state of residence)--is it appropriate for me try after my freshman year?