Questions for MSW students/grads...

[MettaSutta]

• In social work school are grades based mostly on final exams, or on final research papers? Or is it a mix? Also, are there usually assignments periodically throughout the semester or are the grades 100% based on one thing?
• What is the typical length of papers that you have to write?
• Are social work programs typically graded on a forced curve?
• Outside of fieldwork/classes, how many hours do you spend a week on coursework?

[hilaryp]

I’m in school part-time now; six credits a semester in Michigan. There is not a forced curve here. My grades have mostly been determined by research papers or a combination paper/presentation project. Some classes gave quizzes each week. Most of my classes have had 3-4 papers throughout the semester (or a presentation in place of a paper), with one of those papers being more in-depth than the others. This has usually been the “final”. The average paper is probably 8-12 pages, the longest ended up 21 pages (this war last week, and was a final paper). The papers are actually interesting to research and write, if you have a passion for the field. I’ve had a few projects with an interview component, and they lead to networking opportunities. I can’t guess how much time I spend outside of class; it varies. There is a lot of reading, and that is most of the time I spend. 

Social work is a career change for me. My previous field (biomedical science) was by far more difficult but somehow less time consuming, if that makes sense. 

[MettaSutta]

15 hours ago, hilaryp said:

I’m in school part-time now; six credits a semester in Michigan. There is not a forced curve here. My grades have mostly been determined by research papers or a combination paper/presentation project. Some classes gave quizzes each week. Most of my classes have had 3-4 papers throughout the semester (or a presentation in place of a paper), with one of those papers being more in-depth than the others. This has usually been the “final”. The average paper is probably 8-12 pages, the longest ended up 21 pages (this war last week, and was a final paper). The papers are actually interesting to research and write, if you have a passion for the field. I’ve had a few projects with an interview component, and they lead to networking opportunities. I can’t guess how much time I spend outside of class; it varies. There is a lot of reading, and that is most of the time I spend. 

Social work is a career change for me. My previous field (biomedical science) was by far more difficult but somehow less time consuming, if that makes sense. 

Thank you!  Is your field internship 21 hours a week?

Edited December 9, 2018 by Bodhicaryavatara

[TooExcited&Nervous]

On 12/8/2018 at 9:07 AM, Bodhicaryavatara said:

• In social work school are grades based mostly on final exams, or on final research papers? Or is it a mix? Also, are there usually assignments periodically throughout the semester or are the grades 100% based on one thing?
• What is the typical length of papers that you have to write?
• Are social work programs typically graded on a forced curve?
• Outside of fieldwork/classes, how many hours do you spend a week on coursework?

I am a full-time advanced standing student at NYU. My grades are mostly mini assignments, participation, mid-term paper/exam and a final paper/exam. Some courses require less and some require more work. My mid-term and final papers are usually anywhere between 8-12 pages depending on the course. Outside of fieldwork and class, I say I spend about anywhere between 3-6 hours a week on coursework. Sometimes less depending on the week.

[BackNSchool83]

@Bodhicaryavatara In social work school are grades based mostly on final exams, or on final research papers? Or is it a mix? Also, are there usually assignments periodically throughout the semester or are the grades 100% based on one thing?

I've talked with students going to MSW programs in the Los Angeles region at the big schools in the area. It seems pretty similar across schools, but there are likely differences so I don't know that any of us can say what it will be like for sure. I'm at UCLA, I have friends at USC, CSULB, CSUF, CSULA, APU, and CSUDH, all are MSW all are CSWE accredited and all are accredited by the BBS which is California's regulatory board for licensing LCSWs which is important. Anyways, I was in 4 academic classes and 1 field study "class" which met periodically, while I went to practicum aka internship 16 hours a week as a 1st year MSW student. I had to do 3 powerpoint presentations, 3 group papers (10-20 pages) 3 individual papers (10-15 pages) and pass 2 exams which were in vignette form where you apply direct practice skills to a story about a pretend client, and make a case formulation and what not. These big papers and exams were typically due around midterms and finals time, there were a few presentations and papers due earlier though but the bulk seems to be due in the middle and the end. I also had to do weekly 1 page reading reflections for one of the classes which might not sound hard, but it was because it was a theory class and it wasn't easy to cram everything into one page, to be really succinct and break down 2-3 20 page articles.

We also had weekly "process recordings" which are done at your field site and they are a rather lengthy analysis of your own engagement with a client, like an individual session, breaking down every little detail and explaining every single thing you did, at least that's the ideal. Then you review that once a week with your field supervisor who is your boss basically at the internship site who is supposed to train you and help you apply your academic skills as well. Keep in mind you will have to document everything you do with your clients as well just as though you worked at whatever agency you are placed at, and so that takes a lot of time each day. Beyond the above assignments, what's really maddening is all the reading, endless articles, some just make your eyes want to bleed for one reason or another. I'm pretty sure, well I know, most people didn't read more than like 75% of the readings, there simply isn't time. You then feel bad the whole time like you're a bad student and not doing your part, but in reality, there is just so much time in a day/week and you only have so much energy. As for how the grading goes, I don't think these schools are out to fail people, I think they are pretty forgiving with grading overall, but if you don't do your part and put in an effort I'd be worried about what could result. I mean if you aren't doing your work, or just bombing everything, I don't know but I'd wonder if they might excuse someone from the program or encourage them to re apply some time in the future. I know we are all required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, which I think is a CSWE requirement as well.

What is the typical length of papers that you have to write?

Kind of answered above but for us, this quarter, most papers were 10-15 or so pages. Now the thing is there are larger projects that will result in larger papers, one of our papers was like 18 pages but it was a group paper. There is also your 2nd year where you have to write either a Thesis, a giant individual research paper, or often a group type thesis, and for us it's called a cap stone project. These take a year to put together, it's basically a full blown full throttle all out effort research project/paper but since it's divided up as a group project usually, or that's at least an option in most programs, at least you can have your own areas of focus to some extent, for some parts of the paper, and it has to be sponsored by a faculty member.

Are social work programs typically graded on a forced curve?

I don't think so, I know ours isn't. Most students earn As and Bs. Keep in mind too, these are competitive programs, when people get here they know how to do college, they are all good students already, so the quality of their work even if they aren't giving it 100% is still going to be good.

Outside of fieldwork/classes, how many hours do you spend a week on coursework?

Ok so most of it is reading, and there is enough to read that you could probably just keep going till the next week lol I mean if you are like me and not the fastest reader. It depends if there are big projects going on that you need to work on or not. I'll put it this way, you can probably carve out one day on the weekend to take off, Saturday or Sunday, the rest of the week you will have things to work on in your free time. Here's the thing though, I was like the schedule master back in undergrad and didn't have to commute so I was able to plan all these hours to focus on my work. In grad school I'm commuting super early because driving across LA is awful and takes a long time, and I'm needing to go to bed extra early. That right there takes up time. On top of that it's the fact that I've had blocks of time set up to work on X project, but when I get to that time slot, I'm totally out of energy and ready to fall asleep, and there were times where that's exactly what I did. There is only so much you can do, especially as a new student. I can see how in time I'll get faster and better, but it's a rough first semester or quarter for everyone, no one is skipping through it like it's no big deal, it's hard work and it's hard on your body and mind.

Not to mention you are doing practicum at an agency that probably has you face to face with people going through all sorts of unimaginable problems that you are supposed to help them solve, sometimes it gets very serious and you have to make mandated reports which utterly blows up your rapport with the client most the time, once they figure out you did it. Then there are things like suicide assessments and not really knowing what to do in the face of all sorts of really serious and for you, new situations. What's amazing though, for example, and I'll end with this, when you really need something your memory may just surprise you. I had never done a suicide assessment, but when my teenage client was seriously going down that path, I remembered everything and even applied those questions in a calm way that was authentic and in a language the client would understand, and was able to support the client. I'm a cis guy who generally does not get too emotional about stuff, but once I was alone in my car, I cried on the way home that day, it was rough, not cause I was thinking my client would die, but just the intensity of that whole situation, of that session. It's like walking away from bad car accident unhurt, or going through a really scary natural disaster, where once it's over, you are just fine, and then the weight of that whole thing hits square on your shoulders, that's what true responsibility feels like for me. There is a sense of responsibility that arises that is unlike anything I've ever felt before, and it's not like it's "cool" or "I feel important" "I'm an authority in mental health" No, no, it's OMG I need to shape the hell up, suit up, show up, and do the best I can and learn how to help because this is serious now, it's not a game.

Edited December 14, 2018 by BackNSchool83

[MSW2017]

Some thoughts for you!

Assignments are definitely a mix, and very much dependent on the school/professor. Overall the MSW program seems less academic than my undergraduate work; professors seem to appreciate/acknowledge that much of the learning happens in field work and through application of what we're reading/discussing. Assignments range from mini papers (3-5 pages) to longer midterm/final papers (8-15 pages), plus presentations and group assignments. I've found generally grades are a mix - like 40% midterm/40% final/20% participation. I don't think I've ever had a professor use a curve. School work takes about 2-4 hours during regular weeks (for reading) and then up to 10 hours during midterms/finals