MS/MA in mental health counseling or MSW?

[blacklab155]

Hi all,

I just recently started looking into graduate programs, I'm looking to apply for Fall 2020. I'm leaning hard towards a master's program because I don't want to commit to so much more school for a PhD, though I don't know whether the salary difference is as exponentially different between a BA and an MA/MS as it is for a BA and PhD. I have the most experience/interest in developmental and child psychology (major in psych and minor in sociology) but I still don't know exactly what specific career I want to go into yet. The programs I've been looking at are variations of MS/MA in mental health counseling or MSW, but I'm confused exactly how much or how little these differ from each other? From what I've read the MSW is more versatile but involves more social justice type work and the MS/MA involve more therapy type work?

Any info is welcome and appreciated, as well as specific schools/program suggestions since I've fallen deep into the internet searches for these and don't totally know how to distinguish a good program versus a bad one. Thanks!!

[xxxxxxxxxx]

I don't know what stage you are in your education (current undergraduate? recent graduate? post-bac?) but this PDF should be able to help you narrow down your interests after reading the differences in career trajectories/degrees.

[dancedementia]

Feel free to PM me. I started in MSW and switched to MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and can speak broadly to what's going on in those areas. I noticed you were also in CO - one thing to think about is where you want to practice long-term. In some states, social workers have much more power than counselors.

[blacklab155]

On 12/30/2018 at 9:22 PM, checkingmyemail said:

I don't know what stage you are in your education (current undergraduate? recent graduate? post-bac?) but this PDF should be able to help you narrow down your interests after reading the differences in career trajectories/degrees.

Thank you! There was definitely some info in the PDF that was helpful. I'll graduate with my bachelor's in May and take a gap year before grad school so just trying to get a start on where I want to go from there,

[PsychedOutHopeful]

I have a MSW and am a licensed social worker  feel free to PM me!