Some general questions about the MSW, please help

[blueled]

So I only recently started looking into MSW programs and I have some questions:

First, here is some background information about me. I'm 21 and a senior in undergrad. I will have a B.A. in History with a minor in Urban Planning. My cumulative GPA is around a 3.6 and I was an AmeriCorps member for a year and had a previous paralegal/legal internship. I'm from California and am interested in working around here. My questions are

1) Does it matter where you go for your MSW? I'm mainly interested in UCLA and CSU Fullerton. CSUF is preferable because I could live at home and just commute, and thus save a lot of money. If the schools don't matter, I would also prefer CSUF because all I need to do is take my GRE and I can apply for next fall. For UCLA, however, I would need to take a semester of elementary statistics, which would just be a pain.

2) How much will the GRE matter for admissions? I feel I have a pretty decent GPA and I did a year of AmeriCorps for work experience. I'll study for the GRE, but I don't know if I'll score amazingly.

3) Are there jobs in this field? I was previously interested in going to law school and all my lawyer friends kept telling me there were no jobs. And it was true. A lot of people I know that are lawyers are either a) not practicing law, b ) working a menial paying law job, c) unemployed. If I were to get a MSW, I would mainly be interested in working in Los Angeles County or Orange County or San Bernardino County.

4) How terrible is the "stress?" Honest question. Again, when I was a pre-law student and talked to friends, most were extremely unhappy with their lives and many regretted the path they had taken since they were stressed like insane - if they didn't have a job soon, their 200k student loans were going to eat them alive. I've heard people say things like, "Being a social worker is hard. I can't stand hearing the tragic stories of people." I'm not really sure what this means, but when I was an AmeriCorps member, I worked directly with people who were being evicted from their homes, going homeless, and even dying from a terminal disease. Some were abused by their spouses and were secretly coming to us for help. In spite of this, I never felt "haunted" by these experiences nor did I ever break down and sob at home, but I always felt a genuine concern for them. Is this the main "stress" from being a social worker?

5) How is the pay and benefits? Money isn't my driving factor, but it's still important. I've done some research, but I've gotten a lot of different responses. Some sites say being a social worker is one of the most miserable jobs out there and that you'll only make 30k for the rest of your life. At the same time, I've googled some jobs and some places, particularly Los Angeles County's Department and Child and Family Services, and they pay entry level social workers at around 40 ish a year and can potentially go as high as 60k - 70k within 10 years. That's actually not bad IMO. Would I be able to afford things like a home in a non-ghetto/low income neighborhood, a decent new car (i.e. Toyota Camry, Nissan Sentra), etc. or will I basically be living in an apartment my whole life and eating beans from a can?

6) Lastly, can someone tell me more about Title IV? I was doing some research and according to CSUF's website, if I apply for the CalSWEC program, the government will give me a maximum of 18k in grants to finance my education. However, I would have to a concentration in child welfare and work for child services for the county for 2 years after I graduate. Do you think this is something I should consider? Do many people get these grants?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

Edited March 8, 2012 by blueled

[KristinMSW]

So I only recently started looking into MSW programs and I have some questions:

First, here is some background information about me. I'm 21 and a senior in undergrad. I will have a B.A. in History with a minor in Urban Planning. My cumulative GPA is around a 3.6 and I was an AmeriCorps member for a year and had a previous paralegal/legal internship. I'm from California and am interested in working around here. My questions are

1) Does it matter where you go for your MSW? I'm mainly interested in UCLA and CSU Fullerton. CSUF is preferable because I could live at home and just commute, and thus save a lot of money. If the schools don't matter, I would also prefer CSUF because all I need to do is take my GRE and I can apply for next fall. For UCLA, however, I would need to take a semester of elementary statistics, which would just be a pain.

2) How much will the GRE matter for admissions? I feel I have a pretty decent GPA and I did a year of AmeriCorps for work experience. I'll study for the GRE, but I don't know if I'll score amazingly.

3) Are there jobs in this field? I was previously interested in going to law school and all my lawyer friends kept telling me there were no jobs. And it was true. A lot of people I know that are lawyers are either a) not practicing law, b ) working a menial paying law job, c) unemployed. If I were to get a MSW, I would mainly be interested in working in Los Angeles County or Orange County or San Bernardino County.

4) How terrible is the "stress?" Honest question. Again, when I was a pre-law student and talked to friends, most were extremely unhappy with their lives and many regretted the path they had taken since they were stressed like insane - if they didn't have a job soon, their 200k student loans were going to eat them alive. I've heard people say things like, "Being a social worker is hard. I can't stand hearing the tragic stories of people." I'm not really sure what this means, but when I was an AmeriCorps member, I worked directly with people who were being evicted from their homes, going homeless, and even dying from a terminal disease. Some were abused by their spouses and were secretly coming to us for help. In spite of this, I never felt "haunted" by these experiences nor did I ever break down and sob at home, but I always felt a genuine concern for them. Is this the main "stress" from being a social worker?

5) How is the pay and benefits? Money isn't my driving factor, but it's still important. I've done some research, but I've gotten a lot of different responses. Some sites say being a social worker is one of the most miserable jobs out there and that you'll only make 30k for the rest of your life. At the same time, I've googled some jobs and some places, particularly Los Angeles County's Department and Child and Family Services, and they pay entry level social workers at around 40 ish a year and can potentially go as high as 60k - 70k within 10 years. That's actually not bad IMO. Would I be able to afford things like a home in a non-ghetto/low income neighborhood, a decent new car (i.e. Toyota Camry, Nissan Sentra), etc. or will I basically be living in an apartment my whole life and eating beans from a can?

6) Lastly, can someone tell me more about Title IV? I was doing some research and according to CSUF's website, if I apply for the CalSWEC program, the government will give me a maximum of 18k in grants to finance my education. However, I would have to a concentration in child welfare and work for child services for the county for 2 years after I graduate. Do you think this is something I should consider? Do many people get these grants?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

From what I've heard from friends that I have who an MSW, the school you go to does not matter much. This is based on their experience getting jobs- a potential employer will not necessarily look at the school you went to for your MSW, moreso just on the fact that you are licensed and what your experience is. That said, it is important to find a school that is right for you and that opens up the doors for your career. If you are interested in clinical, its important to find a school that emphasizes that and has lots of field work placements relevant to what you want to do. So in some cases going to a better school could matter, but only in the sense of how much it prepares you for your career and alligns with your interests.

Many schools dont even require the GRE anymore, and those that do dont out too much weight on your scores. I didnt even have to take it for the 3 prog's I applied to.

I cant answer your other questions as I'll be starting my MSW next fall, but I can speak to the Title IV programs (I only applied to schools that offered this and a specific child welfare track)> It is designed for people in child welfare who want tot obtain a masters OR for those looking to go into the field with more specific training geared towards child welfare. It is through federal money, so is offered around the country. Typically the programs are very competitive, both because of limited funding but also because the field is one of the hardest to go into. They really try to screen applicants who are committed to the field long-term, which is why in return for the stipend you work for child protection. (The idea behind it is to help get more qualified social workers in child welfare and to help the horrible retention rate for child welfare caseworkers, which is typically only 1 year). I would say definitely look into it if its specifically what you want to do, but dont necessarily do it just because a scholarship is offered, because it is a ROUGH job.

Hope that helps!

[michigan girl]

Generally, it doesn't matter where you attend for your MSW as long as it's CSWE-accredited. Make sure the program can help you obtain your social work licensure. I would say brand name matters in two instances: 1) you want a research career at a top-ranked university, or 2) you want to concentrate in macro practice. Most top-ranked private and state flagship social work programs offer good coursework and field placements in community organizing, management, and policy evaluation.

Edited March 8, 2012 by michigan girl

[blueled]

Good to hear school name doesn't matter much. I was talking to some UCLA MSW students and they all insisted school name does matter - although I'm sure it was more or less because they were promoting their school and you know, just kinda being a homer about it.

I know Cal State Fullerton's school recently got accredited, and again, one of the strongest reasons I'm interested in going there is because I'd save a lot of money. If job placements are ultimately the same, I wouldn't mind going there. Does anyone know much about CSUF?

[Lisbeth]

Hey Blueled, I don't know personally about CSUF but I found this online http://calstate.fullerton.edu/news/2011sp/MSW-accredited.asp ...so it says at least enough to give you a feel that it's a new but good program. I'd trust any program that is accredited as it takes a lot to get that and it's the true stamp of approval. It's difficult to think of going to one that isn't unless it's in the process of getting approval.

As far as some schools being "better" than others. I cannot believe this country when it comes to ivy league bullsh*t or UC vs. Cal States...don't get me started. The UC system was originally only graduate universities not undergrad. They were built originally to be the public graduate universities and the cal states were only colleges offering undergrad courses not masters. Now many people think that it's some big thing to go to a UC for undergrad instead of a Cal State when really many cal states give you smaller classes and the teachers went to the same schools anyway. Not to mention that not even that matters because in undergraduate school it's up to You, the student to either put in the time and know your shit or not. As far as graduate school I'll admit that depending on the subject, certain schools are obviously better equipped to serve each person's interests or goals and certain professors have certain research areas that are more towards what you want etc. Even then, when people say "going to a better school doesn't matter for MSW" it really bothers me, because it's not that those schools are better even. We live in a capitalistic society so please understand that as a business model these high profile schools need you to believe that they are offering you something amazing and "better" than the other schools and you definitely pay for that in the pocket! And of course people keep spreading the same damn koolaid because they Go there or went there and need you to believe that they are better than you for going there...and worse, so many employers actually believe this as well and will at times hire someone based on it. Now unless it's because you studied under a specific person or did a unique program at one of these "better" universities or something similar where their program really does offer something others don't (like something that can actually give you more experience and knowledge) if not then it's all hoohaa lies, and really the best person for any job is the person with equivalent education but the best experience, personality and wherewithal to actually do the job etc. Now sadly the truth is that those employers do hire based on name of school alone...so depending on your profession (like being a lawyer maybe?) it could be worth the extra cost if it's already going to be so high. But for social work this is just not the case, so it's really not worth the debt. So pleasae don't get sucked into those people at UCLA who think they are better educated than those who go to a cal state or that they'll get a job before you...it's not true, refer to what kristinmsw said about that. Ok sorry for that rant lol.

As for whether there are jobs, and whether there is any pay. I've done a lot of my own research on this, so I'll give you at least my two cents. Job availability will depend on location, and with your experience, and certifications/licenses but it should help you to know that social work was listed as being one of the best careers in 2012 on US world news' website. The outlook for the profession is good because well people are getting older and not dying, and we have over population and because most people don't want to do social work or drop out of it. Also, the median wage starting is 40,000 a year, and it definitely helps that you'll be getting a masters degree. This will allow you to get licensed eventually if you'd like, which opens up many more doors. I plan to do this which takes around 3 give or take depending on how easy it is to find supervised hours with or without pay. So although it takes time after your MSW, it will put you in that $40,000 range for sure and even without it you can land the those jobs in LA with certain experience. So you won't be rich but if you specialize in certain areas and gain a few years of experience you'll be making around $50,000. One of my friends went to UCLA and got the stipend for child welfare and chose only to agree to 1 year for 1 year of work...she Completely regrets this as she has now been working there for 3 years and could have signed on for 2 years for 2 years!! AKA she could have gotten two years paid for instead of just one because she worked there that long anyways. She within three years is making like 52k at the DCFS. Like the other person said above they are interested in getting good people to stay so they'll pay pretty well with excellent state benefits. Of course these are difficult positions to land too! But I also heard from a medical social worker that her sister who is a licensed worker makes around 68K doing her own clinical work with a group. Seemed kind of high to me but it's possible and all...I'd say find your niche like I plan to eventually, and do your best to get as much experience as you can and you'll be able to move around to do whatever you'd like because people willl Want you. As far as cost between UCLA and a cal state, I was surprised to see that they aren't that different. it's like $20,000 for UCLA and around $16,000 for CSULA and the likes. I personally want to save every penny I can, but it's not That different so maybe if you get in there and like their program then it's the place for you. I'd choose based on living expenses too though because I know living around UCLA can be expensive. Good luck wherever you end up!

[blueled]

Thanks a lot for the info. Well going to Cal State Fullerton would be cheaper for me because while the tuition is only slightly less (~9000 at CSUF vs 14000 at UCLA), I would live at home and commute if I went to CSUF whereas I would have to get an apartment somewhere in LA and pay for housing. I'd save a lot of money with the former. And as I mentioned, if it really doesn't matter what school I go to as long as it's accredited, I'd like to go to CSUF instead. It's cheaper, and let's face it, Social Workers don't make much anyways so I don't think it'd be worth it to spend roughly 50k just for a MSW in UCLA when I would probably end up working the same job if I went to CSUF.

Edited March 9, 2012 by blueled

[rjose]

You have some really good questions, and I know prior to applying I would have loved to have answers to these questions, so here is my input. I hope you can find it helpful, and please let me know if you have any further questions, I would be happy to help.

1. This is the SAME question I have been grappling with. I applied to Cal States (CSULB & CSULA), some private schools, and UC Berkeley simply because I do not know/still don’t know how much a Cal State versus a UC or private school “matters.” I work at UCLA in a research department so a lot of folks here do say that name DOES matter. And if you think about it, this school you’ll be graduating from will FOREVER be on your resume/CV, so to a certain extent, I get where they are coming from. Additionally, because I work for research many of my co-workers have a PhD or MD and the consensus has been that if I decide to go on and get my PhD it WILL matter where I get my masters from. However, they are also in agreement that if I decide to stop at my masters and eventually get licensed then yes, (as others have said above) going to a Cal State isn’t really going to matter. I think one person on this thread put it perfectly when they said the folks you’re going to be helping or working with, aren’t really going to care which school you went to (of course as long as it is accredited).

There is girl I work with at UCLA who went to Columbia for her MSW and she regrets taking out a substantial amount of loans, but at the same time she also liked the Fieldwork she was involved with. She said that being in New York allowed her to interact with all sort of populations that aren’t necessarily available here on the west coast. Also, she made connections at Columbia and has definitely had some advantages because of the Ivy League school she came from. She is currently getting her PhD here at UCLA.

On the other hand, I have met so many MSW graduates from Cal State LA and Long Beach who are now working for the County – LACDMH to be exact, and they are getting paid just the same as folks who graduated from USC or UCLA and some of them even said, “I feel bad for the other MSW’s because we have the same job but they’re buried in loans.”

So, I guess what I’m taking from all of this is that if you plan on eventually getting your LCSW or staying as an MSW then a Cal State versus a UC doesn’t really matter. However, if you plan on getting your PhD then I would say it does matter where you get your MSW.

Also, I think academic wise, the curriculum at Cal States and at a UC are pretty much the same. I think someone stated above that UC professors teach at Cal States, which I have also heard from multiple people. However, I would say what is important is the fieldwork opportunity. I get the feeling that experience plays a big role in advancing your career as an MSW and so being placed in an agency that is promising and will allow you to move up is important. I don’t know what the differences are, in terms of fieldwork, between a UC and Cal State. I don’t know if a UC or private school has better fieldwork placements/opportunities than a Cal State – maybe someone else on this thread or reading this thread can offer some thoughts on this?

2. As others have said, the GRE isn’t really heavily weighed. In fact, I went to the MSW UCLA Informational Session and they inferred that they don’t really pay attention to the GRE, but they still require that you take it – And, they also said that the next year (maybe the year you’re applying) they will no longer require it. I know this year; the Cal States didn’t require it, which was kind of nice because personally, for me, the GRE was super stressful.

3. You know, I heard the same thing about recent law graduates – that there are fewer jobs for them and many are stressing out about their loans. There was recently a Wall Street Journal article stating that a lot of Law Firms are going less and less with recent graduates and being very picky with new hires or simply hiring from within. However, I think an MSW is totally different from a law degree, so, personally, I think you’re comparing apples to oranges here. Also, I would agree with Lisbeth’s answer to this question, especially since she has done the research

4. I think often times when people say that they’re a social worker, people automatically think, “Oh you’re the person who takes kids away,” and this is not necessarily true. The reason why I decided on an MSW is actually because of the variety of things you can do with an MSW. I remember when I had my Penn interview they asked me why an MSW and I specifically told them that I liked the idea of having options. With an MSW you can go into research, you can go into mental health, you can go into DCFS, you can even go into administrative, and you can work with the adult population, the children population, or the elderly population.

5. It all depends on what you want and what you are okay living with. Personally, I think 40k is OKAY. I’m making more than 40k right now and I have a BA. I’m living comfortably, but I definitely want to make more in the future. Many folks who I have interacted with who work for LA County are making around 40 – 70k (as you stated above), again it depends on whether you get licensed. But, there definitely are jobs out there and what I like about the County is that they often promote within. I know many heads of mental health clinics are making like over 100k+ and they are LCSW’s. Of course, they worked their way to the top, but 100k is pretty darn good!!!

6. If you end up going to Cal State Fullerton or UCLA, I would HIGHLY suggest applying for the stipends. Yes, you will have to commit to working for DCFS, or for a child welfare agency for every year you received the stipend, but I think it’s definitely worth it. Here is a thread that I found VERY helpful. A person on this thread is actually at UCLA and is receiving the CalSWEC stipend and has given very HONEST feedback:

If for some reason the link doesn’t work, just use the search box, the title of the thread: CalSWEC Program/Stipend Programs.

As for the amount of stipends given (this is also answered in the link) but basically it seems like they give about 20 stipends, so if your MSW program has many students then your chances of getting the stipend decreases – although I’m not quite sure what the criteria is for the stipends, but I just submitted my Cal State LA IUC and CalSWEC stipend application form yesterday, and they asked me to answer a couple of questions. If you want I can email them to you if you are interested, and I’m suppose to go on an interview with a couple of folks who are in charge of giving out the stipend, and am more than happy to let you know what kind of interview it was.

Lastly, I would suggest that you set up meetings or even here on this grad forum, message folks who have an MSW and ask them what they’re doing now and what their experiences have been, especially because a lot of the folks (including myself) have NOT received our MSW (yet) and are basing what we’re saying on what we hear from other MSW’s or from what we see.

I really hope this helps, and at the end of the day, I view an MSW as a degree where you are helping folks and helping promote the well-being of others, so in that regard, you can’t go wrong

Edited March 9, 2012 by rjose

[ellie811]

Two things I want to chime in on:

1. Law jobs are totally dependent on YOU. My husband is in law school (3L) and his school doesn't rank, but he's in the top 3. He hasn't had ANY trouble finding jobs. If you're willing to bust your butt and finish at the top of your class, you'll be fine. He spends 60-80 hours/week studying. Your call on whether you're up for committing that amount of time.

2. Child welfare jobs are HARD. I worked as a caseworker and it was so, so challenging. (I worked in Cincinnati and my pay started at 32k with the bachelors and basically no experience --- pay goes up for experience, education, etc...I had co-workers who started at 40k. Supervisors usually started at 46k) It was challenging partly because I wasn't properly trained/equipped to deal with the mental health and substance abuse issues. But even with that knowledge, the workload is astronimical, the emotional strain is unbelievable. It takes incredible organization, and top-knotch coping skills to deal with it. I will never forget the first time I had to remove a child from a home, I can still see the tears, I can still hear the questions. I can't count the number of times I sat in my car and cried for the pain of the children I was responsible for. The trauma, the abuse, the neglect, the horrible conditions...you won't believe it till you see it.

BUT WE NEED COMPASSIONATE, COMPETENT WORKERS! I know I just made it sound like an awful job, but workers are so desperately needed. The horrific cycles of abuse need intervention, these families need to be empowered, justice needs to be sought. I see so many kids every day in the juvenile detention center I currenty work in who would not be in their situation if someone had helped years ago.

Edited March 9, 2012 by ellie811

[blueled]

rjose, are you a Bruin and on the UCLA campus? Because I'm an undergraduate and I'd love to have the opportunity to talk with you in person sometime if that's alright with you. I know it probably sounds weird for a stranger to ask you on an online forum aha, but I mean, maybe I could just get coffee with you at Lu Valle or Kerckhoff or something.

Edited March 9, 2012 by blueled

[rjose]

Blueled, no, it doesn't sound weird at all. I am here to help, and more than happy to help! I graduated from UCLA in 2008 and have been working at/for UCLA since I graduated. Our office is in the Wilshire Building in Westwood, so I'm a bit away from Reagan Medical Center, and much farther from main campus. We can meet up in Westwood? Coffee Bean on Gayley? I'm available Sunday, or I can go during my lunch break on Monday?

Anyone else in the Westwood/Los Angeles area want to join?

Message me and we can exchange contact info.

[blueled]

PM sent Also, thank you everyone who has responded to this thread so far. I appreciate all the info I can get.

[Lisbeth]

Hey blueled, just wanted to make sure you understand that UCLA is not $14,000, that is the Subtotal on their website and there is a "professional degree supplemental tuition" cost which is listed and is required to get certain degrees including an MSW. It is $20,000 to do their MSW program. My friend who went there like 4 years ago paid about 17,000 so I knew that 14,000 couldn't be right. Here's the link to the breakdown for MSW: http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/fees/socwelfee.htm And at the very bottom is the final mandatory fees. Here is the description copied from their website about that professional fee:

Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (formerly Fee for Selected Professional School Students or Professional School Fee) Charged to students in the D.D.S., D.Env., Dr.P.H., J.D., M.Arch, M.B.A., M.D., M.F.A. (Art, TFT), M.P.H., M.P.P., M.S.N., M.S.W., and M.U.R.P. programs. The amount of the fee is different for each professional school program. Regents’ policy specifies that an amount equal to at least one-third of the income from the fee must be used for financial aid. The remainder is retained by the professional schools to maintain academic quality.

As rjose said though, if you do plan to go onto a PhD program later on or soon after your MSW maybe UCLA is worth the look even if it is 20,000, but even from CSUF if you do great research or other work after your MSW you can still get into great PhD programs (anyone who really tries to tell you otherwise is full of you know what ...sorry but really it's You that puts in the time and effort in life and there are Plenty of people who have gone to all kinds of state schools and gone on to make amazing accomplishments). Example: My teacher from PCC (public junior college) graduated from CSUN, she went on to get her PhD from Caltech (one of the "top" two science schools in the whole United States). She values her work at a public junior college so much mainly because the students who go there are not there for the name or some false idea of themselves, they are there to learn and learn some more and go on to get a degree from all ranks of universities.

[blueled]

Dayum. Wow. I didn't see that. That's a lot Lisbeth. Man, makes me wonder if I should even apply to UCLA because that means I'd basically be 60k in debt (20k tuition + about 10k living expense). 60k debt for a job that pays 40-60k isn't that great.

My parents can't help me so I'd basically have to just get loans. I already have around 20k in undergrad debt so taking on 60k would kill me.

I don't really plan to go into academia and become a professor anyways so I'm not sure a phD really attracts me.

Edited March 9, 2012 by blueled

[Lisbeth]

Yeah if I was a financial advisor I would say definitely do not go to a school that will put you 60K more in debt. Already being 20K in debt makes your total debt the least 80K when you get out and that is just not worth it, it's actualy stupid unless you have a trust fund or some other things like a well paid partner etc. Look, cal states are around 15,000 to 20,000 for BOTH years of education for MSW programs...UCLA is 20,000 Per Year! ridiculous lol and that's not even close to what some of these schools cost like USC and others on the east coast too. I hate to sound like I'm being a downer but I'm not, it's just a reality of life and we can live in a cloud if we want and ignore it but the truth is we will most likely not even land a 50K job right away and the rule of thumb is you should not go to a school that will put you in debt (total) much more than you will reasonably make the first year or so out of that school. Even I am a little worried because CSULA is like 15,000 and CSUDH is 16,000 and with living expenses that I calculated and my own loan payments + driving + food etc. I will go around 40,000 in debt which is right about what I will only Hope to make the first year out, but it's not guaranteed...so even I'm worried and this is the cheapest I can get. So yeah, best to go to a cal state..any financial advisor would say the exact same thing no doubt and you'll be more comfortable afterwards. Plus I plan some day to buy a house...have kids...enjoy life...and realistically those things still won't happen for me until at least a few years after an MSW because I just won't have the savings until I pay down some debt. Good luck again and I hope you make the best choice for yourself personally, I know I am very opionionated abt. some things but when it comes to finances it's kind of like a no brainer...you can live in debt your whole life or you can be honest w/ yourself and eventually live relaxed and happy that you made the right choice because finances affect almost everything else that people want in life now...unfortunately!

[crazystacyyyyy]

Wow, is UCLA that much more expensive than Berkeley? This is Berkeley's if I'm not mistaken and there are no hidden additional fees...http://registrar.berkeley.edu/current_students/registration_enrollment/feesched.html all the way at the bottom- about $9500.000 vs. $20,000? Am i missing something??

[blueled]

Wow, is UCLA that much more expensive than Berkeley? This is Berkeley's if I'm not mistaken and there are no hidden additional fees...http://registrar.ber...t/feesched.html all the way at the bottom- about $9500.000 vs. $20,000? Am i missing something??

Dude, it says (note: fees are per semester). That means it's $9500 x 2 for 1 academic year. In other words, that's about 20k.

[crazystacyyyyy]

oh crap, haha, i knew i had to be wrong about something, thanks

Edited March 10, 2012 by crazystacyyyyy

[angelamarie32]

I wanted to throw in some things about answering question #4 in the original post.

The options available to a person with an MSW are EXTREMELY BROAD! not all social workers are in Child Welfare. I've been in social work-y positions for two years now, three different jobs that are quite different. First I interned in County jail with incarcerated women, then I worked with other social workers getting their MSW in a mental health office for students at the university, and currently I work at a homeless shelter, working primary with undocumented women from Latin America. It is true, Child welfare is HARD, and so are many other social work positions, but that is what the internships are for, to try out working with a certain population and see if you enjoy it. Eventually, if you are interested in doing therapy, you can be licensed and do private practice, which my good friend says is not very stressful since you make your own hours and choose who you work with. I've also met social workers who have switched populations several times throughout their career, and done so very successfully financially speaking.

If you are interested in social work, I recommend trying to volunteer with an agency you would eventually work for as a social worker, and shadow others doing the work.

Also, any job can be stressful. But if the work is meaningful to you, it will be worth it!

[Lisbeth]

Great advice angelamarie32 thanks! I plan to do Just that, like shadow or work or do fieldwork during an msw in many different fields to get a true feeling for where I belong and change that as my life/feelings change. One of the biggest reasons I chose to apply to MSW programs is because of the very broad subject matter and areas you can work in, I absolutely Love this.