macro msw vs. mpa

[bukowski]

hello all. a part of me is suddenly very fearful that i should have applied to masters of public administration programs instead; precisely for the reason being that i am only interested in macro social work or more specifically, policy/administrative work in international issues.

 

how marketable is an msw when stacked up against degrees such as mpa, mph, etc.?

 

a dual degree is not ideal; i'd prefer to do one or the other rather than financially invest in two doses of macro studies. i know the saying is "it's what you make out of what you got" but let's think pragmatically-mpa is much more administrative or managerial. would focusing on macro social work with an msw be sufficient for administering social and/or governmental services?

 

thanks for your thoughts! 

[michigan girl]

bukowski, which schools did you apply? I think the MSW macro practice track can work -- it's how you choose your courses and field placements that matter.

[bukowski]

i applied to columbia, u-michigan, upenn, and nyu. i'm trying to decide between columbia and michigan! 

[StenderB]

Here's a link to an article and video that I found helpful.  I also had a fit of doubt the last couple of days because I realized that I didn't want to limit myself to just non-profits (though I love working for one and would love to continue in others) BUT I want to be marketable in an administrative/managerial way.  When looking at job prospects, there are many but I found that most seemed to want an LCSW or some other license.  I'm not interested in clinical work so marketing macro/non-traditional social work in your set of skills takes some creativity but I don't think that will be so difficult we can't get where we'd like to go.

The video is 2 hrs long but I liked hearing from those with MSWs who are using them in non-traditional work settings.  Maybe there is something in there that you can pick up on
http://www.socialworkhelper.com/2012/12/29/macro-social-workers-forging-new-opportunities-in-non-traditional-social-work/

 

Edited April 5, 2013 by StenderB

[bukowski]

stenderB thank you for the informative video; it was long but actually watched most of it! it i think what i gathered was: networking is extremely vital. that said, i'm concerned about networking and connecting with my classmates since the majority are in clinical practice. aside from the values of social work, i feel we have completely opposite career goals and experiences. any thoughts? 

[StenderB]

stenderB thank you for the informative video; it was long but actually watched most of it! it i think what i gathered was: networking is extremely vital. that said, i'm concerned about networking and connecting with my classmates since the majority are in clinical practice. aside from the values of social work, i feel we have completely opposite career goals and experiences. any thoughts? 

So I thought on this as well because I'm pretty shy to begin with and in such a short time span of 2 years for a masters, even losing out on 1 semester because I'm shy would be a critical time loss in networking.  From what I understand about any MSW program is that connecting with our adviser and our field liaisons are going to be where our first networking opportunities will arise.  I'm just going to be up-front about my career goals and program needs and hope that they have some good first advice to guide me because I'm counting on not being the first MSW student to not be interested in clinical work for them.

I assume we'll get a general dose of clinical experience anyways just as a general well-rounded part of any MSW program, but maybe there's a way to create some sort of social media networking via our respective departments for those looking to enter non-traditional roles after we complete the program?  and connect with those classmates?  A forum?  A facebook page?

I also wish this forum had more topics on general MSW networking even between students in other schools, but the majority of anything like talking about career goals-writing/research/MSW life, seems to be in other topics on GradCafe but it's never easy to find ones that are for MSW students.

I've also started looking up internships in organizations I'd be interested in getting experience from even if they're out of the realm of "Traditional" social services settings because I know I want to garner a lot of experience in international issues like you; so, for example: International Rescue Committee and the Department of State.  It's hard to just sit back and figure that field placements will help us get the experience we need for our career goals when it's still at least 4 months from even beginning the program, let alone being placed anywhere.... so I'm just biding my time being proactive about looking up internships myself.  Not sure that I'd hold one DURING the school year, but for summer absolutely.

[StenderB]

Also from the same socialworkhelper.com website was a handout about Macro Social Work Practice that I liked.  I closed the tab but found it again because it came from UT Austin and there's a couple of other PDF handouts that go more in-depth about community organization, public policy, etc.  I've printed them out to keep them handy.  Here's the link: http://www.utexas.edu/ssw/dccs/career-exploration/macro-social-work/

They are the PDFs that are linked in the first paragraph.

[briefinterviews]

I didn't watch the video, but as far as networking goes--remember, there can be really valuable opportunities in your field placement to engage in networking, especially for macro students. My first-year placement was at a large agency working on policy implementation of extended foster care legislation and the creation of transitional housing, and provided opportunities to work alongside county leadership. I just got through the second-year field placement process, where I think it is important to be especially strategic in what kind of experience you will obtain, what kind of connections you will make, and how supportive your field instructor/supervisor will be in your job search. Also take classes outside of your department, and look for opportunities on campus that focus on interdisciplinary work. I landed a research job doing a state-wide assessment on a topic perfectly in alignment with my population of interest because I was on a listserv for an interdisciplinary group based out of the public policy school. Needless to say, this job has afforded me incredible experience, and expanded my network in important ways.

 

At my program, it's possible for macro students to bypass doing any clinical work as part of the MSW. I'm not sure how this works in programs that don't necessarily have a dedicated macro track. You can prepare yourself to do policy, research, and administrative work with the MSW, but you will need to use your 2 years in the program strategically to get the kind of training and practical experience to support you in that pursuit.

 

Also: Don't worry about "missing out" on networking with classmates during the first semester. The transition back to school can be pretty jarring in a lot of ways. I know a lot of us were struggling, just trying to keep our head above water and figure our own stuff out that first semester.

[michigan girl]

briefinterviews is correct. I completed my MSW at Michigan, and only had to take one clinical course (introduction to direct practice). The rest of my coursework was all macro electives and cognates. 

[StenderB]

thank you for the advice!

[bukowski]

thank you kindly for everyone's thoughtful advice. it's great to know so many can understand my concerns!

i am trying to decide between columbia and michigan. it appears that michigan allows students to have more of a say in their curriculum and field placement whereas columbia is almost a mixed bag during the first year. however nyc offers a lot more opportunities for macro students at some of the biggest policy and administrative organizations. does anyone have any thoughts on which program would provide me with the best experience and opportunities in macro work?

[callahbd]

@bukowski hi! I'm searching posts looking for some answers for the question you've asked here. I realized 3+ years has passed; could you provide some insight on how this panned out for you and any advice you have now having gone through this? thanks!