Which do I choose?

[therecard]

Master's in Counseling Education or Master's in social work?

I understand there is a wide variety of areas I can go into with social work but the 2-4 years it takes to get licensed does not sound nice at all. Many I have talked to have found little opportunity for supervision and can only find very low paying positions coming out of the program. Any thoughts/ pointers?

[fuzzylogician]

These two degrees sound very different from each other. What are your career goals once you're done with your education? How much will each of these degrees cost? What kind of work could you do with them; how likely are you to get a job and how long will it take you to repay your debt? I would advise against going into debt to get a degree you don't even know you want/need, and judging from your question you're really not at all sure what you want to do right now. 

[nugget]

You did not mention what your career goals are. So I will respond under the assumption that both degrees are equality suitable in helping you reach your future career goals.

 

Do you want to get a PhD? If you do, I'd go with Counselling Ed because you won't be able to do much with only an MA in Counselling. In Canada, you can work in schools with an MA or work as a private psychotherapist, but that's about it. If you work in a school with kids, keep in mind that you might also need to be a licensed teacher, depending on where you live. If you want to have a private practice, keep in mind that some private insurance companies do not cover master's-level therapists so these clients are likely to seek a PhD level psychologist instead, rather than pay out of pocket. (On the other hand, people without insurance may prefer to go to you over a PhD because your rates with be lower).

 

If you want to stop after a master's, I'd seriously consider the MSW program because most applicants you will be competing with in the job market will have a master's degree or less. So an MSW would make you well qualified for most jobs, providing you have the work experience to go along with it. If you go this route, I would also make sure the MSW program you are considering is offered by a reputable school with high program completion rates. I've heard some schools in the US require students to find their own placements and they aren't always able to do so, which can prevent or delay students' graduation. You should only consider MSW programs that will lead all or almost all students to licensing if that is your goal.

Edited July 14, 2013 by jenste

[therecard]

Thank you for the responses. My primary goal is to be a counselor at a college/university but realize that a MA will keep me somewhat limited in terms of job opportunities. A MSW does sound like the smart path to go down for more job opportunities and the fact that it does fulfill the educational requirements for educational counseling. What do you all think?

Jenste- why would a MSW be better if I do not want to pursue a doctorate? Do you think there are less doctorate programs available

to those that hold a MSW?

Thanks everyone!

[nugget]

Most social work positions do not require a doctorate; a master's degree is sufficient to work in the field (unless you want to get into acadamia and teach at a university then you will need a PhD).

Edited July 16, 2013 by jenste