International social work

[marina415]

Hello,

 

I'm deciding among 3 schools (a great problem to have) and really am stumped about which one is the best opportunity for what I want to do. Any information on the programs is much appreciated.

 

I want to work internationally with refugee populations, and while I want the clinical skills to do direct interventions, I do eventually want to be able to move into macro or policy work on refugee issues as well. I am deciding among Penn, Columbia and UW-Seattle. I feel I have a good sense of Penn and am impressed, since they seem to have a very thoughtful program and to be ramping up their international offerings. That said, I know Columbia and UW traditionally have great international opportunities and are both excellent programs as well.

 

When you get right down to it, what is the real difference among these programs? I suppose UW is not known for its macro track, but does that even matter given their overall strengths? And what are the real strengths of Columbia and Penn in this area? What trade-offs are there to consider when weighing each of these programs?

[SofieCat]

Not to add more to your plate, but have you considered Boston College? They have a strong international concentration. Same with University of Denver. 

[marina415]

Hey there, yes I have applied to BC but got my application in pretty late so I am not sure if I will realistically hear from them before I need to make a decision about the other 3 schools. They do seem really amazing on international work! I think my only reservation is that I have heard they are not very strong on macro track (though, like most places, I think they are trying to move in that direction). I would seriously consider BC my top choice if I got in there, but, assuming I won't hear from them in time, does anyone have any insights on Columbia, Penn or UW?