Would I be missing out by not getting a BSW prior to a MSW?

[christian121]

Hello everyone and thank you for such a splendid little forum with so much helpful information on it! My question comes down to this, I had originally wanted to go to a four year university to pursue a BSW and then apply to a MSW program after that, however as I have spent more time in community college I have discovered that I have fallen in love with other academic subjects that I cannot help but feel would be neglected if I were to actually *major* in Social Work at the undergraduate level at the expense of them. I am planning on accruing years of experience volunteering in clinical and behavioral settings in my local area and perhaps some assistance to a few social justice advocates as well. I would very much like a MSW program that offers concentrations in these fields in the state of California owing a tuition waiver I receive here due to stroke of luck on my part. Would I be good to go in my plans? Thank you all very much for answering my problems, everyone!

[Threeboysmom]

When I considered a MSW there were two tracks one for students with a BSW and one for students without a BSW. For those students without you are required to take a few more classes.

[pdwilks]

BSW will get you advance standing, less classes by a year it seems in most cases, thus saving a year in tuition.

 

I did Sociology with Social Service option, which let me study a broader version of the BSW. However, I do not get to lay claim to the title BSW nor do I get to do advance standing. Not a problem for me. I also added two minors in Psych and Human Dev to offset what I felt I might be missing in getting specifically a BSW, did it help, no idea, but it worked for me.  Do a BSW major and minor in other subjects if it seems like it might work for you. I didn't feel the pinch taking the extra subjects, it actually filled in the required units for financial aid and didn't add extra time to my two years for a BA

[christian121]

Because I have a Cal Vet tuition waiver, tuition is not a concern for me AT ALL, hence why I would want to go to a University of California without a BSW and pursue other academic pursuits, rather than go to a Cal State University, get a BSW, and save a year on my MSW program. It just is not necessary in my situation.  I am now of the understanding that if I have a good all around application with a high GPA and good volunteer experience that I will be fine admitting into a MSW program with a BSW. Unless I am wrong, of course?

 

Now what MSW programs from among the public universities in California would the community recommend to me?

 

Thank you all for your time.

Edited August 17, 2014 by christian121

[TLC]

Did you mean to say that you will be fine being admitted to an MSW program 'without' a BSW?

[christian121]

Did you mean to say that you will be fine being admitted to an MSW program 'without' a BSW?

Yes. My apologies.

[TLC]

I don't know what plan you are under with the Cal Vet tuition waiver. If you are under Plan A without any income restrictions (therefore not restricting you geographically) I feel that your possibilities are endless.

Any reccomendations should be based on your interests. Macro or Micro? Are you interested in a particular population? What are your goals after graduation?

Edited August 17, 2014 by TLC

[Kristopher]

People have already addressed how it saves you a year of tuition with a BSW because a MSW would only take a year to complete instead of two. But it also gets you on the job market sooner. So not only is it less tuition (which isn't a problem in your case) but it's one whole year extra of salary and one year shorter that you have to work before retirement.

[briefinterviews]

Short answer: No.

 

Not all MSW programs offer advanced standing, especially those that are more competitive.

 

My undergraduate degree is in English, but I never felt behind or at a disadvantage in my MSW program. At times I wish I'd taken more sociology classes, just for my own edification, but that was about it. But I never regret my major--if anything, it has proven to be a tremendous asset.

[RiemannForBeginners]

Christian121, you already got some great advice, but I want to add 2c for something not mentioned yet.  I would take into consideration your age as well. If this is your second career or you have some responsibilities that pressure you into committing to a career as soon as possible, then shaving off a year or pursuing a BSW might be worth it.  But if this is your first time going to college AND, as you mentioned, you feel curious and excited about taking certain classes that might not fall under the BSW curriculum, then I would say, go for it!  College is the time to figure out what you are interested in, and to learn what gets you excited and engaged. You have time to commit to a career later (and certainly people are accepted into MSWs without BSWs).  But if you can, it's 100% worth exploring your interests, especially the first 1-2 years of college.  Who knows what you'll discover?  

[christian121]

I don't know what plan you are under with the Cal Vet tuition waiver. If you are under Plan A without any income restrictions (therefore not restricting you geographically) I feel that your possibilities are endless.

Any reccomendations should be based on your interests. Macro or Micro? Are you interested in a particular population? What are your goals after graduation?

I have Cal Vet Plan B; and I would like to point out to the community that since the maximum yearly income to qualify for Cal Vet Plan B is the ever rising poverty level, full time students should not worry too hard about making too much to qualify, even with parental support counting against you, because the income you report is your Adjusted Gross Income, which is cut down significantly by the standard deduction or itemized deductions available to taxpayers. So, while not as helpful as Cal Vet Plan A, Plan B is still a good source of assistance if you qualify for it! Those who are children, of any age, of ANY disabled veteran, even one with a 0% disability rating, which could amount to something as minor as some scars, qualify for 100% free tuition at ANY California public educational program, undergraduate or graduate. You could even get free law school tuition if you would like! Just a heads up to the community!

 

My main interests lie in macroscopic work/advocacy, which I have been getting the feeling is a career path helped by the prestige factor of a university name. However, advocacy does not seem to pay as well as say something like clinical mental health work, though I stand to be corrected, which would interestingly enough mean that one who takes up advocacy would want as few student loans as possible. This appears to create a tug between the allure of cheap tuition at a CSU and the prestige of a UC. Is this my thought process correct in all this? Thank you for your time and information everyone.

[TLC]

My thought regarding location was that you can go to school up north, but if you (and all of your friends and family) live in Southern CA you would still have living expenses (even though your tuition is paid). I don't know where you are from or what your situation is, this is just something that occurred to me and what I would take into consideration.

Edited August 18, 2014 by TLC