Does this count as experience? (MSW)

[HaleyMArganbright]

I am going into my senior year at UC Berkeley this fall and I am planning to apply for an MSW program in the fall as well. I am concerned because I do lack "social work related experience". I am trying to find a place to volunteer while I am home for the summer (which has been difficult) but I'm not sure if that will be enough. Also, I may be either teaching in Prison or working at the state mental hospital at Napa throughout the next year but they probably want a least a year of experience prior to applying right? Anyway.. the reason I am writing is because I did work for the City of Tracy in the parks and recreation department and was wondering if certain aspects from that job would/could count as social welfare related experience? For example, I wold sometimes work at the Senior center where we would provide the seniors with free lunch daily, and discounted classes at the center. we also helped linked the seniors to services and resources as well as having people such as paralegals come to the center for the seniors use. I didn't work at the senior center everyday but in the Two years I worked for the city I did work there quite a bit. so... does this count??

 

lastly, even though I am currently a Psychology major, I am doing a Senior Honor's thesis with a professor from the social welfare department ( I have been in her research lab for a year now) regarding issues that could very well involve social workers. Does anyone know if having this research experience could somehow better my chances of admission or outweigh my lack of experience in the field? 

 

Thanks in advance

[JJSW]

Hi,

 

Congrats on your success at Berkeley undergrad and on your decision to go for an MSW!    I think your experience will not be a problem and getting a bachelor's degree from a prestigious school also helps a lot.    I also went directly from undergrad to my MSW program with minimal "social work related experience" and it worked out fine.    Many students who go this route do not have extensive social work backgrounds as one goes from one setting to the other as a full time student.   My undergrad degree was a BA in Anthropology so I think your psych background will also be fine as I remember many other MSW cohorts at the time with BA's in psychology (not everyone has a BSW and that isn't a prerequisite at all).

[Baffledgenius]

Congrats on being a senior! I too graduated from Berkeley(anthro and psych), so I understand what you are dealing with right now, as well as the two DeCals you listed. Having known numerous people who did Napa State Hospital and having done the Teach in Prison(San Quentin), I would recommend them both. However it is useful to show experience in the particular facet of social work that interests you, so would that be mental health/clinical practice or re-entry population/policy? In regards to your current experience, it is all about how you shape what you did on your CV. Sounds like you already understand that and have done a good job of finding the most relevant responsibilities you undertook. 

 

In regards to work/volunteer experience vs research, MSW programs place significant importance on the experience. Undergraduate research is more highly valued in PHD Social Work programs as opposed to MSW's. Though your research may show a developed understanding of a topic that highly motivates/interests you, so it is of value. If you are hoping to attend Berkeley for grad school as well, they take a year of full-time experience extremely seriously and so you may need a gap year in order to achieve this. Other prestigious universities are not usually quite as strict, I have noticed. 

 

Oh and don't forget that many California MSW programs require the GRE score(emphasis is on the verbal), whereas many other programs elsewhere do not. If you have any other questions I am happy to help. I have served as an academic adviser for the past 2 years and for MSW programs was accepted into UCB, UCLA, USC, UMichigan, UChicago, and UPenn. 

[pickfights]

Hi Baffledgenius,

 

I'm not OP but I have a question. I too am planning on applying to Cal this fall for the MSW program. Could you speak to the different concentrations, and how much your choice matters? I am interested in SA/DV work, but I have also dabbled in sexual health work. These two issues kind of overlap, and I love them all. I'm having a hard time deciding if I should apply to Berkeley's MH concentration or Health concentration. I have experience in both fields. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Baffledgenius]

I am not sure what SA stands for, but if domestic violence is what interests you then go for either the Direct Practice in Child and Family Services, or the Mental Health concentration. The Direct Practice in Health is far more like hospital social work and so the focus is on case management, health care delivery, etc. A lot of the decision is simply in which way you want to go about helping people. Child and Family services lets you focus on the home as a whole, MH letss you focus on the the individual's state of mind that is affecting themselves and others around them, and Health Services allows you to meld a passion for medicine or policy with your desire to help people through challenging times or transitions. Keep in mind some concentrations such as MH are much larger so they can accept more students, but also far more competitive. 

[pickfights]

Sorry, SA stands for sexual assault. Thanks for your feedback I really appreciate it. I think I just need to learn more about hospital social work. I want to make sure I choose the most appropriate concentration bc I know you only get compared with people in said concentration for admission.