The Official MSW Q&A Thread

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Somehow I missed this thread even though it's above the top thread.


I am interested in becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and prefer to be in mental health/public health/or medical health. I would also like to practice in California.
I have a question on the following schools regarding if they offer my area of concentration:


1) http://socwork.sfsu.edu/IFG.aspx
2) http://www.csub.edu/SocialWork/msw_curric.shtml
3) http://www.sjsu.edu/socialwork/docs/...ing_Classx.pdf
4) http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/hhs/sw/msw.php#MSWCP
5) http://socialwork.csusb.edu/majorsPr...centration.htm
6) http://www.hhs.csus.edu/SWRK/swmasterprogram.htm
7) http://www.csun.edu/csbs/departments...%20Program.pdf

^I am unsure if those schools offer my area of interest (mentioned above).

How much of the field work needs to be done during the 2nd year in your desired area? It seems like you can only take a couple of courses on it.

I was also interested in the Child Welfare Stipend Program. Could I still have a Public Health/Mental Health/Medical Health area of concentration, and still do that? It seems like you would only have to work for 2 years after you graduate.

Also, I know that you need at least 3000 hours of supervised clinical training for the LCSW. Is this training paid? I know that this is an additional two years on top of the Masters. I would just like to figure out the costs.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out the costs for 2 years of Masters in Social Work. On average, how much is the total (for a state school)? The schools' websites have it listed per unit, but I would just like to know from someone who's already been through the program.


Thank you!

in OK it can be paid or unpaid supervision.
it can be provided by your employer or you may out of pocket. From what I know thats pretty universal, just depends on your situation

Originally Posted by Savagebee

in OK it can be paid or unpaid supervision.
it can be provided by your employer or you may out of pocket. From what I know thats pretty universal, just depends on your situation

In NY, it can be either. It is usually provided by your employer, but many LCSWs will supervise new LMSWs for free as they feel it is an obligation to give back to the field.

Also, for those who are pursuing the LCSW-R, they must have an additional three years of supervision.

I know many/most LCSWs/LCSW-Rs who continue supervision throughout their careers.

Hello! I'm new to this board, but it seems like such a great resource to get information that, so far, has seemed a little out of reach when it comes to researching MSW grad programs.

A little background on me: I graduated last May with a degree in Psychology from a fairly prestigious liberal arts college on the west coast - got honors in major, completed an honors thesis, cum laude, and a 3.7 in-major GPA. This year I am working as an "intervention specialist" placed through Americorps in an elementary school - basically a school social worker with more direct child support and less case management.

I was really struggling for a bit deciding on a grad route, because I have a little academia-world burnout and am really committed to applied work. I have realized that an MSW sounds pretty great in terms of the flexibility it will provide me. The general area I'd like to work in would be direct client care relating to family support, child development, parent education and counseling, etc. I'm thinking becoming a LCSW is a good path.

Here are a few roadblocks I'm facing in my decision:

1. I am originally from CA and still hold my permanent residence there, and I'm STRONGLY leaning toward grad school in-state there. I want in-state tuition at a public university, and CA has so many options! I am also drawn to training in CA because I'd like to be qualified to work with Spanish-speaking and immigrant populations. So one big question I have is this: CSU or UC? I feel so lost when it comes to finding out the quality of various programs. I know UCLA and UC Berkeley are both ranked high in US News & World Report, but what does that really mean? I really do want to be able to stand out in the crowd of recent MSW grads and hit the ground running into my career. I also definitely want to be challenged and have stimulating professors who are willing to guide me. Will one of these schools do that for me? Or do I save money and go to a CSU that's less prestigious?

2. I am a little concerned about the vagueness in MSW curriculum. I'd really love to have a solid background in child development - should I seek outside enrichment? In my google searches I've found two options for MS in Child Development and MSW joint degree programs. However, they are in New York and Chicago, and I'm not sure I'm willing to relocate that far, especially for the significantly higher tuition. Can you get a solid development background in general MSW programs, or are there some specialties that I am not yet aware of? I love the idea of working with parents and children jointly, even doing developmental evaluations and screenings and bringing that into the whole-family perspective. Any advice or thoughts?

3. Finally, I am wondering about the Title IV-E Child Welfare stipend in CA. I found a few mentions of this in the forum, but what I am wondering about is whether it would be possible to get my supervision hours to become a LCSW while working in a child welfare position for the state. The more I think about working in child welfare for a couple years, the more I am willing to really give it a go. I know it can be a really difficult area with high burnout, but I also believe it could be a good first step really "in the trenches" for going into family services in social work. My only concern is that if I spend 2 years working in the state and then still need to start from scratch on my licensing, that could be big delay in my career.

I realize that is very lengthy! Any tips or insight anyone has about any of these questions would be SO appreciated. I feel a little in the dark here - it really seems like there isn't a ton of MSW program evaluations or guidance available.

just wanted to say thank you for this sticky! there are many questions that i had that are answered here.

Hey Mitch,

I'm wondering what your experience at NYU is? Do you think the training and placements are good there? Would you recommend it? I just got accepted there with a $9,000 scholarship offer. I imagine that scholarships are offered for first year students only. Anyway, do you think your prospects there are good and placements are good enough for you pay off your debt?

hi there!
I am BS psychology.. I need some information regarding Masters program. Do you guys know of any university in UK that offers partially online & partially on campus Masters degree? I am residing in Qatar and i want this type of flexible program as i am very well aware of the tuition fee of UK. In this case, during my online studies, i will be working & saving money for my fee...i know full online program is not credible. I know of many univs here that offers one year online and other year on campus degree. . but they dont have psychology .. so i am looking for one in UK .. Any idea about it?

Your suggestions will help.

Hi Raychelaych, I'm asking a lot of the same questions that you are, but I'm applying for the USC online program (part time, accelerated) because it's flexible enough for me to continue working at the afterschool program that I serve for my Americorps year (ending this August). I've read a lot of the forums and I'm still wondering if a "brand name" school will be better (for networking) despite the expensive tuition, or if I'd be okay attending a CSU (CSULB is the best out of the CSU's for MSW, I hear). I'm hoping I'll be offered a decent financial aid package (even though it's my 2nd Master's degree), and I'm counting on the public service loan forgiveness programs so I don't have to eat ramen every day after I graduate. Please keep us updated on your decisions! I found that pinguoin's messages have been very helpful Best of luck!

can somebody help me with LCSW/ ASW supervision contacts?

I am currently going into my senior year in the Behavioral Science department with an emphasis in Psychology. I really would love to get my MSW but I am worried about getting into a program. My GPA is only a 3.0. Do you think I have a chance at all? Is the cost equal the reward both in life fulfillment and money?

I am kind of lost. I just want to help people but I don't know what way to go about it.

Also how do I get into the field before I have a degree? Is there any way?

Originally Posted by MSW hopefull

I am currently going into my senior year in the Behavioral Science department with an emphasis in Psychology. I really would love to get my MSW but I am worried about getting into a program. My GPA is only a 3.0. Do you think I have a chance at all? Is the cost equal the reward both in life fulfillment and money?

I am kind of lost. I just want to help people but I don't know what way to go about it.

Also how do I get into the field before I have a degree? Is there any way?

Yes, you can get into a program.

I don't know that I can answer the reward question accurately. Why do you want to get an MSW? What do you picture yourself doing with it? In the end, only you can answer this. Stress and reward levels (emotional and financial) are going to vary greatly by which field of social work and on the individual level.

It seems like you could definitely benefit from some exploratory jobs and volunteering to try and get a sense of how you might want to help people. I'd recommend you do this a bit before making the leap to grad school.

Volunteer at a homeless shelter, get a job in a residence for domestic violence victims, a residence for adults with mental illness, try and find a bachelor's level case management job, get a job as a recreational aide at a nursing home and try and shadow their social worker, and so on...

Does the school you attend have a social work program BSW or MSW associated with it? Might be a good way for you to speak with an advisor who can guide you in the right direction. Or try your psych dept.

Hi-- I have been accepted to MSW programs at BU and Simmons, waiting to hear back from Smith and BC. I have also been accepted to Salem State and am strongly considering it as an in-state resident, might be the best financial decision (not graduating with debt). My question is how will my school choice affect my job prospects post-graduation? I am going to be on a clinical track and would love feedback about how Salem State's MSW program is seen. Thank you!!

While I was obessesing and waiting for grad school responses, I found an excellent thread. Sometimes the whole MSW vs PsyD vs PhD vs LMHC comes up a lot -- and gets extremely varied responses.

In my personal opinion, this thread, is one of the best threads that answers this question. People responded in a very thorough and intelligent way, and yet did not show too much bias for one field or the other. It also addresses a lot of the basic questions people seem to have when people pop onto this board looking for answers (and don't take a lot of time to search past posts). Also, it emphasizes over and over again the importance of researching your local market. One person remarks how there is a shortage of doctoral level clinicians in his/her state, and they wish they had done further research before deciding on getting an MSW. Yet, there are examples of just the opposite in the thread as well. Nice thread that doesn't devolve into name calling or slandering of someone else's theoretical stance.

It's old, but I feel very relevant Enjoy.

Hi all,

Sorry if this has been addressed already, but here is my question! I recently graduated with a BA in Psychology and a BA in Sociology and have been debating various programs to pursue in grad school. I feel I have done a great deal of research on these programs and keep coming back to MSW, so I'm pretty sure I'll be pursuing that. I'm planning on taking at least a year or two off to gain experience in the field to really ensure that this is what I want to do (and to pay off some of that debt hopefully!), but am not sure where to start. I spent my undergrad doing research, but did not get involved in any practicum or internship (which I'm really regretting now), and have limited volunteering experiences (Boys and Girls club, and a tutor/mentor at an alternative high school). Work wise I only have retail experience and am worried that I won't be able to get a paid social services job straight out of undergrad. For all you MSW and LCSW's out there, what kind of jobs did you start out with that you feel prepared you for your graduate studies? I'm honestly open to a variety of jobs, and have been looking into the mental health area a lot, but I'm not sure what else might be out there/what I should be looking for. Ultimately (with my MSW and with licensure) I would like to work with children and their families either within mental health, in schools, or in a private practice. If I need to provide any further details or clarifications, please let me know. Thanks for taking the time to read this