msw macro focus - career outlook?

[spctle342]

I’m getting ready to graduate in December with a B.S. in psychology. However, social work is my passion. I’m somewhat of a non-traditional student (graduating at age 25, having taken a few years off to pursue a career). I’ve worked in human services since age 19, with a variety of populations (drug & alcohol, early childhood education, domestic violence, children’s mental health, homeless shelter case management, and child welfare).


In the future, I envision myself working to advance policy and advocate for communities of people, not only individuals. I’m not opposed to direct service, but I’m definitely not interested in the clinical route, which seems to be rather popular among social workers. However, I’m not certain that getting my MSW with a macro focus will place me in the running for the type of work in which I’m interested. Is an MSW sufficient in preparing a student for a career in research, legislative policy, grant writing, etc? I’ve considered joint MSW/PhD programs, but the advantage of a PhD seems to be in teaching, which is not really something that interests me.

In my community, I don’t really see a market for an MSW, sans licensure. Sure, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world, but is it the reality that non-licensed MSW graduates are doomed to joblessness, case management, or glorified administrative work? I mean no disrespect to those who enjoy such opportunities, but I do fear that I may wind up a mere cog in the system I dream of helping to transform. Am I being cynical or realistic? Can any macro students attest to the availability of jobs or the types of work they’ve found or are pursuing?

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[Therapist4Chnge]

Is an MSW sufficient in preparing a student for a career in research, legislative policy, grant writing, etc? I've considered joint MSW/PhD programs, but the advantage of a PhD seems to be in teaching, which is not really something that interests me.

No. None of those things will be covered in a typical MSW program. You would need to pursue at least one graduate degree (if not two), and then gain mentorship from people who do the work. Research + Grant Writing can be learned through mentorship and/or formal graduate training, though legislative policy is a completely different can of worms. A law degree would probably be the best route. I would try and find people who do what you want to do, and see how they carved their path.

 

[spctle342]

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, you've confirmed many of my suspicions. The college nearby offers a joint MSW/MPA, which could help in at least the grant-writing aspect of things. I'm also considering the University of Michigan's Ph.D program in social work and social science (potentially with a political science focus), as they appear to have an excellent policy-based curriculum and would be able to prepare me for research to a degree that couldn't possibly be achieved through most MSW programs.

I agree with your suggestion to seek out the advice of those who are doing the work I want to do. Thankfully, I was able to secure a pretty competitive social work internship at an Appleseed center in my town this summer, and I'll be working under an MSW who does exactly what I dream of doing. I'm sure she will be able to point me in the right direction.

 

[berlin81]

I can attest that U of M's MSW program is very good in terms of advocacy and political type work. My first job as a clinician was in the Ann Arbor area (where U of M is located) where I frequently worked with MSW's from UM School of Social Work. Personally I was very impressed by their work in advocacy, especially with geriatrics. I must say however that I had many clashes with macro-oriented SW's from U of M since I was focused on clinical work (at the time I had an MA in clinical psych). Despite the philosophical differences, I was impressed by their knowledge and dedication. If you are interested in advocacy, U of M appears to have a top-notch program. In terms of clinical skills, I would recommend other programs.

 

[shell98]

I am an MSW student as well but it seems that the majority of programs are geared for direct practice/micro (although most have a few macro courses you could choose as electives). My suggestion would be either to do joint MSW/MPA or MPA only with concentration on social policy, programming, etc.