MSW Progams - does it matter which one?

[momto4girls]

Hi - I'm new to the board. I am going back to school after over a decade out (graduated from UCLA in 1999). I need to attend an MSW program at a state school for monetary reasons. I live in a very small community and while there are some great MSW programs near me, they are in nearby states (meaning $30K++ tuition, which I cannot afford).

I have two options for in-state schools - one is much farther away (almost 1.5 hours) but is highly ranked on the US News rankings (how much those rankings are worth, I don't know). They do offer a part-time program whereby I could attend the foundation classes on weekends for the first two years. However, I have four children so I don't know that cutting an entire day out of the weekend is a good idea, however short-term it might be.

The other option is not highly ranked, but they actually offer a program about 10 minutes from my house. This is incredible given where I live. The field education is also done in my local community. And they are even more affordable than the above option - about $200 per credit less. I'm leaning toward this school simply because of location.

My question is this: how important do you think "rankings" are when it comes to MSW programs? I know they all follow the same plan as they are all accredited by the same institution. However, if where I went to school matters when it comes to getting a job or going for my doctorate later on, I want to take that into consideration - it might be worth a few years of driving.

Thanks so much!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[wigflip]

Hi - I'm new to the board. I am going back to school after over a decade out (graduated from UCLA in 1999). I need to attend an MSW program at a state school for monetary reasons. I live in a very small community and while there are some great MSW programs near me, they are in nearby states (meaning $30K++ tuition, which I cannot afford).

I have two options for in-state schools - one is much farther away (almost 1.5 hours) but is highly ranked on the US News rankings (how much those rankings are worth, I don't know). They do offer a part-time program whereby I could attend the foundation classes on weekends for the first two years. However, I have four children so I don't know that cutting an entire day out of the weekend is a good idea, however short-term it might be.

The other option is not highly ranked, but they actually offer a program about 10 minutes from my house. This is incredible given where I live. The field education is also done in my local community. And they are even more affordable than the above option - about $200 per credit less. I'm leaning toward this school simply because of location.

My question is this: how important do you think "rankings" are when it comes to MSW programs? I know they all follow the same plan as they are all accredited by the same institution. However, if where I went to school matters when it comes to getting a job or going for my doctorate later on, I want to take that into consideration - it might be worth a few years of driving.

Thanks so much!

Hi Momto4girls,

I am also an older non-traditional student with caregiving responsibilities. I dropped out of an MSW program several years back. It was well ranked, but I don't feel that it lived up to its reputation or was deserving of the tuition. Feel free to PM me if you like--I can be more candid and specific about how and why this was the case. I think you mentioned on the doctoral thread that you had attended great schools (as did I), and you may be disappointed by the MSW experience.

Generally speaking though, I think your best bet is to work backwards from your intended job. You may or may not get great training in an MSW program, but you will be getting a pedigree and alumni network. If you are hoping to do anything other than private practice, see if you can determine where the working, licensed MSWs in your area went to school. Needless to say, if they all went to the local school, you're fine. If it looks like local agencies prefer to hire social workers from higher ranked institutions, then you might have a problem, unless you anticipate moving in the future.

You might also consider the theoretical orientation and cultural climate of the schools. Social work has historically been aligned with psychodynamic theories and religiosity. Whether these are things you want, or want to avoid, you should be aware of the degree to which your prospective schools fit that model so you can find a good fit for yourself.

 

[momto4girls]

Hey WigFlip - I'm sending you a PM. Thanks! 🙂

 

[Neuropsych2be]

Hi - I'm new to the board. I am going back to school after over a decade out (graduated from UCLA in 1999). I need to attend an MSW program at a state school for monetary reasons. I live in a very small community and while there are some great MSW programs near me, they are in nearby states (meaning $30K++ tuition, which I cannot afford).

I have two options for in-state schools - one is much farther away (almost 1.5 hours) but is highly ranked on the US News rankings (how much those rankings are worth, I don't know). They do offer a part-time program whereby I could attend the foundation classes on weekends for the first two years. However, I have four children so I don't know that cutting an entire day out of the weekend is a good idea, however short-term it might be.

The other option is not highly ranked, but they actually offer a program about 10 minutes from my house. This is incredible given where I live. The field education is also done in my local community. And they are even more affordable than the above option - about $200 per credit less. I'm leaning toward this school simply because of location.

My question is this: how important do you think "rankings" are when it comes to MSW programs? I know they all follow the same plan as they are all accredited by the same institution. However, if where I went to school matters when it comes to getting a job or going for my doctorate later on, I want to take that into consideration - it might be worth a few years of driving.

Thanks so much!

Unless the program has well-known problems within the profession, no one will care.

 

[PsyDLICSW]

Hi - I'm new to the board. I am going back to school after over a decade out (graduated from UCLA in 1999). I need to attend an MSW program at a state school for monetary reasons. I live in a very small community and while there are some great MSW programs near me, they are in nearby states (meaning $30K++ tuition, which I cannot afford).

I have two options for in-state schools - one is much farther away (almost 1.5 hours) but is highly ranked on the US News rankings (how much those rankings are worth, I don't know). They do offer a part-time program whereby I could attend the foundation classes on weekends for the first two years. However, I have four children so I don't know that cutting an entire day out of the weekend is a good idea, however short-term it might be.

The other option is not highly ranked, but they actually offer a program about 10 minutes from my house. This is incredible given where I live. The field education is also done in my local community. And they are even more affordable than the above option - about $200 per credit less. I'm leaning toward this school simply because of location.

My question is this: how important do you think "rankings" are when it comes to MSW programs? I know they all follow the same plan as they are all accredited by the same institution. However, if where I went to school matters when it comes to getting a job or going for my doctorate later on, I want to take that into consideration - it might be worth a few years of driving.

Thanks so much!

Hi,

I am a graduate from an MSW program. The program you attend does matter, but I am not referring to prestige. As long as the school has a good reputation with the community you want to practice in, then it would be a good school reputation wise. Now not all MSW programs are created equal. If you want to do clinical work, you need to go to a school with a track in clinical social work otherwise you will be taking courses in crap that have nothing to do with therapy and you will find yourself unprepared to do therapy. You can private message me for more information about that. Hope this helps

 

[wigflip]

Hi,

I am a graduate from an MSW program. The program you attend does matter, but I am not referring to prestige. As long as the school has a good reputation with the community you want to practice in, then it would be a good school reputation wise. Now not all MSW programs are created equal. If you want to do clinical work, you need to go to a school with a track in clinical social work otherwise you will be taking courses in crap that have nothing to do with therapy and you will find yourself unprepared to do therapy. You can private message me for more information about that. Hope this helps

I agree, but want to add that I went to a school with a reputation for being a strong clinical school. It might have been better than the nearby macro school in that regard, but the amount and quality of clinical training was subpar, and I'd be willing to bet that one would have gotten better clinical training at virtually any MFT program. In other words, a program's reputation as clinically-focused may be necessary, but not sufficient.

 

[momto4girls]

The local program does have a good local reputation, and they do have significant clinical training (at least according to the people I've spoken with there). I think I'm going to have to go that route.
thanks!!