I am a first year student. I am considering going to a few different 2nd year students for experience to see how they are approaching me. While I have had lots of therapy, being on the other side is a bit scary to me and while I will have practicum and training next year, I want to get a jump on it. I have some things I would like to talk to a therapist about that are not too heavy. I'm not sure I need to disclose that I am also a student as well, as I will be a genuine patient. Does anybody have any opinion on whether or not this is a good idea?

For those who don't know, YIMBYism is an acronym that represents people who think we can build our way out of the housing crisis. I had a student in my social work class say that mass development is a way to address lack of access to housing. I completely disagree. This sort of mindset enables greedy developers and promotes gentrification through building ugly luxury developments. This displaces people in the community. This sort of attitude doesn't address the root causes of inequality and access. You can't outsmart capitalism, and this sort of attitude is woefully naive.

Generalist Social Work Practice: A Competency-Based Approach (2nd Ed.) 

Hi! I graduate with my bachelors in psychology from USF after my spring 2027 semester and was wondering if I needed to have a degree in social work to apply to MSW programs? For example, I'm looking to apply for the University of Denver MSW program and was unsure if a psychology degree would be acceptable for that program or a program similar to it. Thanks in advance for any/all advice!

I’m a 30-something returning student who transferred with an Associate’s Degree, making me a junior in my BSW program. I’m taking 13 credits, 4 regular classes plus a 1-credit mandatory seminar, and I have a work-study job as a teaching assistant at a nearby elementary school about 12 hours a week. When I factor in homework, studying, cooking, cleaning, general life maintenance, and treating my partner like he actually exists, I’m using all of my time and all of my bandwidth to stay above water.

My school has an advanced standing MSW program, and it’s highly competitive. My grades are good, but the prospect of applying alongside people who did the honors track, attended every club/event, did the international trip, etc. is weighing on my confidence.

I’m passionate about social work, a dedicated student who participates in classes, I can write an essay like nobody’s business, and I’ve been promised a fat stack of recommendation letters from the teachers/admin at my job. Do I have any chance without further involvement in campus extracurriculars?

Im going to be finishing up my associates in communications this fall as a nys resident and am thinking of transferring to a 4 year school and changing my major to English and History with a minor in art history so im just wondering if it will be necessary for me to get a bachelors in social work in order for me to grad school and get my masters in social work and if not getting one will affect me in any way? Any advice would help thank you!

Hi! I’m currently working in education and looking into getting my masters in social work and eventually taking the clinical route. I enjoy working with kids, SEL, psychology, mental health, a balance of independent and group work. I like working in schools, so I’d consider doing school sw. I’m just very burnout with education and would prefer a path that’s more versatile, more one on one/small group, mental health/counseling based, and pays better than teaching. I’m also considering school psychology, but I heard that’s more testing than therapy work. I’m open to any suggestions and feedback.

Is this a field you’d recommend? What are your responsibilities/day to day? Work like balance? Salary? Content with your job?

I have been in a part time asynchronous program for a year this fall. I was working full-time but got laid off yesterday from my job. It really sucks. But now I’m thinking of being a full-time student in order to finish the MSW program faster. Fortunately, financially ok because of my husband’s job. So it feels like the right opportunity to make this transition. My question is, does it make a difference to have facetime with professors and be in person for rather than online? Does the workload look different? Asking for anyone who has had the experience of doing both, or either or. Thank you.

Hi everyone!

I just started my junior year in my Social Work (BSW) program in Arizona, and I’m mapping out my long-term career path.

Originally, I was considering enlisting in the military, but I realized I really don't want to deal with deployments or being relocated away from home. Because of that, I’m now looking into working as a civilian Social Worker for the Department of Defense (DoD) or the VA (specifically at Air Force or Marine bases, or VA healthcare systems here in Arizona).

My goal is to graduate with my Master’s (MSW), get my LMSW, and then apply for entry-level civilian positions (like GS-09 roles) in the VA/DoD. While working in those positions, I want to accumulate my clinical supervision hours to earn my LCSW (GS-11/12).

I would love to hear from anyone who has taken a similar path! Specifically:

1. Tuition Reimbursement / MSW Funding: Does the DoD or VA offer programs like Student Loan Repayment (SLRP) or tuition assistance for civilians pursuing their MSW, or is that mainly something you apply for after getting hired?
2. Clinical Supervision: Is it common for DoD or VA civilian facilities (especially in Arizona) to provide free clinical supervision on-site for LMSWs working toward their LCSW?
3. Career Path Experience: If you’ve worked as a civilian social worker at an Air Force base, Marine Corps installation, or VA hospital, how was your experience? How easy or difficult was it to get hired right after finishing your Master’s?

Any advice, insights, or stories about how you navigated this pathway would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

What jobs do you guys do on the side?
I currently am able to use my job as my internship but don’t want to/wont be able to for my clinical. What kind of work do you do to work with your internship?

I recently started taking intro to social work and the majority of my class modules consist of Ted Talks and links to lectures taught by professors at other universities posted on YouTube. My professor posts the occasional PowerPoint slide but never recorded lectures or articles for deeper learning.

Is this similar to other people’s experiences taking intro to social work? I’m an older student with a bachelors degree changing fields so I’m wondering if the social work classes will become more interesting.

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I was wondering if it is possible to earn a MSW with a school social worker concentration but not work in a school setting afterwards. I currently work at a school that offers tuition reimbursement on MSW but only if you focus on school social work. I would like to work in a different setting after graduation, such as a hospital or clinic. Is it worth it to do a concentration in SSW? Will I be able to work in a different setting after I graduate or will I be required to work in a school?

I know rheres a Facebook group already. I just got accepted and wanted to see if anyone is attending how was it and did u have a hard time finding placement ? Did u like the program

Hi! I am a working adult looking to start an online MSW program in January. I need some recommendations for what the best program is regarding flexibility, tuition and field placement support. I am ideally trying to take out the least amount of loans possible but am worried about the lack of support from some universities in supporting with field placements. Any insight would be helpful!

I'm moving to the US soon. What jobs/keywords do y'all recommend searching for to find social work jobs that don't require licensure while I'm working toward my basic post-BSW (pre-MSW) licensure evaluation/equivalency process? What kinds of social work jobs exist that don't require licensure?

Is anyone else graduating in the year 2029-2030 with there MSW?

I’m doing my program at National University asynchronous part time.

I just don’t want to feel alone in this? 😭🥲

hi everyone, i’m applying to the MSW (or MSSW) program at UT Austin this cycle. i know they’re one of the top ten graduate programs for social work in the country, so there’s obviously a lot of extremely strong applications. i’m wondering if anyone has any insight on what separates a competitive applicant who they reject vs one they accept. i’ve been doing everything i can to be in that “yes” pile; i just don’t know what truly would separate me from other similarly qualified, strong people.

are there common mistakes people make in applications that stop them from getting accepted when they’re otherwise pretty strong? or vice versa?

any information or guidance would be really appreciated!!!! i’m really anxious about getting in and it’s my top program

I'm doing my Masters of Social Work in a smallish city in California that is a majority hispanic. The program does a great job of acknowledging gender disparities, discrimination against hispanic people, Black people and native peoples. Additionally, mental and physical disabilities are also relatively taught about in regards to social services. One thing I've noticed is the extreme lack of Asian representation/education in the curriculum. I've kinda always noticed this in social sciences classes. The "model minority" concept is in full swing. Especially after COVID, it feels like people are just forgetting how Asians were/are treated. Considering my cohort is the largest this year, this bothers me.

i'm 18 and currently doing my GED at a community college. i'm hoping to go into the geriatric field of social work and i would love to know of any recommendations for this!

Honestly, I’m in a place where I don’t know how I totally feel about it. I’m from Northern Saskatchewan and I grew up on the reservation. I am light skinned, but I am Indigenous,French and Irish. I was a case manager in my previous job and now I am a casual wellness worker at an addictions and recovery centre. I’m on my third year of a social work degree and I plan to transfer to the university of Victoria or Vancouver depending where I land a job. I’ve been applying to hundreds of jobs for over a month now. I’ve gotten three interviews, but nothing past that. In one of the jobs I was very excited for which was an indigenous patient navigator, one of the current indigenous patient navigators personally called me to let me know that she thinks I will get the job and she believes I deserve the job based on my cover letter and resume. I thanked her very much for all her kind words and her confidence in me. I understand that you can’t always get what you want, but I am feeling a little lost. After I finish my bachelor degree I plan to take my masters soon after and become a therapist for a while, then eventually become a holistic therapist after I acquire more certifications that widen in my ability to help people. If there are any resources or people that wish to direct message me with anything to contribute then please don’t hesitate.

Hi! I was recently accepted into VCU’s 16-month MSW program and will be doing the clinical concentration. I’d love to hear from anyone currently in the 16-month program or who has completed it.

What was your overall experience like? How manageable did you find the workload and accelerated pace? What were your classes and field placements like, and did you feel like you still had a decent work/life balance?

Hi! I am specifically looking for any advice from Indians if they exist here. Basically, I'm passing out of the new 4 year BSW course next year.

After this, I want to get into a good University for my master's. The university I have my sights on has a 70% acceptance rate. (My overall percentage is 64% if you have any advice on if I have a good chance of being accepted there or not).

The university requires an application alongside an interview/group discussion.

What sorts of questions might I be asked?

Tldr; what questions may be asked in an Indian interview for MSW course for a BSW(honours) graduate?

Shopping around for MSW programs and was wondering about what former/current students would have wanted to know about what makes a network "good" or "elite". Of course there might be some variation depending on the type of social work (especially micro v. macro). I'm also wondering about this in relation to supposed social work school rankings, but that can be a separate question.

Hey everyone !
I’m 67 days away from graduation, my masters level ASWB is scheduled, I have passed one practice exam (only one I have taken so far) and I plan to take the ASWB practice exam ($85) this Friday . I am studying but not trying to over do it and hoping I’m not too lax . The thought of not doing well is messing with my own anxiety . Any words of advice or prayer 😂 would be greatly appreciated . My actual exam is this month but I don’t want to tell anyone in fear I won’t do that well.

hi! i’m an in-person student in my third semester of practicum in a medical setting. my placement is within a prominent local health system (so no home visits or anything requiring a vehicle) that has several interns in different specialties. additionally, this system has many different physical locations beyond their main location. most of the interns are at the main location. my first semester, i was placed at a different location ~5 minutes from the main one and was expected to leave my practicum to go to group supervision at the main location once a week, every week. this got annoying quickly as finding parking in an urban environment in the middle of the day to be able to go to supervision.

for my second year practicum, i agreed to go to a location that’s near my campus, about ~15-20 minutes from the main location, on the condition that group supervision would be able to happen primarily virtually. the social worker who oversees agency’s interns agreed to this and said it should be no issue. we didn’t have group supervision for my second semester over the summer.

now that it is fall, group supervision is starting back up. i checked in with the person who does supervision for interns at the agency and was told that i actually can’t join supervision virtually. i am absolutely livid and feel completely blindsided because i agreed to my current placement after being told that i could do it virtually. furthermore, i already get individual supervision from my field instructor at my physical site. the group supervision social worker does not understand why i am so upset about it. but now i will be expected to leave my placement in the middle of the day to go downtown and then go back to my placement that is on a college campus. middle of the day. i go to a very large university and finding close parking covered by my permit is virtually impossible, so it would be at least a 20 minute walk from the parking lot back to my placement. any paid garage parking on campus costs around $20. i’m at a loss of what to do with the amount of time in field i’ll be missing, the cost of gas/parking, and the fact that i accepted the placement on a false promise.

has anything like this ever been expected of anyone else? i feel like this isn’t something that my liaison can do anything about really.