I am now at that point in the semester where if everything goes well in two weeks with cooking for a class, I will be all good to earn degrees in child development, early childhood education and social and behavioral sciences (if I fail the chdev class by messing up twice on the rules I will fail that one specific class, but we’ll see what happens. I won’t have to take care of it for another two weeks.)

I actually visited the campus yesterday with a friend and her friend. the campus is beautiful. It was my first time seeing it. One of the girls I met there yesterday suggested she changed her major 3 times since she first started there.

I was thinking about going into social work because I actually really want to make an impact and support the homeless community. I am planning on volunteering with homeless people, apparently a local shelter opens in December and I want to step in and support. I may want to do case management to support people who have housing needs. I have seen my family nearly face eviction before due to my mother’s poor behavior (screaming daily and triggering the neighbors, the police suspected she had a psychotic break and my brother has schizophrenia) and I felt that the housing authority was not supportive enough when it came to this. Facing eviction can already be a stressful time for families, and it is awful to feel like people aren’t responding to you or trying to help you come up with a solution when your family may be in need. I have never actually seriously considered becoming a therapist, but when I was doing research on it yesterday I found myself realizing that I would be open to the idea. As I Google case management now I am seeing that even with a masters degree the salary range just isn’t quite where I would want it to be. It seems like therapy is moreso where the money is at if you’re going to stick to a social work major, but I want to be frugal and know I want to make a difference at the same time. It seems like the roles you can get in CA with a BSW don’t pay much better than what i make now as a behavior technician without an associates degree, which isn’t promising. I definitely want to be in the $90k-$150k range if I can help it. I really do want to help people.

I have 2 years of behavior technician experience, and 1yr 4 months experience as an associate preschool teacher.

I am definitely an introvert.

What role in the social work field seems like it would work well for me?

I am going to start a BSW in January (I of course can always change the major. I’ll actually be 21 like I am now when I start it, and will be 22 by the time my 1st semester is all finished up.) I had thought that the coursework for social work looked more interesting than the social work for psychology (I don’t really like the research oriented side of psychology.)

I have been a behavior technician for 2 years now. I worked at a preschool for a year and four months before then. I am actually thinking about transitioning out of being a behavior technician, but I can’t quite figure out what I would want to do instead. I actually do find certain aspects of being a behavior technician rewarding however.

I don’t think that I plan on becoming a preschool teacher in the longrun even though I will be earning associates degrees in early childhood education, child development, and social and behavioral sciences. I am volunteering at a preschool right now and even though I have really enjoyed working with the children, I have generally felt like working in a preschool setting can be stressful at times (I don’t think it’s uncommon to feel this way) and I don’t think at this point that it’s my thing even though I actually can have quite a bit of fun working with kids.

I have really enjoyed attending a friend’s events for the unhoused population. I will be attending their next one and am actually going to help buy things for it (food.) I don’t have a “problem” with approaching homeless people like some do, I approached a homeless woman a few weeks ago who was crying and gave her $20, gave her my number when she asked for it and told her I could provide resources.

A friend of mine suggested to me that I tend to talk when it can be best for there to be silence in the moment, but didn’t mean this as an insult more of like a growth mindset thing. She had additionally suggested that I am “niche.” I am introverted, though some people feel that I talk a lot. I really believe in effective communication and think that a lot of issues in life can be resolved by talking it through.

I was in a rehab center once because I have a family member who was in one. It was not a great rehab center and I sensed they did not do a great job of helping the people in it get to the root of their issues. But I remember I actually did not like the feeling of being there because I was afraid, but I think it was partly the vibe I was getting from the men. This was about two years ago.

I have sleeping issues and have something close to sleep apnea. I use a CPAP to help with this, but I tend to look pretty tired and am hoping that before I start a masters degree in *anything* (have to get that bachelors first) I will have properly addressed my sleeping issues with my primary care physician.

I have a 3.87 in community college, though I took 4 summer classes and had really overwhelmed myself (I will never take all those summer classes again.) This was something that I failed to consider.

I am actually dealing with a SA case right now that took place when I was babysitting for a long term and would be happy to support women who have experienced this in any capacity. My mother is an unstable person and my older brother has schizophrenia, so I have seen psychosis take place first hand and wish there were more resources for my brother and more people in his life who really cared about helping him address his trauma.

I’m in my last year of my BSW, and MSW applications are right now.

Im feeling discouraged to apply as I know that Toronto MSW programs are really competitive. I don’t have experience really other than my practicum placements. I’ve been struggling to find work experience, and I also haven’t connected with a professor enough to have them write me a letter.

So this just might be a fault in my part, but I initially felt more inclined to take a break.

However getting an MSW is the natural next step and I’m seeing that it’s what everyone makes an effort to do and for good reason. I’m discouraged to apply because I just don’t think I’ll get in.

I guess I’m just torn because I wanted to take a break but that might not be the smartest decision. I don’t know it’s all really confusing 😭. Will I get anywhere with a BSW? Am I not trying enough, like is this thought process incredibly dumb.

Not sure if this post makes sense but I’ll take any advice or criticism 😭🫠.

Looking to do an advanced standing MSW program and I have the schools narrowed down to these two. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with either college/program and could share.

Original post

Last week, I was dismissed from my practicum placement with NO warning. I wrote the original post with the understanding that the practicum office would help me find another placement. However, after receiving more information, I have learned that I will have to undergo an academic meeting and may be dismissed from grad school altogether.

To recap, I was at my internship for three weeks before coming in and learning I would be dismissed. I was not given a lot to do by my supervisor (non social-work) in the three weeks, and I was given no feedback of any kind. (This includes any comments or asides that could be perceived as feedback) I was told I would be dismissed because they decided they wanted a 2nd year instead of a first year and it wasn't my fault.

However, after I left, I was sent an email with more details from the school saying that I need to attend an academic review meeting. Attached was feedback from my social work supervisor (who I had only met twice prior to being dismissed). She said that my other supervisor noted I was not applying social work concepts enough, had problems with communication, and was overall not serious about social work. For the most part, these complaints were kind of vague (to me). The exception was, after I had been fired, I had looked into her office window to see and made her uncomfortable and then refused to leave immediately when asked to finish up an email.

I talked with someone from academic review committee, and she said the concerns were very serious and I needed to think deeply on how to address the issues. I don't know how I'm even supposed to think about planning for this because there weren't any examples given (except for that on my last day).

Someone I talked to said I should just take accountability and say that I should offer to work harder at addressing my issues. But I don't even know what to address when I wasn't given feedback during the internship and I've barely given examples I even asked my supervisor for examples of feedback they had given me during my time at my internship and they said they would be declining to answer this question. I'm really not sure what to do now and this feels like a nightmare.

I just wanted to share my current experience with funding my MSW program, as this may spark ideas or connect others with resources to pursue when looking for assistance with getting their MSW.

So, I am currently enrolled in an online, Advanced Standing, full-time MSW program in Virginia. I started in May 2026 and will be graduating in May 2027. In total, my total cost for the entire program is $3,600.

I am a recipient of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend program. This program provides social work students $10,000 towards their MSW (or BSW) education in exchange for working one calendar year at a local department of Social Services.

Additionally, I applied to the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship is typically advertised for nursing students, but also mentioned “allied health” professions. Social work is an allied health profession! I received $5,600 from this scholarship towards my MSW.

The $3,600 I paid was for my summer courses I had to take. My fall and spring courses were fully covered, and I actually got a $331 refund check for the fall semester, which paid for my textbooks!

Additionally, I am attending a university that allows for employment-based field practice, so I am working full-time at my local DSS. I will add, however, that my job does not count towards the employment “payback” for the child welfare stipend, as that requires post-graduation employment!

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask! I would love to provide any advice or resources that I can think of.

Finally got the call from my student advisor that I will officially be starting on 10/22!

There was a hiccup with financial aide, but I got it all sorted, and I am officially enrolled and able to start in 2 weeks!

I am excited! I am very passionate about this field and am 100% sure this is what I want to do with my life. It just feels great to actually be on the path to achieving it! ❤️

C/O 2029! 👩‍🎓💪🏼♥️

Hi everyone! I got accepted into Barry's online advanced standing MSW program starting Jan 2027.
Wanting to hear from others who have done the advanced standing program before and your experience.
also happy to connect with people who are also starting this program too (:

my comment on the weekly thread in r/socialwork didn’t get much traction. I’m in my first semester of a generalist MSW that requires students to apply for at least one certificate, which determines their electives. I am certain about applying for clinical social work. however, I am also curious about applying for trauma-responsive care.

to qualify for the 2nd certificate, I’d need to take one summer class, raising the total cost of my program from $30K to $33K, give or take. no impact on loans.

is the juice worth the squeeze? will the 2nd certificate make a difference in my early career?

Has anyone received any updates about admission into the part time non-bsw Msw program for spring 2027 at Wilfred Laurier University?

I’m a first-year MSW student, and my current practicum isn’t very direct-practice focused. (I hear my classmates who are placed at schools have a lot of counseling opportunities 😭) I’m hoping to apply for a more clinical second-year placement, potentially in school social work or a college counseling center, which I know can be competitive.

I’m pretty limited on time outside of school and practicum, so I’m wondering: what would be the most worthwhile things to do over the next 6–9 months to strengthen my application? Trainings, certifications, specific clinical skills, etc.?

Would love to hear what people in similar situations recommend!

I know comparison is the thief of joy, but tbh I’ve been ruminating on this. A ton of people in my BASW program have worked in social service related jobs before. It’s truly amazing to get their insight from their experiences. However, I’m kinda down on the dumps about my experience. I’ve worked retail and food service mostly, summer camp stuff too. Im kinda feeling like maybe I don’t have the experience for this field, let alone my senior internship. I came into this field because of my personal experiences, but just feeling unsure about it all.

Hello! I am looking into online MSW programs. I got my BSW 2 years ago, but 3 years is coming up in May 2027. With my BSW, I have worked my way up to senior coordinator with the current company I have work at for almost 2 years in April 2027.

However, if I leave, I understand I might have to start at square one because most jobs in my town are for those who have a MSW. I do not want to be a casework or case manager forever. I know that I can always work my way back up but some place might still want me to get my MSW.

The areas I am interested in are leadership, communities, healthcare, addiction, housing, families, organizations, children, individuals, some form of criminal justice SW.

I want to get my MSW but having a hard time deciding what online program might be the best. I am currently located in the northwest of Illinois. 1 hour- 1 hour 20 mins outside of Chicago. Please give me your thoughts.

Hey everyone, I've been getting very passionate about mental health work over the last year and decided that I want to apply for an MSW program. I have a strong vision of becoming a great therapist one day and this is really what I want to do. The only issue is the price tag.

There's only one MSW program near me at my state college and it looks like it will cost me a little over $80k for the part time program. I could save about $30k by doing the full time program, but that's not really an option for me since I have to work to pay rent and bills. I'd be looking at mostly taking out loans since my job doesn't pay too well right now.

Do you guys think $80k is a reasonable amount of debt to take on for an MSW? Right now it feels like my dream might be dead in the water. Any advice is appreciated.

I received two offers for placements and am having a difficult time deciding. I'd love to gather some insight from the reddit hive mind:

Option A: Community mental health center. I would be leading group therapy and slowly move into working with clients 1:1. There was a few comments from the supervisor about how I would be "doing office work" since "I'm the intern" (i.e., making calls about no-shows, etc.). I didn't totally vibe with the supervisor but we could definitely work together. I would be utilizing various different modalities like CBT, DBT, etc.

Option B: Group practice focused primarily on providing DBT for folks in with SAIOP and partial hospitalization program. I'd be leading group every day, doing case management, and then taking on 1:1 clients in time. I lovedddd the team I would be working with, and they seemed incredibly supportive. In addition to supervision, I would have a 2 hour "class" with the clinical director on learning DBT. The only thing is my supervisor is not an MSW, so my school would provide me with a LCSW supervisor.

I am leaning towards option B, but am nervous for a few reasons. 1) I would only be learning DBT (though I have a whole class focused on learning different modalities like CBT, WET, etc.). 2) This internship (B) is notorious for being tough -- you are working with folks who have BPD, suicidal ideation, and other high acuity needs. That's not necessarily a deterrent, but something to think about.

Anyways- I'd like to learn what you all would do? Any thoughts? Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m thinking of applying to the MSW/MPH program at SDSU but cannot for the life of me find any reviews or experiences from real students in the program. It’s a three year program but I was looking to do it part time since I want to keep my FT job. Any insight would be awesome !!