Bachelors/Masters After Existing Masters

[swlearner71]

"Good to know, thank you.  I got confused as it seems like the CSWE does accredit certain BSW schools, but those aren't prerequisites for obtaining a CSWE MSW.  If it's possible to go from a big-3 bachelors in psych to an accelerated 18-month MSW, that would be a huge cost/time improvement over trying to get into a generalist MSW."


BSW programs are accredited and lead to bachelor-level licensing in some states. However, those licenses are much more limited than the master’s ones and do not include clinical practice. 

Unfortunately, the only way to get into a fully advanced standing MSW, which typically takes 1 year, is by having an accredited BSW. Simmons has a rather unique MSW, no BSW required, that is accelerated and can be done in 16 months, but its tuition is close to 75k. Fordham has a similar program for a similar cost. Personally, I would much rather take an extra 8 months at a place like A-State and save 50k. 

For the LPC route, Northwestern has one of the few accelerated programs I know of, with an estimated 18 months completion time. But their tuition is, I believe, over 130k for the program! It may also not be available to California residents. 

It seems like accelerated programs that lead to licensure, besides advanced standing MSWs, have significantly greater costs and are not common. 

Completing a BSW should take you at least a year because of CSWE and internship requirements, so even with that, you’d still probably take 2 years at least. I think the most realistic and cost-effective option would be a big three bachelor's degree plus a traditional MSW or counseling degree, with an estimated completion time of ~28 months if you’re studious.

[termdec]

Completing a BSW should take you at least a year because of CSWE and internship requirements, so even with that, you’d still probably take 2 years at least. I think the most realistic and cost-effective option would be a big three bachelor's degree plus a traditional MSW or counseling degree, with an estimated completion time of ~28 months if you’re studious.

I think that's a reasonable assessment, thanks.  Each of the big 3 seem to offer a psych bachelor's that I could build on, which I would have a modest preference for over a BSW.  

Is there a strong argument to be made for any one of the big 3 over the others?  It seems that a lot of people go with UMPI despite Excelsior allowing for more transfer credits?

[swlearner71]

Completing a BSW should take you at least a year because of CSWE and internship requirements, so even with that, you’d still probably take 2 years at least. I think the most realistic and cost-effective option would be a big three bachelor's degree plus a traditional MSW or counseling degree, with an estimated completion time of ~28 months if you’re studious.

I think that's a reasonable assessment, thanks.  Each of the big 3 seem to offer a psych bachelor's that I could build on, which I would have a modest preference for over a BSW.  

Is there a strong argument to be made for any one of the big 3 over the others?  It seems that a lot of people go with UMPI despite Excelsior allowing for more transfer credits?

I’m honestly not familiar with Excelsior, so I'll let someone else speak on that.

I think most people choose UMPI because of the transfer policy. It is still very generous. The affordability is another big reason. It’s hard to beat being able to finish in 8 weeks for 1800. Even if it takes two terms, which is more realistic for most people, 3600 for a bachelor’s degree is still a great deal.

Another big plus is that there are no exams. Many people dislike proctored tests. Some similar schools use third-party proctoring services, and those services don't always have the best reputation. If you’re stronger with papers and presentations, UMPI is an even better fit.

I also really like the online community around it. Here, it’s one of the most talked about college specific forums. There are also active Facebook groups. They are good for asking questions. Reddit also has a great community. There is a user called plotted path who helps people map out their degree plans. They keep a running database of what courses to take on Sophia, Study, and other platforms to then transfer in.

I’d definitely recommend checking out that subreddit. Browse past discussions here, too. It gave me pretty much everything I needed to understand how to get the degree done and how to plan it out.