Path to MSW with no degree and 52!

[studyingfortests]

One situation in which Charter Oak is still worth considering is for a student going for social work who's eligible for some form of tuition assistance that's specific to undergrad, whether Pell Grant or employer. The play would be to choose carefully from alt-credit Charter Oak still accepts, and low-cost and flexible RA, to complete gen eds and free electives, then take major courses from Charter Oak's recently launched social work program to complete their BSW. Charter Oak now extends in-state tuition to all. Although it is in pre-candidacy with the CSWE, it would be surprising if it didn't achieve accreditation. An CSWE BSW would then permit the student to take an advanced standing (accelerated) MSW circa 36 semester hours, meaning materially less graduate tuition cost than a non-advanced-standing MSW circa 60 sh.

I considered the BSW to advanced standing MSW route, but, unless Charter Oak did something completely off-brand for them and accepted a bunch of quickly-completed alt credits (which I have real questions as to whether CSWE would even allow), it's hard to imagine a BSW-to-advanced standing-MSW route as being faster than a Sophia-powered bachelors to a non-advanced standing route. We really won't know until and if COSC gains CSWE accreditation, which is far less certain when they aren't even in candidacy.

On a point related to the VA issue, there is a distinct hierarchy in the VA, at least in CA, where social workers re just below psychologists in terms of scope and respect, and the other masters professions (MFT, LPC) are not held in as high regard (this from several MFTs working within the system.)

It's pretty hard to argue in favor of any other masters-level mental health profession when social workers have the widest scope in all 50 states. There are lots of things MSWs can do that MFT and LPCs cannot, but nothing MFT/LPCs can do that MSWs cannot.