A. Social work with children, youth and/or families that provide exposure to clinical work, research, writing, administration or community development. You might want to start on your career path by getting involved in the type of an agency that you would like to do an internship.
Q. What extracurricular activities are recommended before applying to the program?Q. Do you offer student housing for graduate students?
A. Yes. http://housing.byu.edu/
Q. Do you have married student housing?
A. Yes. http://housing.byu.edu/
Q. Is it a quarter or semester program?
A. One summer term (for the prep courses in research) and five semesters (22 months).
Q. Do you offer night classes in your MSW program?
A. Yes. Many of our MSW elective courses are offered between 4 and 8 PM. However, major classes are offered between 8 AM and 4 PM. We do not offer a MSW program that holds classes only in the evenings.
Q. Do many students work full or part-time while in the program?
A. We encourage our MSW students to not work more than 20 hours a week on or off campus while in our program. Most students find it difficult to combine work and a rigorous graduate program. The low tuition cost and the generous financial aid make it possible to graduate without encumbering a lot of debt.
Q. Are there assistantships available (i.e. teaching, research)? If so, what kind?
A. Yes. Please visit our financial aid site for more information.
Q. When is the deadline for financial aid?
A. The School of Social Work deadline for scholarships and/or graduate assistantships is January 15th each year. The BYU financial aid office has other deadlines (see Financial Aid website).
Q. Is a thesis required, or are there other options?
A. No thesis is required. However, all MSW students will complete a publishable paper, and those in the research emphasis will be expected to submit a journal article based on their research.
Q. Are there any additional specializations or certificates available through this program? If so, what are they?
A. Yes. MSW students can graduate with four certificates, should they choose to take corresponding elective courses: child welfare; gerontology; mediation; and school social work.
Q. Is a practicum or internship required? If so how extensive and what is involved?
A. Yes. All MSW students will complete 1,100 clock hours of internship over a 12 month period. Typically, students complete a full time internship during spring and summer terms after their first year of classes. During Fall and Winter semesters of the second year, students will spend three days a week at their internship. Historically, all MSW interns are paid. See: http://www.socialwork.byu.edu/Internships/Internships.dhtml
Q. Do you have a career or job placement service for students that are graduating?
A. Yes. The School of Social Work uses the Career Services offered by Brigham Young University (http://alumni.byu.edu/career-services/) As mentioned earlier, many students get hired by the agencies in which they do their field internships.
Q. What is the average salary of a social worker?
A. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2006 the median annual earnings for social workers nationwide (BSW and MSW) is $37,480.
Q. What kinds of jobs are offered to MSW graduates?
A. Our alumni are offered positions in schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, senior centers, elected office, private practices, prisons, military, corporations and in public and private agencies serving individuals and families in need. Many of the agencies that use our students as interns end up hiring them upon graduation. See: http://www.socialwork.byu.edu/Internships/Internships.dhtml or http://50ways.socialworkblog.org/
Q. What is the average salary for BYU MSW graduates?
A. More than half of our recent graduates obtained jobs paying between $31,000 and $40,000.
Q. What is the average salary for BYU MSW alumni five years after graduation?
A. A recent survey reported an average of $33,000 (range of $20,000 to $50,000).