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I am currently pursuing my Master's degree in Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. Since I am a full time employee, I was in need of a University that would offer hybrid classes and allow me to continue to work while achieving my Master's. The University of Kansas has given me the opportunity to be both an employee and a student. This way I am able to further my career in Social Work. I have been very pleased with the flexibility of the program and how accommodating the professors have been... Read More for full time employees. The Master's of Social Welfare program at the University of Kansas has been an incredible experience so far and I am looking forward to graduating in May 2019.

The Masters of Social Welfare program does an excellent job of providing an opportunity for a practicum that will give real world experience and finesse the skills necessary to thrive in the field. I also like the approachability of the professors - they want you to succeed and are willing to help you do so. However, one of the main problems I have with the program is the blended format of the majority of courses which are mainly online and then every 3 weeks in person. I feel like I am teaching... Read More myself a lot of the time and this is a lot of money to pay to be doing that. I would prefer that more classes be offered for the non traditional student so that I could attend classes weekly and have more contact with my professors. Some of the topics are complex and require an in class discussion with the professor and there is not enough time to do so when we only meet once or twice a month.

The main reason that I applied to KU's Master of Social Work program is because of its high rank among other Master of Social Work programs. I feel like I am getting a high quality education. I also love that they offer a blended coursework option, so I can do the majority of my work online but still have the benefit of meeting with my professors and peers in a classroom twice a month. This is especially helpful because I live a couple hours from campus, I work, and I have several other commitments... Read More that make going to class multiple times a week difficult. The main con I have experienced is that I personally struggle more with online classes than going to a classroom regularly. However, this is a con that I chose to work with considering my circumstances. Another con is that the academic counselors seem to forget about online graduate students. It is not mandatory for us to meet with or contact them, but it would be nice to have them more readily available as a resource.

In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked KU's School of Social Welfare at #26 our of 200 schools. That's within the top 15% in the nation. I have enjoyed the professors, as they are well rounded. However, I cannot say the same for my classmates. They seem to be either small town (which most Midwestern towns are) or very sheltered. There is not a lot of cultural diversity among students and especially professors. But I still feel as if I am getting a holistic education. I have made plenty of positive... Read More outside connections through my program. And I feel that I will be prepared to tackle many obstacles when I graduate. It's great that you can stretch the program out to 4 years, and there is no GRE or thesis to deal with. Yet, to be a clinical social worker, there are some "tough" courses very similar to a psychology degree. Even though I received my bachelor's degree down the highway, I am happy to have gone through this process and journey with KU.

Pros: KU was rated number 26 of over 200 public school MSW programs and is incredibly affordable even for out of state students. The college town, Lawrence, KS was ranked #5 in Top Ten College towns in 2012. http://livability.com/top-10/top-10-college-towns-2012/lawrence/ks Although you're in Kansas, Lawrence is a very historically liberal town. The cost of living is very low, the night life and dance parties are always on, and the restaurants and coffee shops are top notch. The School of Social... Read More Welfare is very small so professors and lecturers are always available. You are taught in very small classes with full and part time students of all ages. Classes are very multi-dimensional because they are taught both by PhD candidates, working professionals, previous social workers and scholars. Cons: Because you are in the middle of Kansas, there is little diversity. Arguably there are more colors, creeds and persuasions in Lawrence than most other midwestern towns - but still much less diverse than the average city. Nearby Kansas City has more of a city feel and hours. Although Lawrence is fun, many perks of a city like late night transportation and later restaurant hour are missed. If you don't have a car your practicum placement may be difficult to arrange because the majority of the placement locations are 20-45 minutes away in Topeka or the Kansas City area.