Since you are here you might be asking yourself what someone with a masters in social work (MSW) does. An MSW degree is a diverse degree offering opportunity in a large variety of fields, including direct counseling, case management, hospice care, and more. It has been my goal since my undergraduate days to become a therapist. So I was excited to find out in 2014 that I had been granted admission as a part time student in an online masters social work degree at Walden University. The part time program takes 3 years. I graduate this August! So I am in the final stretch of this degree program.
First, I started out in Walden’s marriage, couple, and family counseling program but after 3 quarters decided to apply for the MSW program and was accepted. My decision was based off of talking to coworkers at the job I was working at the time. Almost all of our QMHP’s at my work told me a social work degree was more competitive, and the majority of them had a MSW. I did a lot of research before I decided to switch, so when I applied I knew that this was the path I wanted to take.
Walden University Now CSWE Accredited!
When I started at Walden’s MSW program they only had candidacy phase of the accreditation process. It was a risk for me to enter a program without full accreditation but I decided to take the risk and it paid off. Walden University Social Work Program is now a CSWE accredited program! They achieved CSWE in early 2016. They are now the only fully online university to offer an accredited online MSW program. If Walden University social work program is of interest to you, I highly recommend reading the rest of this. I am about to give you a brutally honest review of my experience.
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Walden University Online & It’s Negative Reviews
I decided to write this review because when I was searching for an online masters social work degree I kept running into negative reviews about Walden University Online and its programs. These reviews made me nervous to apply, and I almost didn’t. Once I read deeper into the reviews I was seeing online, I noticed a common thing, and that was that most of the negative reviews were from students that were in Walden’s doctoral programs. Almost none of the negative reviews had to do with their behavioral health programs. I did not find many reviews for the masters in social work program outside of Facebook groups, but seeing virtually no negative reviews did make me feel better.
Some things to keep in mind when looking at these Walden University Reviews
- Walden Univ has an open acceptance policy for most of its programs. That means that for most programs if you apply it is likely you will be accepted, granted you have met the program requirements (GPA, application packets, references check).
- Walden univ is a for profit university and an online school – this means they have more space for students and are willing to fit more students into their online classrooms. However, that does not mean the student is necessarily ready for the level of work graduate school entails.
- Walden univ does make the effort to help students gain the skills they need to excel. The downside though is that they do not screen students as carefully as the brick and mortar schools. This can be good and bad. This means students that are not at graduate level do get accepted. Some of these students are able to adjust while others aren’t as successful. Some of the negative reviews I saw online appeared to be students were unfortunately failed out.
- Walden University Social Work program is still new. It’s only been available since early 2013, and it got CSWE accreditation in 2016. The kinks still need to be worked out. Their program is constantly improving. Not everyone likes change!
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My Experience at Walden University Online
By now I have been at Walden University Distance Learning Social Work Program long enough to be able to give an accurate review. Overall my experience has been very good. I have not had a single professor that I hated or had a terrible experience with. I have had professors who have pushed me past what I “thought” my abilities were, and in the end I learned that I am capable of a lot more than I let myself think. I definitely thought it would be easier because its an online program, and would be more flexible. The truth is, getting a masters in social work online is not easy. In many ways it’s been more difficult then going to a physical campus.
The work load is heavy at times. I easily study 20+ hours a week for some classes, and easier classes I can get by with just a few hours a week. The amount of time you study will depend on the program concentration and your level of expertise in the field. On average I would have to say I study 10 to 15 hours a week. Several of my classmates have had babies while in this program, and have managed to stay on track with their graduation requirements. Most students work full time while going to school. Personally, I work part time as a emergency substitute teacher.
Walden University online social work program is fast paced but prepares its students for the real world. Even if you do not have experience in this field you will come out prepared. You will leave the program with a well rounded education. Walden Univ fully prepares its student to be professional social workers ready to take on the world with its focus on diversity and cultural awareness.
Field/Internship process leaves much to be desired but I had no issues securing the first half of internship for Field 1 &2. I am on track for starting final field/internship 3 & 4 in February 2017. The main complaint students have with the field process is that students have to find their own placement. Networking is key in this area. There is a lot of information to write down for the field process so I will create a separate post for that. Talking with other students who have gone through field helps.
Cost of a Walden Online Degree in Social Work
Finally, cost. Walden University Social Work Program is not inexpensive but it is less than other for profit universities. Simmons College is $970 a credit hour. USC Online is $100,000 a year. When you look at it that way Walden Uni is comparably less when you look at other MSW online degree programs. Right now, Walden’s MSW program is $540 a credit hour. The school goes by a quarter basis. You have to do 2 residencies, usually out of state unless you are lucky enough to live in a state they are held. Residencies ran around $1200 plus hotel & food. I will write a post about residencies experiences later this year.
*UPDATE – there has been some changes to the residency process. I am waiting for students to attend the new process before I write about this section of the program. It definitely deserves its own post.
Overall my experience has been pleasant. Would I recommend Walden to other students? Yes I would!
Hey Emily,
I hope you are still using this blog but if not that’s fine. I had questions about Walden’s credit/quarter system. I’ve never gone to a fully online college so I’m only familiar with the credit hour and semester system that those brick/mortar schools use. I can’t seem to get a straight answer from Walden’s website about tuition costs for a part or full time MSW program without giving all my information away. It makes me apprehensive to even pursue further because that should be transparent, in my opinion. What’s your take on this? I saw in a previous post, you said the average cost was 540 per credit hour, but how many credit hours are needed?
Hi there,
I do still use this blog, and plan to be more active. I may not have explained the credit cost correctly as that part is confusing to me. I believe it was 83 credits total, if that is helpful. It was back in 2017 that I graduated. It’s been a while, and I am sure things have changed since then. I did hear the residencies are partly online now. I will say they have always been helpful and not pushy at all. Maybe just fill out the form and ask them directly? If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I am fully licensed now and working in my own private practice. I do plan to blog about the experience of getting to this point. Thanks for reading!
Hello Emily
I want to thank you for the detailed description. I feel at peace now to apply for MSW at Walden.
I am a yoga teacher and I aspire to work in the field of mental health combined with mindfulness. Thank you again.
Hi Emily,
I am looking at starting Walden’s MSW program. I am also in WA state, and a little apprehensive. wondering if you still use this blog regularly
Hi Amy, I do use this blog. I have new things planned for it, and will be more active. Did you have questions?
Thanks for your review, as everyone else here I was hesitant about Walden. I attended their informational webinar yesterday and something that gave me some type of peace is that the Dean of the program is one of 23 sitting members of CSWE. Have you heard anything with the reputation of the school and how its perceived by potential agencies you might want to work for and also when you do field work? Is it harder to get into field work because its Walden? Thanks for the review!
I haven’t had any issues finding work. I work for an agency and have a private practice. No issues at all
Would you mind assist me in getting the referral discount? They are offering a 15% discount on tuition if you can get a former student to refer you. I have decided to enroll at walden because of your post.
Did you still need help with this? due to the Pandemic I have not been able to work on this blog much, if at all. If you still need me to do this please let me know, and I will see what my options are. I am always willing to help a future student.
Having lived in Texas all my life, I hesitated about signing up for the graduate program at Walden University. The issue was the out-of-state residency. However, I was able to find my own placement in my home town.
I highly recommend this program for it’s strong academic emphasis and the high level of content in each an every class I took. Online education is definitely the best option for students who work.
It is a good program. I heard they made a lot of changes for the better so I bet the program is even better now
Hi everyone, this is a random late comment but wanted to share my experience at Walden University in hopes I can influence those who are interested. I enrolled at Walden as a full-time working social worker. Walden’s proposed model of ‘school for working’ adults fit perfectly for my hectic schedule. Being a worker who did not hold the MSW degree placed barriers on my career growth. Making the decision to work-full time and go to school, in the end, was the best decision i’ve ever made. The masters program taught me a lot of the fundamentals of social work practice that will benefit me for the rest of my career. I wholeheartedly recommend the MSW program if you are a working adult and needs the graduate degree to further your career. Lastly, it’s accredited. Enough said. Good luck everyone!
I found the program to be of high quality and I have not had trouble finding work. When did you graduate?
Hello thank you for the information it makes me feel at ease as I am getting ready to apply. I live in Washington State also in Tacoma. Did you have any issues getting an internship for your field practice? Could you do it any where or did Walden have to pick for you?
This is a late reply my apologies but no issues getting internship. If you need internship ideas connect with me I can hook you up with some phone numbers.
Hi Emily! Your review made me submit my application to walden. Can you provide that list for internships or speak more on how to find the field work/internships and supervisors? Thank you!
Hi Kyianna,
I did not create the internship blog post. I totally planned to do it, and then life got in the way. During my final year of internship, the intern site hired me, and I was too busy to work on this project. I worked for the agency from 2017-2022, and it was a fast paced very intense job. Unfortunately, I had little time to do anything. I am in private practice now and will be more active on this blog and writing more. Please let me know if I can assist you in any way.
Hello,
Thank you so much for writing this review of Walden’s MSW Program. I have been indecisive regarding which online MSW to enroll. I have checked out Walden a few times. However , the negative reviews made me question the quality of the program. I have spoken with an enrollment advisor and received the MSW program authorizations and acknowledgements. I am concerned about one acknowledgement I have to sign regarding the program and the possibility the program may not meet state requirements for a license. Did the Walden program meet your states requirement for licensure?
Yes it did meet all the requirements for Washington State. Walden University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Thank tyou so much for this i have been on the fence about attending Walden but i must say your review has been the best and helped me out with my decision. Thank you
Manasia, I am so glad my review helped you decide. I’ll be adding additional posts about my experience, as well as an update about readiness after graduation.
Thank you for your review. I have been very indecisive about the university that I want to achieve my MSW from. Walden University has had my eye for a while now and your review has definitely helped me make the decision to complete my application and earn a MSW at Walden University.
Walden is a good school. They have made some changes to improve the functionality of the program. If I ever go back for my doctorate degree I may choose Walden.
Hi, I am considering attending this school for my MSW and your review is basically the only one I have found on my quest to see what I would be getting myself into. Would you please be able to tell me more about the field placements and the curriculum. As in the classes you have to take, and how you balance everything and pass. And just more information, because you are right. There are so many bad reviews about this school.
Hello Rupinder,
The advisers will walk you through the classes you need. It is very straightforward. There are no extra classes to choose from. You take classes in a sequence so in that it is a little different from what you get in a traditional school setting where you are registering yourself into classes. Field placements are done after you attend residency. Hope this helps!