Case Western Reserve University Online Master of Science in Social Administration
Program Options: Full-Time/Part-Time
Tuition: $42,576 per year
Acceptance Rate: 35%
GRE Required: No
1-Year/Accelerated Option: Yes, for BSW graduates
Campus Visits Required: No
Fieldwork Hours: 1,050 hours (900 for Advanced Standing)
CSWE Accredited: Yes, through October 2018
Application Deadline: June 29th
Overview
Case Western Reserve University traces back to 1826 when Western Reserve College was founded by Presbyterians in Hudson as Northern Ohio’s first higher learning institute. Further developed by Leonard Case Jr. during the 1880s, Case Western was born as a private, nonprofit doctoral AICUO “Big-Leaguer.” Led by president Barbara R. Snyder, CWRU enrolls 11,340 Spartans on its 220-hectare campus in Cleveland’s University Circle district and online. Granted the Best in Class for Workforce Diversity Award, CWRU is ranked America’s 85th best private college and 100th top value with the 63rd most grateful grads on Forbes.
Since 1915, Case Western has housed the United States’ oldest professional graduate social work school that’s produced nearly 8,000 alumni. Renamed to honor brothers Jack, Joseph, and Morton in 1988, the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is endowed for $9.1 million to run four high-tech research institutes, house 43,639 volumes in Harris Library, and teach 397 post-grads. One of its four CSWE-accredited programs is the Master of Science in Social Administration, a comparable Online MSW alternative focused on community advocacy leadership. The Mandel School builds an ability-based learning environment (ABLE) where mastery of eight core competencies like effective communication are demonstrated.
Strengths
According to the U.S. News & World Report, the Mandel School has America’s ninth-best graduate social work training. Each year, MSSA students, 34 percent of whom are foreign or minorities, perform over 176,000 service hours combined. Case Western Reserve earned a $588,000 grant in March 2015 to fund the Child Welfare Fellowship stipends. A Certificate in Global Health is available for studying abroad in 40+ countries from Guatemala to Ghana. The Senior Year in Professional Studies Program lets junior BSW majors with 3.25 GPAs or higher at partnering institutions, such as Baldwin Wallace and Fisk, begin master’s study early. Dual degrees also exist for a Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Arts in Bioethics.
Related resource: Top 10 Affordable Master of Social Work Online (MSW) Degrees
Concentrations
Tomorrow’s social work leaders choose from two distinct MSSA concentrations at Case Western Reserve University. First, the Community Practice for Social Change option trains practitioners for coordinating macro-level, widespread interventions against population injustices. The other concentration, Direct Practice, uses a strengths-based approach to implement micro-level changes for client needs. Here graduates can specialize further for Children, Youth & Families (CYF) or Mental Health with Adults (MHA). Electives can be tailored to emphasize school social work, alcohol and drug abuse, aging, or healthcare too.
Program Requirements
Proclaimed the “Degree Without Limits,” the Online MSSA from Case Western develops caring change agents in a 60-credit curriculum. Traditional post-grads take 24 credits of foundational courses before 36 credits of specialized electives. The Advanced Standing track accelerates learning with only 36 credits required total. Each of the non-thesis programs must include the SASS 587 Integrative Seminar in Social Work Practice for the capstone.
Admission Requirements
Graduate admission into the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School is highly selective for students who’ve completed at least an accredited bachelor’s degree. The Advanced Standing option is reserved for Bachelor of Social Work graduates from CSWE-accredited institutions. Academic merit with a cumulative undergrad GPA above 3.0 is preferred. On rare instances, GPAs of 2.7-2.9 will be considered with high Graduate Record Exam scores. A maximum of 30 transfer credits earned within seven years is acceptable. Two or more years of relevant social work experience is also expected. Don’t forget to attach the following to the $50 Online MSSA Application:
• Certified academic transcripts from each college
• Two-part, double-spaced educational goals essay
• Résumé or CV highlighting paid/volunteer experience
• Three recommendations from faculty and supervisors
• Signed fieldwork education proposal
• Official GRE scores via code 1105 (optional)
Faculty
The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences maintains a beneficial 8:1 student-professor ratio, so three-fourths of Online MSSA courses have under 20 students. Thirty-seven percent of these faculty are involved in international service, including through the Center on Urban Poverty. Dean Grover Gilmore, Ph.D., was selected as an American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare Honorary Fellow. Other doctoral-trained faculty have earned the OSSWS Friend of School Social Work Award, CWRU Distinguished University Professor Award, Partners in Advancing Education for International Social Work Award, and more. Professors boast hundreds of publications, including in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal and Journal of Case Management.
Online Courses
Case Western Reserve University utilizes Blackboard Learn to upload MSSA content 100% online following the same high-quality academic standards for the Ohio Licensed Social Worker (LSW) credential. Asynchronous courses allow 24/7 access for work-life-school balance over three to eight semesters either full- or part-time. Courses available for the Master of Science in Social Administration include:
• Research Methods in Social Work
• Child and Adolescent Development
• Direct Practice Foundation Methods
• Theories of Oppression and Social Justice
• Macro and Policy Practice Skills
• Problem Identification and Assessment/Diagnosis
• Social Work Practice with Older Adults
• Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Policy
• Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice
• Assessing, Building & Organizing Community
• Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation
• Family Systems Intervention
• Social Work Practice in Integrated Healthcare
• Children and Families in the School Setting
Internships
Picking the Online Master of Science in Social Administration won’t sacrifice experience for CWRU Spartans because 350+ partnerships with internship agencies exist in 50 states. The Traditional track includes three 300-hour and one 150-hour field placements for 1,050 hours total, whereas the Advanced Standing track carries over BSW experience for 900 hours total. Working social workers can conveniently choose their employment place as the internship site if field supervisors hold MSSA/MSW degrees. Past assignments have included Stein Hospice Services, Northcoast Behavioral Health, Applewood Center, Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, Merrick House, United Cerebral Palsy, and Hillcrest Hospital.
Contact
Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
11235 Bellflower Road, Suite 315
Cleveland, OH 44106-7164
(216) 368-1655
mandelschool@case.edu
In 2016, the NASW raised alarm about social work shortages, particularly in Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana, from the opioid crisis. Case Western Reserve University stands out among online MSW programs by aligning to Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) requirements to fulfill this demand for qualified, enthusiastic practitioners.