Washington University in St. Louis Reviews of Master's in Social Work

"College is a worthwhile investment if you have an idea of what you want to do, which is hard to know at 18. Don't be afraid to take some time to figure out what you want before you dive into it."

"I loved my school and got an excellent education. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get their Master's in Social Work."

"Though Wash U is ranked as one of the top 20 schools in the nation, my program offered a very mediocre education and support system. PROS: The prestigious reputation of the schools allows you to get a certain level of respect as an alumni and sometimes, in the job market (2) Rich in resources - you don't have to go far to satisfy your daily academic and personal needs. The university is placed in a great community. (3) Some departments have accelerated learning opportunities that can give you a competitive advantage in the job market. By decelerated, I mean courses that are projected based and community focused. (4) able to take courses out of multiple departments with student from different disciplines - this creates a more real world setting. CONS: (1) not student centered at all - the university makes it clear that upholding their false reputation as such a prestigious, supportive university is more important than making sure that each student receives a great quality education and experience while at the school. (2) very unprofessional faculty and staff -cuss around students as if they are friends (3) hire based on buddy system - everyone in the class and at the school are not passionate about higher education. I've had professor say that they don't care anything about the curriculum. I've also heard employees say that they are just at the school to build their resume. (4) immature atmosphere - the school seemed very elementary. graduate students were treated as if they were k-12 students. (5) Poor curriculum and classroom facilitation - most courses offered make students only do group work. Bad group work - that is put students in groups to reduce the amount of papers that the professors have to grade. Some professors put little to no efforts in classroom preparation. I had a professor who had his friends come in every class all semester and talk about their jobs. It got old and counterproductive after a while. One professor wouldn't let students take test home to review because he was too lazy to make new tests each semester (6) faculty and staff will try to blackball student and/or not support them at all if you don't act "wash u'" like. Conform to what they think you should act like. (7) Poor financial aid to minorities students (8) unfair grading system - grade based on perception of student and not actual work submitted (8) of course being a private white university, racism. The bad definitely outweighs the good at this school. I don't support the university, as an alumni. That is sad."

"One of the best things about the MSW program at the Brown School is its flexibility. Many students end up pursuing an "individualized" concentration in which they can pick and choose which courses they want to take in accordance to their career focus, rather than following the concrete track that is available. There are numerous concentrations available to students and further specializations that provide students with a specific skill set (e.g., management, policy, research, etc.). Additionally, the professors all have relevant and impressive professional experience which they are excited to share with young professionals to help guide them in their respective careers. Many professors have expressed genuine interest in student learning in that they will willingly alter their class plans based on what the students would like to learn or feel that they need to know more about. They recognize that this is the time to be building hard, practical skills and they want very much to provide us with a useful skill set. The Brown School strongly emphasizes Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) and evaluation, and empowers their students to work toward targeted outcomes in their practice to be able to demonstrate genuine success or make the necessary adjustments to work toward achieving those outcomes. On the other hand, the Brown School paradoxically (as an institution of Social Work, a profession that places high value on diversity and social justice) does not appear to have a particularly diverse/representative population. The majority of Brown School students are White women, and most professors are also White. There are a fair amount of international students present, but we do not have representative proportions of American students of color. Furthermore, I do not feel that the Brown School specifically engages with the surrounding community enough and instead attempts to maintain boundaries that will be acceptable to funders and not cross what could be construed as political lines. Brown School students themselves do attempt to engage on their own terms, but these opportunities are not facilitated or specifically supported by the school. For an institution with a vision of creating "positive social change", it should be expected that Brown works to create such change in nearby communities rather than just preparing students for their future careers."

"So far it has been an amazing experience at Washington University. All of my professors have been very professional and very informative. I have met some of the most amazing people since I've been there."

"This is a top level Graduate Program in a small urban area with plenty of culturally rich activities available around the area."

"As a non-traditional student, I didn't experience the campus housing or social activities; I just came in for class. However, the classes were engaging, the professors were knowledgeable and eager to help. Many of them frequently went out of their way to help a student. Now, as a graduate, they are still willing to answer questions or provide referrals when they can. The diversity of the other students only enhanced an already stellar education. I know that going to Wash U only advanced my career and I don't regret a minute of it. I would do it again if I had to."