New BSW From COSC

[Alpha]

A new BSW on offer from COSC
https://www.prweb.com/releases/charter_o...647362.htm

[ss20ts]

Interesting. It requires 2 in person practicums. I wonder how many of the courses will be able to be filled from ACE courses. The webpage says it's 100% online.....ummmm....what about those in person practicums?

https://www.charteroak.edu/social-work/

I always thought they were kind of pricy for a state school....then again tuition isn't much different than SUNY which I know is overpriced. There is something interesting in their tuition though:

Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees* Connecticut Residents Out-of-State
Tuition Per Credit $319 $419
Student Services Fee $224 $295
Technology Fee $75 $75
*Undergraduate Neighbor to Neighbor Tuition Discount: Good news! NY, MA and RI residents automatically qualify for our in-state rates. This offer is effective July 1, 2021 and will remain in effect during your time at the College. All current, returning, new and visiting students are eligible.

https://www.charteroak.edu/prospective/tuition/

NY, MA, and RI residents pay in state tuition. I thought that was interesting.

[Alpha]

In the world of Social Work online degrees, practicums would be completed at some organization where you live, not at the school.

[ss20ts]

In the world of Social Work online degrees, practicums would be completed at some organization where you live, not at the school.

I know that. In my state (NY) you can't work as a social worker without your master's. The colleges here set up your practicums. Online programs often tell you to find your own source for the practicum. Still doesn't explain where you'd take the courses from outside of COSC.

[louise]

All BSW and MSW programs require in-person practicums in outside agencies. It's a requirement of the CSWE which accredits all social work education programs.

The COSC says, "Charter Oak State College's Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program is seeking accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)" so it's not actually accredited yet. The CSWE doesn't even list COSC in the "pre-candidacy" stage so not sure where they actually are in the process which could be concerning.

There are plenty of BSW and MSW programs out there with online courses already that are already accredited. If for someone reasons COSC doesn't gain accreditation that means no ability to gain a social work license (some states license at the BSW level, some don't) or be accepted to an accelerated MSW program which shortens your MSW program.

You could still go to an MSW program just have to do the full 2 years as opposed to a shortened time period. Might as well just get a bachelor's in something like sociology or psychology and skip having to do practicums in that instance, though.

I can't imagine a world in which the CSWE let's the major requirements be through alternative credits.

[studyingfortests]

This might eventually be a thing, but I would not consider it at present.

There are lots of fully online BSW and MSW programs. CSWE requires two practicums for a BSW (four if you do the MSW without the BSW), and they used to require they be in-person. However, during Covid, CSWE allowed practica to be done entirely remotely (still with an outside agency). I have heard that they may be developing flexibility in permanently allowing online practica. But in any case, there's no savings by doing the non-advanced standing MSW with a BA in something else, as it will simply require you to do the two practicums you did not do because you did not take a BSW plus the two required for the MSW.

I am going to agree with Louise. It is very, very unlikely that CSWE will allow any (or very, very few) ACE credits. They have very strict and precise outcome measurements for every course in the BSW and I doubt any current ACE courses meet those requirements.

It's my understanding that CSWE accreditation requires that the school actually be offering the program and has students enrolled before they will even enter the pre-candidacy phase. So COSC is likely starting the program, then after it's been in place for a year (or whatever CSWE requires), they will apply for candidacy, and that is usually a 3-4 year process... with no guarantees that the school will achieve full accreditation.

Lastly, it is a very mixed bag as far as what online programs require in locating a practicum. There are many schools where the school itself finds your practicum for you (and you don't have a choice of what kind of agency it is where you are placed.) There are many others where you find the practicum yourself, and then the school contacts them and enters an agreement with them.

I don't see anything appealing about this program at present. There are plenty of well-established BSW online programs that are fully accredited by CSWE and are less expensive.

[Jonathan Whatley]

I don't see anything appealing about this program at present. There are plenty of well-established BSW online programs that are fully accredited by CSWE and are less expensive.

Are any of those comparably flexible to Charter Oak as to letting gen ed and non-major elective requirements be met by transfer or alt-credit?

[ss20ts]

Are any of those comparably flexible to Charter Oak as to letting gen ed and non-major elective requirements be met by transfer or alt-credit?

But would gen eds and electives from ACE be allowed with CSWE? If one has to complete the social work courses at COSC I wouldn't say this is a flexible program like other programs at COSC. Because there is licensing involved in this type of degree it may not be flexible or allow for alt credit.

[Jonathan Whatley]

WGU teaching and nursing degrees are fairly friendly to prior transfer and alt credit outside of the major despite their professional accreditation and state license endpoints, but most major requirements are done in house. I'm expecting Charter Oak's BSW to be similar. It might also be a good option for people with transfer credit from a social work department, potentially including from community college.

[ss20ts]

WGU teaching and nursing degrees are fairly friendly to prior transfer and alt credit outside of the major despite their professional accreditation and state license endpoints, but most major requirements are done in house. I'm expecting Charter Oak's BSW to be similar. It might also be a good option for people with transfer credit from a social work department, potentially including from community college.

WGU's degrees in teaching and nursing aren't accepted in every state.