Path to MSW with no degree and 52!

[BELEEMA]

THANK YOU all for your input - I need to review later this evening to take it all in but some quick notes . I do think MSW is the route because I do want 1) flexibility to work in gov institutions like VA and 2) I am not necessarily tied to NC in the future so it appears from some reading that transferring with licensure at MSW level maybe easier(?) than with Masters FT  for example. My vision is working with EFT, Hypnosis,EMDR etc within all settings including VA, including imagery( Hypnosis) in end of life ( cancer) scenarios . I would work alongside medical teams but licensure will place me in position to bring these options to the table and it would be covered by Insurance for patients. I think weighing all of these the route MSW is my best option. I couldn't find a low cost BSW to start with which is why I thought BA PSY to MSW ( granted it would take longer but don't see another options unless I go with something more expensive/less flexible)

My only concern is math - everything else I am pretty confident about . I am just a little uncertain from reviewing all the threads how to go about acquiring the 16 RA credits needed to transfer in . I like the idea of the CSM learn and started that a few days ago . I am about 35% in and it seems doable! so this is a consideration for where I transfer into . Any thoughts on how to accomplish the RA portion ? 

Again thank you!! I am so grateful for the input and advise!

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Not only is the path to an MSW feasible using one of the Big Three, I and a friend of mine have done it (I have my MSW, he is in his last semester), and I have another friend taking the same route who will be starting his MSW in the fall.  And I was older than you when I started.

Your path will be slightly different because you have no college credits to start with, but this should not pose a major hassle.

I (and two other friends of mine) personally went the TESU route, which is more expensive than the UMPI route, but in your case, UMPI might make more sense since you have no college credits to start with.   The trick is, TESU will require 16 credits earned from institutionally accredited colleges, from somewhere, to transfer in, or you can earn them at TESU.  

Regardless of whether you choose UMPI or TESU, I think those will probably be better options than Excelsior. Charter Oak, in my opinion, is not remotely worth considering; they've done a fabulous job of ruining what was once a really good degree completion program.  

You can earn most of your undergraduate credits at Sophia.org.  That's about $100/month, and if you are really diligent, you can probably knock out 18-21 credits/month through Sophia.  Others with more knowledge can help with how best to navigate TESU's requirement to earn 16 accredited credits if you go that route.  I chose TESU because its general education requirements are among the most flexible, there's no foreign language requirement, and, being a math phobe, I liked being able to earn my math credit using CSM Learn, which is interesting and not your typical math course. TESU accepts it as your math credit; I don't know if UMPI does.

The route I and my two friends took was to earn credits through Sophia and Coopersmith (and I did a few CLEP exams, but now Sophia has pretty much all the coursework, making the CLEPs less valuable.).  Transferred into TESU, took the two required courses (cornerstone and capstone), and graduated.

During my first-and-last semester at TESU, I applied to MSW programs. I was accepted at both schools I applied to and started my MSW just a few weeks after finishing my BA.

There are a bunch of options for the MSW, but I'll save you the several weeks of research I did: Western New Mexico University is where I went. It's an excellent, school, with the most flexibility of any program I found. You can take as many or as few credits per semester (within reason) as you wish, faculty are great; I didn't have any professors who were awful, and only one I'd classify as "bad" (only because she basically ghosted the class).  Everyone else was outstanding, the administration is very accessible and helpful. It's a small school (about 2800 students total) that's been around for 100+ years, part of the NM state university system. And it is among the least expensive online programs in the country at about $35K all in for the two-year non-adavnced standing.

As long as you have a strong GPA for the classes you take at TESU or UMPI (3.0 or better), and write a compelling Statement of Purpose (your admissions essay), you will likely get in; because they are a virtual program, they can increase or decrease faculty as needed to meet student demand.

20K won't get you through both, obviously,  but FAFSA direct unsubsidized student loans are available to pay for your MSW, so you can pay cash for your undergrad (Unless your income is low enough to qualify for Pell grants in undegrad).  I don't know what the cost would be at UMPI, but I suspect, based on what I understand, that it would likely be a bit less than TESU.  At TESU you're looking at about $7-8K +/- all in if you take the route I took.  You have to add into that the cost of the 16 RA credits you'll need, which you can earn at a community college or other sources. That can be as cheap as $750, perhaps even less.

Outside of the RA credits, you should be able to complete the undergrad in maybe a year if you're putting 15-20 hours/week into it.  The MSW, my friend went full time and also worked full time, so that's doable.  Keep in mind, the MSW will require about 900 hours of practicum at an appropriate agency. Most agencies do not pay their practicum students, but paid practica do exist (I was lucky enough to get one) and WNMU definitely allows them (some schools do not.)

Fee free to message me if you have other questions.  And good luck!  There were many students in their 40s, 50s, 60s when I was at WNMU, so you won't be alone.

Thank you ! my concern is math so I do need to find somewhere where the CSM would be accepted. I will look out for advise on the 16 RA credits as I am a bit stuck on that . I appreciate this so much - really helps to know its doable in midlife.

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@BELEEMA, Welcome to the board, great initial intro post with basic addendum and template details.  Just a quick question, are you planning just MSW or would you be pivoting to different yet similar roles such as Counselling or Family Therapy, etc?  It really depends how you want to play your cards, since you mentioned a BA Psych, you can or may want to get the TESU or UMPI BA Psych, if you can get away with a minor, you can do the TESU BALS Psych or UMPI BLS Psych and ladder that to a Walden MS Psych and lastly join the PSY CHI Society if you want to stay in the field of Psychology.  If you want to pivot to Counselling or Family Therapy, get the Masters of your choice at Kairos University, you can decide which way to go and maybe even go for the Kairos Doctorate...

Here is a possible pathway you may want to investigate: https://kairos.edu/academics/programs/
MASTER OF ARTS IN COUNSELING
MASTER OF ARTS IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY
DOCTOR OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING

THANK YOU - so appreciated ! I did post a bit more about why I think the MSW but will also take the time after work today to review these links

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I considered the BSW to advanced standing MSW route, but, unless Charter Oak did something completely off-brand for them and accepted a bunch of quickly-completed alt credits (which I have real questions as to whether CSWE would even allow), it's hard to imagine a BSW-to-advanced standing-MSW route as being faster than a Sophia-powered bachelors to a non-advanced standing route.

It probably wouldn't be faster overall. The subtotal cost of the MSW part would be less.

Charter Oak still accepts some individual Sophia courses, some individual SDC courses (with 80% grades), and CLEPs and DSSTs. The key reason degreeforum has pulled back from Charter Oak is that the combination of Charter Oak's restrictions on ACE/NCCRS providers, Excelsior's closing the UExcel program which was a key source of upper level and major or concentration requirements in many Big Three degree plans, and DSST's pulling back over time from offering upper level credits which was another key source, hugely reduced possibilities of completing a major or concentration at Charter Oak mostly with alt-credit.

But if your major or concentration is accounted for by credit that isn't course-provider alt-credit – if it's from Charter Oak, another RA, international equivalent, ACE/NCCRS workplace training e.g., military, or portfolio assessment – you can still use carefully chosen alt-credit to fill out free electives, and maybe all gen eds except the new DEI requirement (and that's probably fairly cheap to fulfill RA, e.g., from ASU UL or a CC).

Charter Oak also made one big student-friendly change in 2023, extending in-state tuition to all, currently 329 per semester hour.

Thank you for this and the links to the VA data - I had read this in many forums that MSW would be route to take if you ever wanted to engage with VA . I would like to place myself in this position. I will review all the advise/information carefully - again really appreciate the guidance