Graduate social work programs come to campus

• Tweet
• 

Statewide and out-of-state colleges will be coming to Central Michigan University’s campus on Friday to present a graduate school fair for those interested in social work.

The colleges will be presenting information about the different types of Master’s of Social Work programs each school offers. The fair will benefit students who want to expand their future by opening doors to greater opportunities.

“Graduate school for social workers opens many doors that one may not get with a bachelor’s level degree level of education,” said Student Social Work Association (SSWA) member and Livonia senior Maria Petrides. “Master’s of Social Work programs tend to hold more clinical positions in practice.”

In previous years, the fair has only had Michigan schools in attendance, but this year it has expanded to out-of-state colleges.

“The field of social work is supposed to expand,” Midland senior and SSWA Program Director Meghan Thiel said, “In the most recent that I’ve read, (social work) jobs are to increase by 18-22% in 2014.”

With this expansion, potential employees can have a higher success of finding a job if they focus in a certain area of social work.

“Those who focus on gerontology and substance abuse have the biggest population because they are the baby boomers,” CMU Social Work Field Director and instructor Allison Putnam said.

Thiel said it is important for events like grad fairs to come to campus because it allows students to expand.

“There are no programs to get a master’s degree on campus so it’s very important to know what students’ options are, and that’s why we try to bring in schools from all over so students know what’s available.”

The Social Work Grad Fair hosted by the SSWA will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 23 in the Bovee University Center Isabella Room.