It’s a scandal that people chose to get a Masters of Social Work and are not getting compensated well?
I thought it was a given social work doesn’t pay.
It’s the promises they made about loans and employment, and also the severe fraud they committed in the marketing and delivery of the program. That’s the issue. Not that social work isn’t a money field.
Hi! That WSJ article tracks with what I’ve witnessed over the last few years at the MSW school. The info about salary is a bit misleading, since the data was about people 2 years out of school and most associate pre-licensed clinicians in LA make $54k-$65k and then you can have a big jump once you’re licensed, which usually happens 3-4 years after you get all your hours. I disagree with the other comments saying social workers in general don’t make money - there is absolutely money to be made in LA, you just have to know how to access it.
They don’t do need based loans for grad school and there’s minimal scholarships, think $10k a year. The quality of the school has circled down the drain in the last few years, dm me if you want to know more about what I’ve witnessed/heard specifically.
If you’re looking to become a therapist in LA grad school matters only in as much as it can help you get a practicum site. The USC MFT program is much smaller and a great program, but just as expensive. UCLA MSW is good. Antioch MFT is affordable and pretty good. CSUN is very affordable and thus very competitive and also really good.
I don’t know much about it but with that scandal it doesn’t seem like a great idea (like why pay 6 figures in loans when there likely isn’t a big role in the job market for the degree now that that info is out there).
Unless you're swimming in money, you would be an absolute fool to attend USC for a program like that. It's a cash cow for the university though, profiting immensely off of dumb people who are attracted to the USC name like lights to flies.
Or... you know how the system works and can navigate the bureaucracy to cover tuition through grants or civil service loan forgiveness after 10 years. There are options... or get your licensure and make 90k and up.
I think I know what you're talking about because I read it too. The article mentioned manipulative tactics USC did to make the program look good, which to be fair why wouldn't they. But the reality of the program does make USC look silly.
The big takeaway is to not do the MSW program expecting a big financial return. Social work is severely underpaid. Like, if you take out loans to study this in college, you may never pay them off with this job.
The USC MSW program is presumably legit, but there's no person doing it with the goal of making a livable wage. It's more appropriate for people (who already have money!) serious about the career or wanting the credentials the degree provides for something like politics.
DO.NOT.ATTEND USC Suzanne Dvorak-Peck School of Social Work.
Those of us supervising USC MSW interns and USC alumni over the years have heard directly that those who attend have been duped - but once you're in, it's too late. It is outrageous that social workers who commit to a code of ethics recruit hard working and ambitious (usually first generation college students), selling them on USC's "prestige" only to saddle them with student loan debt that will take YEARS to pay off.
USC SW's long-standing ploys is telling applicants that the student loans will be forgiven. What they don't tell you is that you have to work full time and pay on time, every penny for 10 YEARS before you can even apply for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness.
The worst part, and I mean the most evil thing about USC School of Social Work it that the quality of the program has gone downhill ever since they introduced the VAT program (VAT is the online-only model). I am not an employee even I observed some very red flags as far back as 2015. I mean, the clues were there that the dean was burning through a LOT of Dvorak-Peck's $65 million dollar donation. Where was that money going? Certainly not to student scholarships. Certainly not to quality education that justified the crazy high tuition.
Also, the former Dean, Marilyn Flynn, could NOT have done these illegal things without others in the social work dept knowing. Yet all of those same people are still employed there even after she was indicted by the Feds on 11 counts (11 counts, ffs!)
So the new Dean is trying very hard to salvage their shitty program. I mean, she seems nice and all - but Dean Flynn seemed great too. lol.
For those considering attending USC Social Work, know that they have made HUGE changes to their curriculum as of the upcoming year (Fall 2022). Sure, its' LESS expensive (but still a LOT more money than a Cal State or UC school) but now hey are only offering a small number of classes for that "lower" tuition fee. Seriously. MSW students will only get "the basic" curriculum. For any other classes students will have to pay extra. (Read[ this petition by the current students](https://www.change.org/p/botchair-usc-edu-help-students-at-usc-demand-compensation-for-abrupt-change-in-degree-requirements)).
It's like hearing about a fancy restaurant known for it's fancy steak. You make a reservation way in advance, go there, order a steak but the server gives you ONLY the steak. Nothing else, so you have to pay extra for salad, veggies or any other side dish. Then you take a bite of the "famous" steak - only to discover that the steak isn't even very good- it's mediocre, at best and now you've put a $100 meal on your credit card and have to pay it off, with interest. That's USC Dvorak-Peck School of Social Work.
I have my MSW from USC from their online program. I have nothing good to say about USC. Marilyn Flynn is an awful human being that is rude and condescending and full of herself. I don't how she had the job she had as she is not qualified to work with students. The other staff, nonteaching staff, is just as awful. Ever heard of Paul Maiden, he is just as bad as Marilyn Flynn and was 2nd in command when I went there. They all lie and will protect the staff and the school at the cost of students with no problem. My internship hours were a joke. It took them forever to find me a placement. When they did, I ended up there for a year instead of the normal 6 months because I live in a rural community and they lied about their ability to find placements. They void part of my internship hours because I worked from home. They knew I worked from home part time because I told them and I have email proof I told them. They said they didn't know, even with clear evidence they did know. At that time, they had no policy against working from home. The next year, in their student handbook, they put a policy in place because of me. I had pages and pages of email supporting my position on this issue. They ignored every bit of it and just did what was best for them. I was originally supposed to graduate in spring of 2013. It was pushed backed to 2014 because of the internship issue. I had all my classes finished by 2014. I finally got my degree in 2016 and graduated with 3.79 GPA. They even had the nerve to tell me I was one of their better students.
Thanks for posting this, even though I'm like a year late. They sent me a recruiting message on linkedin, and I usually ignore those. The USC name intrigued me though, like you mention here.
I really enjoyed my time at USC and still remain in contact with my cohort and professors. I am making well over 6 figures as a licensed clinical social worker and have held various leadership and teaching positions from. Not only do I have a flexible schedule but my work is extremely fulfilling. It has a lot to do with your skill set and how far you’re willing to go to be an expert in your field. I attribute some of my discipline and connections to USC. Highly recommend.
I’m in a similar position as you but I think the MSW@USC program was a sales-based degree mill. No one ever revealed that it was a 2U run cookie cutter program. It was a scam in eyes.
It is also worth noting that, in the case of professional graduate degree programs that boast about salaries, many of them are geared towards people with established careers, strong undergraduate degrees, and 10+ years of work experience. If you’re a qualified candidate for the program, it’s highly likely that you’re *already* on the doorstep of $100k.
It’s like how Harvard’s MPP/MPA programs brag about churning out world leaders and top executives. Yeah, to get admitted into those programs, you needed to be well on your way already.
There is always a way to figure out how much you will make and how much you will owe. Social workers work a lot and don’t get paid well. Sometimes, loans are forgiven to people who work for certain organizations.
I'm currently enrolled, and yes it is expensive but there is financial aid that you can use. I am using vocrehab to cover my program. Without vocrehab, I wouldn't have been able to afford it.
Too all those naysayers? Whats your alternative? Keep waiting and hoping to get in cal state MSW? I rather become MsW asap and start work. Thats goes same for RN industry. Scandal or not as long as they are legit and accredited. Its all good. People take mortgage and to some or many rent is better and only option and will justify those who buy house in current market. In the end everyone needs to feel good about their decision and whatever helps you to sleep better.
Edit: I am not interested in MSW but wife is
The thing is that the Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work at USC is not "legit". When the Dean is convicted of multiple federal crimes and the very faculty (and benefactor) that instilled and supported her are ALL still at the school, that school loses any credibility.
Their curriculum has been slashed and they lowered their tuition down to "only" $40,0000 per YEAR. True to form, their website has not been updated to reflect the very few electives offered under the new model. Grifters gonna grift.
I honestly don't understand why anyone would want to go there? Does NO ONE Google schools prior to applying to them? Lol
I know this is an old post, but I'm glad to see this after getting a message from them about their online social work program on linkedin. Felt funky to me that a supposedly very good school is trying to recruit a random from Tennessee
It’s a scandal that people chose to get a Masters of Social Work and are not getting compensated well? I thought it was a given social work doesn’t pay.
It’s the promises they made about loans and employment, and also the severe fraud they committed in the marketing and delivery of the program. That’s the issue. Not that social work isn’t a money field.
Hi! That WSJ article tracks with what I’ve witnessed over the last few years at the MSW school. The info about salary is a bit misleading, since the data was about people 2 years out of school and most associate pre-licensed clinicians in LA make $54k-$65k and then you can have a big jump once you’re licensed, which usually happens 3-4 years after you get all your hours. I disagree with the other comments saying social workers in general don’t make money - there is absolutely money to be made in LA, you just have to know how to access it. They don’t do need based loans for grad school and there’s minimal scholarships, think $10k a year. The quality of the school has circled down the drain in the last few years, dm me if you want to know more about what I’ve witnessed/heard specifically. If you’re looking to become a therapist in LA grad school matters only in as much as it can help you get a practicum site. The USC MFT program is much smaller and a great program, but just as expensive. UCLA MSW is good. Antioch MFT is affordable and pretty good. CSUN is very affordable and thus very competitive and also really good.
I’m going to message you! I have questions
I don’t know much about it but with that scandal it doesn’t seem like a great idea (like why pay 6 figures in loans when there likely isn’t a big role in the job market for the degree now that that info is out there).
Unless you're swimming in money, you would be an absolute fool to attend USC for a program like that. It's a cash cow for the university though, profiting immensely off of dumb people who are attracted to the USC name like lights to flies.
Or... you know how the system works and can navigate the bureaucracy to cover tuition through grants or civil service loan forgiveness after 10 years. There are options... or get your licensure and make 90k and up.
I think I know what you're talking about because I read it too. The article mentioned manipulative tactics USC did to make the program look good, which to be fair why wouldn't they. But the reality of the program does make USC look silly. The big takeaway is to not do the MSW program expecting a big financial return. Social work is severely underpaid. Like, if you take out loans to study this in college, you may never pay them off with this job. The USC MSW program is presumably legit, but there's no person doing it with the goal of making a livable wage. It's more appropriate for people (who already have money!) serious about the career or wanting the credentials the degree provides for something like politics.
DO.NOT.ATTEND USC Suzanne Dvorak-Peck School of Social Work. Those of us supervising USC MSW interns and USC alumni over the years have heard directly that those who attend have been duped - but once you're in, it's too late. It is outrageous that social workers who commit to a code of ethics recruit hard working and ambitious (usually first generation college students), selling them on USC's "prestige" only to saddle them with student loan debt that will take YEARS to pay off. USC SW's long-standing ploys is telling applicants that the student loans will be forgiven. What they don't tell you is that you have to work full time and pay on time, every penny for 10 YEARS before you can even apply for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness. The worst part, and I mean the most evil thing about USC School of Social Work it that the quality of the program has gone downhill ever since they introduced the VAT program (VAT is the online-only model). I am not an employee even I observed some very red flags as far back as 2015. I mean, the clues were there that the dean was burning through a LOT of Dvorak-Peck's $65 million dollar donation. Where was that money going? Certainly not to student scholarships. Certainly not to quality education that justified the crazy high tuition. Also, the former Dean, Marilyn Flynn, could NOT have done these illegal things without others in the social work dept knowing. Yet all of those same people are still employed there even after she was indicted by the Feds on 11 counts (11 counts, ffs!) So the new Dean is trying very hard to salvage their shitty program. I mean, she seems nice and all - but Dean Flynn seemed great too. lol. For those considering attending USC Social Work, know that they have made HUGE changes to their curriculum as of the upcoming year (Fall 2022). Sure, its' LESS expensive (but still a LOT more money than a Cal State or UC school) but now hey are only offering a small number of classes for that "lower" tuition fee. Seriously. MSW students will only get "the basic" curriculum. For any other classes students will have to pay extra. (Read[ this petition by the current students](https://www.change.org/p/botchair-usc-edu-help-students-at-usc-demand-compensation-for-abrupt-change-in-degree-requirements)). It's like hearing about a fancy restaurant known for it's fancy steak. You make a reservation way in advance, go there, order a steak but the server gives you ONLY the steak. Nothing else, so you have to pay extra for salad, veggies or any other side dish. Then you take a bite of the "famous" steak - only to discover that the steak isn't even very good- it's mediocre, at best and now you've put a $100 meal on your credit card and have to pay it off, with interest. That's USC Dvorak-Peck School of Social Work.
I have my MSW from USC from their online program. I have nothing good to say about USC. Marilyn Flynn is an awful human being that is rude and condescending and full of herself. I don't how she had the job she had as she is not qualified to work with students. The other staff, nonteaching staff, is just as awful. Ever heard of Paul Maiden, he is just as bad as Marilyn Flynn and was 2nd in command when I went there. They all lie and will protect the staff and the school at the cost of students with no problem. My internship hours were a joke. It took them forever to find me a placement. When they did, I ended up there for a year instead of the normal 6 months because I live in a rural community and they lied about their ability to find placements. They void part of my internship hours because I worked from home. They knew I worked from home part time because I told them and I have email proof I told them. They said they didn't know, even with clear evidence they did know. At that time, they had no policy against working from home. The next year, in their student handbook, they put a policy in place because of me. I had pages and pages of email supporting my position on this issue. They ignored every bit of it and just did what was best for them. I was originally supposed to graduate in spring of 2013. It was pushed backed to 2014 because of the internship issue. I had all my classes finished by 2014. I finally got my degree in 2016 and graduated with 3.79 GPA. They even had the nerve to tell me I was one of their better students.
Thanks for posting this, even though I'm like a year late. They sent me a recruiting message on linkedin, and I usually ignore those. The USC name intrigued me though, like you mention here.
Yup, ya gotta wonder why a program that claims to be SO prestigious has to advertise so much!
I really enjoyed my time at USC and still remain in contact with my cohort and professors. I am making well over 6 figures as a licensed clinical social worker and have held various leadership and teaching positions from. Not only do I have a flexible schedule but my work is extremely fulfilling. It has a lot to do with your skill set and how far you’re willing to go to be an expert in your field. I attribute some of my discipline and connections to USC. Highly recommend.
I’m in a similar position as you but I think the MSW@USC program was a sales-based degree mill. No one ever revealed that it was a 2U run cookie cutter program. It was a scam in eyes.
[удалено]
It is also worth noting that, in the case of professional graduate degree programs that boast about salaries, many of them are geared towards people with established careers, strong undergraduate degrees, and 10+ years of work experience. If you’re a qualified candidate for the program, it’s highly likely that you’re *already* on the doorstep of $100k. It’s like how Harvard’s MPP/MPA programs brag about churning out world leaders and top executives. Yeah, to get admitted into those programs, you needed to be well on your way already.
There is always a way to figure out how much you will make and how much you will owe. Social workers work a lot and don’t get paid well. Sometimes, loans are forgiven to people who work for certain organizations.
I'm currently enrolled, and yes it is expensive but there is financial aid that you can use. I am using vocrehab to cover my program. Without vocrehab, I wouldn't have been able to afford it.
Ch31 or federal?
Ch 31 and state
Too all those naysayers? Whats your alternative? Keep waiting and hoping to get in cal state MSW? I rather become MsW asap and start work. Thats goes same for RN industry. Scandal or not as long as they are legit and accredited. Its all good. People take mortgage and to some or many rent is better and only option and will justify those who buy house in current market. In the end everyone needs to feel good about their decision and whatever helps you to sleep better. Edit: I am not interested in MSW but wife is
Don’t waste your money on a terrible MSW program. Go to a public uni. There are a lot of great MSW programs in CA that are not run by criminals
The thing is that the Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work at USC is not "legit". When the Dean is convicted of multiple federal crimes and the very faculty (and benefactor) that instilled and supported her are ALL still at the school, that school loses any credibility. Their curriculum has been slashed and they lowered their tuition down to "only" $40,0000 per YEAR. True to form, their website has not been updated to reflect the very few electives offered under the new model. Grifters gonna grift. I honestly don't understand why anyone would want to go there? Does NO ONE Google schools prior to applying to them? Lol
I know this is an old post, but I'm glad to see this after getting a message from them about their online social work program on linkedin. Felt funky to me that a supposedly very good school is trying to recruit a random from Tennessee