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Studying what one has learned in class is a must as well as gaining knowledge of how social workers engage and interact with their clients and the community during one's field placement internship. A student within the Master's program for Social Work will gain knowledge in assessments/evaluations, planning, and implementation of a client's needs. Students will understand that the client's better quality of life is the most important when assisting their needs. There are no cons about the graduate... Read More program at this time.

Some of the pros of this program are the small class sizes and having classes with the same cohort. Columbia is really small and easy to get around. Everything is really close together, I came from a larger city in Florida where I would spend 2 hours everyday commuting to and from work. In Columbia, I spend about 10 minutes in the car going to class or to my internship. Southern hospitality reigns true here in South Carolina. Cons of my program are that in some classes there are too many "personal... Read More stories" and not enough lecture and application. Some classes are very political and "lean" towards a certain political view. Students should not know how a professor thinks or feels towards a certain political party. Overall, I think it is a great program and a great area. Columbia is big on military, and that is the population that I want to serve, which is why I chose University of South Carolina for my graduate degree in Social Work.

I chose USC because I wanted to pay in-state tuition and it is the only MSW program I would consider in the state. My main issue with the program is the caliber of students admitted. Diversity is important to the profession of social work, but I would hope professionalism and intellect would be to priority as well. This is not the case. If we continue to admit sub par students, who cannot think critically in an academic setting, we are doing a disservice to every social worker who chose the profession... Read More in spite of the sacrifices it requires. I also have an issue with some of the faculty. I have had professors who are more or less completely unprepared for class. I appreciate a kind instructor, but I'd much rather you know your stuff than be a well-liked person. In other words, they are not authorities in their field, and this is passable for employment in this program at USC. Just be aware that you must advocate for your education in this program.