What if your graduate education not only transformed your life but also your community? And what if your graduate experience included not only a nationally-ranked academic curriculum but also a living stipend and tuition funding to translate that academic knowledge into transformational action?
For over a century the WashU Brown School has been preparing the next generation of leaders in social work and social policy. The Brown School’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program is ranked No. 2 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting a longstanding reputation for excellence in education, research, and community engagement. But what makes a Brown School education distinctive goes beyond rankings.
For aspiring social workers, practicum experience is where classroom knowledge meets real communities, real organizations, and real challenges. Brown School MSW students complete nearly 1,000 hours of practicum through a network of more than 400 community partners. And starting this fall, the Brown School is making this already valuable practicum experience even more valuable by automatically offering Practicum Support Award funding to every Master of Social Work student.
This initiative is the first of its kind at any school of social work across the country and will provide full tuition coverage for all required MSW practicum credits, plus a monthly living stipend. All social work students will automatically receive their Practicum Support Award as part of their funding package and in addition to their Brown School Scholarship.
Practicum experience is crucial to successful preparation for social work practice, but this valuable opportunity often came at a cost. Students frequently had to reduce their paid work hours to accommodate unpaid practicum, while also taking on transportation, caregiving, and other costs associated with their placements. The Brown School’s new initiative is designed to address those barriers so students can focus on learning and serving their communities and not on how they will afford the experience.
“Practicum placements are an essential part of MSW education, but they can create significant financial challenges for students,” says Dorian Traube, Dean of the Brown School. “By helping remove those financial barriers, we can allow our students to focus on becoming the best social workers possible without worrying about missed income or added debt.”
No matter your practicum placement or practice interests, the Brown School’s MSW program offers a solid social work foundation and options for personalization through a chosen concentration and career pathway in areas such as clinical social work, organizational leadership, health promotion and prevention, children and families, community development, and more.
For students with a focused interest in policy and advocacy, the Brown School also offers a one-year skills-based Master of Social Policy (MSP) degree for students who want to use policy analysis, research, advocacy, and leadership to improve systems and communities across the U.S. MSP students also participate in a tuition-free hands-on summer internship with partner organizations in a local, state, national, or international setting.
Your education at the WashU Brown School can not only be a life-changing experience for you, but also a launchpad for meaningful change in your community. And the financial investment of your Practicum Support Award will position you to step into the future with less financial stress and more capacity for action.
Ready to take the first step? Learn more online at brownschool.washu.edu or email the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at brownadmissions@wustl.edu.