Rutgers University-Newark Reviews of Master's in Social Work

"I graduated from Rutgers-Newark in 2006 with a masters in social work. I found it to be an excellent school. The instruction was top notch. It was very challenging, but worth it. It really prepared me to be a good social worker. It is also very highly regarded, and people express admiration when they see my diploma."

"Rutgers SSW is an incredibly easy program. I graduated with a 4.0 and never got below an A- on any test or paper. A lot of the professors had very lenient standards and some practically gave away answers. A lot of low quality students were admitted. You could get away with 1/5th of the reading in your classes. The Office of Professions doesn’t help much with placing students in the right internships, and many internships aren’t great experiences for students. I learned more and worked far harder in undergrad (about 4x more). I’d consider the quality of education here and rigor as on par with an associates degree at a community college. Education quality and admissions standards are part of the problem of low social work salaries and professional standing."

"I am part of the traditional two year program. The program does not accommodate students who are working multiple jobs a week to put themselves through school and offset the costs. There are very few scholarships and financial aid given out to students. The field placement department is horrible. I did two internships that I felt did not prepare me at all for a career in the social work field. Once you are in an internship, no matter how bad it is, you are stuck there for the entire year. They mislead you and have very limited internship opportunities in other counties but the county the school is in. They want you to travel 40+ minutes for field placement. They are horrible at placing you at appropriate internship sites (it took over four months for my second year placement.) My second year field placement had a very small social services department and expected the interns to do everything the agency does (i.e. education, serving food, etc.) The agency treated volunteers better than interns and there was no parking lot and the staff laughed and expected you to just "figure it out" while Rutgers says oh well! The internship component is an extremely large commitment (1st year: 15 hours a week, 2nd year: 22.5 hours a week) which is not ideal for anyone with an already busy schedule. Rutgers academic program has some good courses offered although Human Behavior in the Social Environment is Psych 101 all over again. There are not many online courses available for traditional program students. The school is also not very accommodating for individuals wanting to get their classes over with one day a week. The parking situation is actually ridiculous and only here can you pay $560 for a primary parking pass or $185 for a secondary parking pass and still not have guaranteed parking. Shuttles are unreliable. Some professors, liaisons, and off-site supervisors are wonderful and go above and beyond and are really proud of the work they do. There are also a lot of deadweight faculty members who are rude, inconsiderate, extremely unhelpful, and literally, do not listen to a word you say."

"I believe the School of Social Work at Rutger's University is beyond resourceful, empowering and motivating. I was fearful as a student returning to school after a prolonged period. I was belittling myself assuming that I could not handle the course load. My first day at orientation the way the students made me feel was a breath of fresh air. The advisory team and Dean made it their duty to answer any and all questions to ensure that all students knew they had a team rooting for them. The professors on campus are understanding and accessible when necessary to validate your frustrations, clarify and confusion and connect you to the proper parties in the event your concerns are out of their hands. I would suggest the state university to anyone who wants to be in a diverse, supportive and adequate learning environment with a staff who believe in you beyond what we sometimes believe in ourselves. Rutgers University is the place for you."

"Rutgers social work program is rated among the top five programs in the United States. The nigh standard that the program has makes it a very competitive one in the northern region of New Jersey .The social work program at Rutgers State University is excellent. Located at the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the northern New Jersey region, the social work program at the university is extremely diverse, which makes a great environment to teach many of the classes that are required by the program. The faculty is very experienced who are highly respected and work hard in the community. I would recommend Rutgers State University to anyone who wants to attend a school with great diversity and highly experienced staff."

"The pro is that it is an affordable program that is highly ranked. The con is that it is really intense."

"The Rutgers Newark MSW program is very competitive, great professors, flexible schedules and affordable. The diversity on campus is refreshing and it is very close to NYC and other cultural events and activities."

"The Pros of Rutgers University Master Social Work Program are that it offers evening classes to help working individuals to better manage their lifestyle. The Program is evident to help individuals have a better and bright future. Rutgers University is recognizable and many represent what they do for individuals whom want to better themselves. The cons are that parking is an issue. Parking tickets are regularly given out by the police, the area is not so safe, but Rutgers Police constantly patrol the area."

"I am fortunate to be a part of the advance standing program for social work and I love it. I will be done in a year but the classes are very intense and I am required to be take certain classes in order to complete the MSW in one year. It's hard work but it pays off."

"The graduate program offers a variety of teachings and great facilitators, but the technology is not exactly up to par."