The IIDEA Committee, comprised of faculty, students, and staff, is hitting its stride and meeting many of its goals as it approaches five years of advocacy and action.
Academics
Stories
U.S. News & World Report, the global authority on academic program ratings, ranked Rutgers School of Social Work’s MSW program as 12th out of 319 programs across the nation on its list of best graduate schools of social work.
When Sofia Lorraine Mico learned that she would be assigned to the Edison Public Library for her senior internship, she didn’t understand why a library would need a student majoring in social work.
Yet within a few weeks, the Rutgers senior found herself helping a woman who walked into the library looking for a homeless shelter. A deaf man living in a hotel asked where he could find an apartment that accepted federal housing vouchers. And a woman who is not a native English speaker couldn’t fill out an application for benefits.
One of the keys to becoming a successful social worker is learning to navigate the complexities of human behavior and interpersonal relationships. Having a strong foundation built upon the mastery of interpersonal skills is a critical part of social work education. That’s why Rutgers School of Social Work created the Direct Practice Immersion Sequence, a series of two courses that every MSW student is required to take during their first year of study.
Field education is an integral part of each student's journey. Rutgers School of Social Work's field education program is based upon educational policies and standards established by the Council on Social Work Education and provides practical learning opportunities that serve as a foundation for students to become successful practitioners. MSW students spend 1,125 hours in the field working alongside professional social workers while being supervised by experienced field instructors.
Rutgers School of Social Work is pleased to welcome almost 750 new students to the MSW program this year. The School’s Office of Admissions selected this group of talented students from a pool of more than 1,500 applicants with new student enrollment up 19% from 2021.