MSW program

While I did not have two children at home while I was getting my MSW I did have a lot going on. I worked two full time jobs, did the full time program (acutally an advanced standing one that crammed all the coursework and practicums into one calendar year! Yikes!) got married and lived over an hour and a half away from campus. It was much smoother than I expected. I would say that it is doable especially at part time but there are some other things to consider such as how flexible is the program? It depends on the school but I have met people who have had less flexibility in the courses they choose due to doing part time and that has offered less flexibility in the schedule (such as not being able to take certain electives during the semester or year that would work best in their lives). Are you willing to be up front with your professors about what takes priority in your life? The professors I've had and have worked with as a professional (in general) have respect for the lives of their adult students and a Master's program is much different than undergrad especially if you went to college straight out of high school or soon after. In grad school they know all students are adults with lives in the real world who have to work, pay bills, take care of others, etc rather than study and party! If you explain to them your situation and say, for example, "I am really committed to this but I want to let you know in advance that there may be a time when I have to miss a class or leave abruptly due to an emergency because..." No need to give them your whole life story but letting them know that you have potential real crises to manage may benefit you in the future should you miss a class they will likely give you the benefit of the doubt rather than chalk it up to laziness. Obviously, if life does get in the way of class or school work you, as a responsible adult student, would need to do what is needed to prove that it's important to you. Also, many schools advise against working while going to school. I've even heard of some that try to make it sound like you are not allowed. You may need to be prepared to explain yourself and your situation to your advisor or faculty liason at some point. One way to make things much easier is to see if there is anyway to do one or both of your practicums at your current job (if there is a position that would fit and an available supervisor). Work supervisors are often willing to blur the line between what counts as work and what counts as your internship if they know you are a good employee and they want to keep you around while you are going to school. Also, I'm sure you know this but student loans don't have to be paid while you are in school so if the school costs were the only reason you would need to work you could look into federal student loans, start paying them once you graduate (hopefully with a higher paying job) and then most social work jobs qualify for loan forgiveness after a period of about 10 years so you could pay for 10 years and then potentially be free from loans. Obviously this doesn't work for everyone but might be a good choice for you. If you don't work in a social worky (yeah...I know that's not a word!) place where you could do your practicum already do you have a contact who is willing to be your supervisor for your practicum? Some charge for supervison. You have to have supervision and that's not in the cost of tuition. On the flip side, it's not super common but there are some practicums that pay or provide a stipend. I had one master's practicum that gave me a $1000/month stipend and then paid mileage as well! There are lots of things to consider but a MSW is a wonderful, flexible degree. You can be a CEO, a professor, a therapist, a caseworker and just about everything in between with your MSW and liscensure! Good luck! I know I blabbed a lot but if you have any more questions feel free to ask!