Although Wisconsin is mostly known for its football team and cheese, there is a lot more to life in this Midwestern state. The cost of living in Wisconsin is slightly lower than the national average. Some of Wisconsin’s largest cities include Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. Depending on where you study in the state, you may be as little as one hour from Chicago.
Much of Wisconsin’s 5.7 million residents live in rural areas, so you may have more career options if you are willing to serve remote communities. This is because some of Wisconsin’s most remote communities have little to no access to mental health services.
Choosing to pursue an MSW degree allows you to choose from eight high-quality institutions, most of which are in urban settings. Most Wisconsin MSW programs are part of the University of Wisconsin system. The average cost of tuition in Wisconsin is $13,554, but many schools offer extensive scholarship and assistantship opportunities. As a result, the average scholarship award in Wisconsin is $5,287.
Since so many MSW programs are at UW schools, there are lots of cooperative agreements between schools. For example, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the University of Oshkosh have an agreement that allows students of both schools to attend classes at both locations. In addition, they offer classes at UW-Fox Valley, a school located in between Oshkosh and Green Bay. As part of this program, you can choose to focus on advanced direct practice or administration/management.
Your MSW program is comprised of field work courses and lecture courses. Your lecture courses give you the practical and theoretical knowledge you need to provide evidence-based care to patients of different backgrounds and needs. You build on this knowledge during your second year of school, when you choose a concentration and focus your coursework on that concentration.
Field work courses take place throughout your MSW program to give you plenty of time to become comfortable working in different settings. Most schools in Wisconsin require 1,000 hours or more.
After you have earned your MSW degree in Wisconsin, it is time to start your career. You can start by looking for job openings at healthcare organizations and government agencies, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that these are the two largest employers of social workers. In Wisconsin, some of the primary social work employers include UW Health, Rogers Memorial Hospital, and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care.
If you go on to earn clinical licensure, you can also work for yourself as a private practitioner. With this option, you can work independently wherever you want in Wisconsin by offering counseling and therapy services.
In order to work as a social worker in Wisconsin, you must get your license from the Department of Safety and Professional Services. You take an entry-level examination to become licensed as a Master’s-level social worker.
The highest level of licensure in Wisconsin is the Licensed Clinical Social Worker. After becoming a licensed social worker, you have to do 3,000 hours of clinical work. You can then take the clinical licensing exam to become an LCSW.
Social worker salaries vary widely depending on job title, employer, and experience level. However, in general, Wisconsin social workers earn salaries that are higher than national average. Family, mental health, and healthcare social workers earn average salaries of $48,600 per year to $50,700 per year (O*Net, 2012). You can increase your earning potential by gaining experience and attaining clinical licensure.
Across the country, the job outlook for social workers is strong. Demand for social workers is expected to continue increasing through 2020, and possibly beyond. In Wisconsin, social workers of varying specialties can expect job growth of 3% to 20% (O*Net, 2012). Social workers are in even higher demand, since they can provide mental health and counseling services much more affordably than doctors.
Schools in Wisconsin Offering Masters in Social Work Programs
Concordia University-Wisconsin
(Mequon, WI)
- Masters in Human Development and Family Studies
- $23,970 Tuition Cost
- $11,929 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Suburban Campus Setting
Marquette University
(Milwaukee, WI)
- Masters in Social Work and Public Administration Policy
- $32,810 Tuition Cost
- $13,283 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Urban Campus Setting
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
(Green Bay, WI)
- Masters in Social Work (MSW)
- $6,298 Tuition Cost
- $4,201 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Urban Campus Setting
University of Wisconsin-Madison
(Madison, WI)
- Masters in Family and Consumer Sciences
- Masters in Public Policy Analysis
- Masters in Social Work (MSW)
- $9,273 Tuition Cost
- $4,926 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Urban Campus Setting
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
(Milwaukee, WI)
- Masters in Social Work (MSW)
- $8,091 Tuition Cost
- $3,494 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Urban Campus Setting
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
(Oshkosh, WI)
- Masters in Social Work (MSW)
- $6,422 Tuition Cost
- $1,479 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Urban Campus Setting
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
(Stevens Point, WI)
- Masters in Family and Community Services
- $6,298 Tuition Cost
- $1,366 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Suburban Campus Setting
University of Wisconsin-Stout
(Menomonie, WI)
- Masters in Human Development and Family Studies
- $7,014 Tuition Cost
- $1,620 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
- Suburban Campus Setting