Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the Wurzweiler Master of Social Work program is an affordable and rigorous graduate program designed for a student who wishes to enter the field of Social Work. This 60-credit graduate degree will shape your passion for social work through a methods-based curriculum and guide you toward new opportunities to live your purpose in social and clinical casework, social group work, and community social administration.
The program features dedicated and exceptionally culturally sensitive professors with years of expertise in the field of social work and the Jewish community. This ensures a program that is practical, rigorous, and appropriate for the frum individual. If social work is in your future, this is the program for you, and you can earn your degree in just four semesters (16 months).
Wurzweiler’s experienced practicum coordinators maintain a vast network of contacts and do their utmost to ensure suitable placements for you. We recognize that the quality of the practicum experience is important to you from a professional and hashkafic standpoint, and every effort is expended to locate opportunities for our students that will complement their needs and standards. Students will also benefit from ongoing contact and support from our highly attentive practicum coordinators.
Partner college(s):
Program Location(s):
- Live Online
Unique Features
ACTIVE PRACTICES
CARE CAFES
Learning isn’t just in the classroom. Free, ongoing monthly seminars called Care Cafes are offered to all our students and alumni. Hosted and enriched by leading experts, Care Cafes address special topics and interventions that may not be extensively covered in the classroom. They constitute another layer of learning that takes your educational and career experience to the next level.
COACHING IN YOUR INTERNSHIPS
Social work students spend extensive amounts of time working in the field, gaining valuable hands-on experience that complements their learning. Our field planners are successful clinicians themselves who are there every step of the way to provide unparalleled, responsive guidance and support.
EMBEDDED CASAC CERTIFICATION
Students interested in the field of addiction can work towards Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) licensure, using their field hours and taking specific classes that will be credited towards their application.
GOALS FOR EACH STUDENT
We know our students. If you’re here, it’s because we believe in you. We’re committed to ensuring you are the very best you can be until graduation and beyond. Our individualized student plans are designed to promote every student’s learning, growth and development to maximize their strengths and work through their challenges.
HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSORS
Having the opportunity to learn from professors who are leaders in the field, yet humble, down-to-earth, and relatable, creates unparalleled opportunities for learning. You simply can’t compare learning from a teacher to learning from a role model who’s been there and is eager to share his wisdom and expertise with you. View our impressive faculty list here.
INDIVIDUALIZED FEEDBACK
Our professors, student counselors, and field planners consistently provide specific feedback to each student, intended to help them develop as professionals in the best possible way. We deliver the messages you need to succeed in a way that is sensitive, thoughtful, and always for the purpose of helping you reach your dreams.
PRIVATE SUPERVISION
Students receive individual, ongoing supervision for all of their cases in the field, ensuring the tools and skills they learn in the classroom are transferable to their day-to-day work. Their field experiences, both successes and struggles, are brought back to the classroom, resulting in an unmatched 360-degree environment of learning.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
We partner with Project Chai to offer our students a unique extracurricular opportunity to earn a certificate in Psychological First Aid (PFA). Live classes with Dr. David Fox and Project Chai’s first responders give our students a chance to learn the fundamentals of working with people in the wake of crises and tragedies. Students who earn the certificate have the chance to join Project Chai’s full training program and become interventionists in their communities.
TWO ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Students have the option to utilize their field- and classwork to earn special certificates in Trauma and/or Social Work Practice with Children, awarded by the Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
FAQ
The Wurzweiler Master of Social Work program is an affordable and rigorous graduate program designed for a student who wishes to enter the field of Social Work. This 60-credit graduate degree will shape your passion for social work through a methods-based curriculum and guide you toward new opportunities to live your purpose in social and clinical casework, social group work and community social administration.
We are proud to have partnered with Wurzweiler School of Social Work, a prestigious college featuring a world-class Social Work department. Founded as part of Yeshiva University in 1957, the Wurzweiler School of Social Work is proud to be part of a university system that has ranked No. 1 in New York and No. 2 in the nation for students in advanced degree programs.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum undergraduate 3.5 GPA.
Students with a lower GPA may have their applications considered for provisional acceptance.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept transfer credits at this time.
To ease the travel burden on our students while retaining the essential in-class component of successful social work programs, this program is offered fully online utilizing our live-online Zoom platform. Classes are held on Sundays from 10:00 am to 2:15 pm and one or two evening(s) per week.
At the commencement of the program, students are required to attend a one-day on-site orientation session in Lakewood, NJ. No exceptions will be granted to this policy. At the orientation, policies, practicum requirements, and program requirements are reviewed and discussed, and students meet their professors, fellow classmates, and senior Sara Schenirer and Wurzweiler faculty.
Since this is a fully-online program, location (in the U.S.) is not an issue. Our intent is to offer this program at times that are suitable for most locations and time zones.
Unfortunately, due to legalities within the Israeli Ministry of Education, this program cannot be done while living in Israel.
Practicum is an integral component of a successful social work program. Each semester, students taking a full course load will be required to perform 21 hours of practicum per week under the supervision of their on-site supervisor. A total of 1,200 practicum hours is required for completion of the degree.
Wurzweiler’s experienced practicum coordinators maintain a vast network of contacts and will do their utmost to ensure suitable placements for you. We recognize that the quality of the practicum experience is important to you from a professional and hashkafic standpoint, and every effort is expended to locate opportunities for our students that will complement their needs and standards. Students will also benefit from ongoing contact and support from our highly attentive practicum coordinators.
Students who live in out-of-town communities will be active participants in the internship process. They will have the support of the field department to help them identify potential internship opportunities in their area that can be developed with the help of the field department.
The full cost for this degree is $52,200 ($870 per credit x60) plus a $1500 university fee.
**Graduates of Sara Schenirer’s BA in Psychology-Social Work Track save $2,610 and enjoy reduced tuition of just $49,590!
Please note: The listed tuition costs are accurate as of the time of writing, but are not guaranteed. Please ask our advisor for updated pricing.
At the graduate level, financial aid is available in the form of loans that can cover the full cost of the degree. Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year through the federal unsubsidized direct loan program. After the origination fee, the remaining balance due can be paid by semester or on a monthly payment plan. Wurzweiler offers a ten-month payment plan as well.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be completed online at this link. Wurzweiler’s FAFSA school code is 002903. Be sure to complete the correct year’s application.
Additionally, there are a number of scholarships open to Jewish graduate students for which we encourage you to apply:
- Rose Biller Scholarship Fund – The Rose Biller Scholarship Fund is open to Jewish residents of NYC’s five boroughs, Westchester, and Long Island with financial need. It provides scholarships to Jewish men and women with significant economic need attending undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools.
- HRSA Grant – The HRSA Grant is available for students entering their second year of fieldwork. Eligible students receive $10,000 towards their education. They are then placed with “At-Risk Adolescents” in several different settings/ agencies within NYC’s five boroughs and must commit to working with these adolescents for two years post-Master’s.
- Helen B and Lewis E Goldstein Scholarship Fund – The Helen B and Lewis E Goldstein Scholarship Fund is open to Jewish full-time students enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate school in the United States.
- Samuel Lemberg Scholarship Loan Fund – The Samuel Lemberg Scholarship Loan Fund provides interest-free loans to aid Jewish undergraduate and graduate college students who exhibit exceptional academic achievement and face financial difficulties pursuing a higher education. These loans must be repaid within ten years of graduation or termination of studies.
To get more information on these scholarships, please reach out to each organization directly. Please check scholarship websites for availability and deadlines. Scholarships are not available every semester.
Wurzweiler School of Social Work prides itself on offering superior education and student support in a culturally sensitive environment. They are very understanding of the unique requirements and religious sensitivities of students who attend through Sara Schenirer and have worked diligently to provide an environment suitable for a Bais Yaakov graduate while meeting all academic standards.
It certainly can be. In fact, that is the primary reason we refrained from promoting it until now despite repeated requests from students, parents, and mechanchim alike. The reason we feel comfortable promoting it now is because of our partnership with Wurzweiler School of Social Work. They have worked with us to understand the potential problems inherent in this field and tailored their program to avoid them. Furthermore, the faculty is drawn from within our community and great effort is made to review all material to ensure appropriateness and proper presentation. With regards to practicum, every attempt is made to place students in suitable environments for their supervised practicum. Nevertheless, the nature of the subject matter under discussion can at times mandate exposure to topics, lifestyles, and attitudes that may conflict with our accepted cultural norms. Students are encouraged to consult a mentor/halachic advisor before embarking upon this field of study.
For students and parents alike, the world of college and degrees can be confusing, costly, and difficult to navigate. We pride ourselves on our high-quality educational partners who offer an accredited degree, uncompromised environment, and first-rate faculty at affordable prices. We complement that by providing exceptional warmth and support to every single Wurzweiler student at Sara Schenirer, and work diligently to offer personal guidance to each student to ensure their success and timely graduation. Most of all, we operate under guidelines set for us by prominent rabbonim with whom we regularly consult to ensure conformance with Torah standards.
To request an application, please submit this form.
When completing the application, you will also be requested to supply:
- Undergraduate Transcript(s)
- Essay explaining why you wish to attend Sara Schenirer/Wurzweiler
- Two References
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Personal Photograph
- Non-refundable Application Fee
Even if you do not have these available at the time of application, we recommend submitting your application immediately and submitting the requested documents as they become available.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to call our office at 718-633-8557 ext. 37 or email [email protected], and as always, we will be happy to assist you further.
Course Listing
SWK 6003
SWK 6100
HBSE
SWK 6135
Cultural Diversity
SWK 6702
Coping With Loss
SWK 6004
Generalist Social Work Practice II
SWK 6201
Social Welfare Organization
SWK 6402
Applied Methods in SW Research
SWK 6577
Maternal Mental Health
SWK 6823
Eating Disorders
SWK 6704
Social Work Practice With Children
SWK 6013/6023/6033
Advanced Practice I
SWK 6210
Social Welfare Policy
SWK 6111
Psychosocial Pathology
SWK 6685
Trauma
SWK 6014/6024/6034
Advanced Practice II
SWK 6401
SW Practice & Evaluation
SWK 6132
Philosophical & Ethical Foundations of SW
SWK 6694
Addictions
SWK 6901
Integrative Thesis/Capstone
SWK 6531C
Generalist Practicum I (300 hrs)
SWK 6532C
Generalist Practicum II (300 hrs)
SWK 6535C
Advanced Practicum I (300 hrs)
SWK 6536C
Advanced Practicum II (300 hrs)
Where can your degree take you?
Counseling Services
Social work counselors listen to and offer support for their clients, typically in a private practice setting. They use tools like psychotherapy to assess their client’s mental health. They also help clients access other social services.
Child Welfare Services
Child welfare social workers advocate for children suffering from abuse, neglect, or disability. Those working for adoption agencies also help families with adoptions and foster care services. They work in schools, government agencies, and family service agencies.
Community Mental Health Center
Mental health social workers focus on clients who suffer from mental illness. They usually work as part of a team of psychologists, therapists, and counselors. These social workers help clients find employment, housing, jobs, and other services, as well as help with day-to-day living.
Social Services
Social services workers provide community services such as food subsidies, homeless shelters, job training, and medical care. They also help people connect to and properly use these services.
Nursing Home
Nursing home social workers advocate for their clients’ general wellbeing. They protect elderly patients against abuse and support clients and their families through medical, financial, and emotional decisions.
Hospital
Hospital social workers help patients navigate the financial, emotional, and social implications of an illness or medical condition. They support patients’ families and serve as a point of communication between patients, their families, and doctors.
Health Care
Health care social workers work in hospitals, clinics, outpatient health centers, and hospice centers. They help patients understand the financial, emotional, and social repercussions of their condition. Sometimes they help clients navigate medical options or create end-of-life plans.
