After Alyssa Osborn earned her bachelor’s degree in social work, she knew she wanted to pursue a graduate degree – but she wasn’t sure how it would fit into her schedule. She was working full-time for the Department of Child Services, settling into newlywed life, and learning the ropes of adulthood. If she was going to get her MSW, she needed a program designed for a busy lifestyle.
“I fell in love with the social work profession, and I knew I wanted to go back to school and get my master’s degree,” says Osborn. “My husband knew how important it was to me, and he encouraged me to chase that goal. I started looking for an MSW program targeted toward helping busy people get through grad school, and there weren’t any that compared to IWU.”
Osborn enrolled in IWU’s advanced MSW program, which is structured for completion in just 16 months. “Other than a four-month span in the middle of my program when I took two courses simultaneously, I only had to take one eight-week course at a time,” she says. “My husband and I are busy, and we travel a lot – but I could do everything online, no matter where I was. Even though the program was definitely challenging, I always felt like it fit easily into my work/life schedule.”
Today, Osborn is officially an IWU graduate, and she’s using her MSW to change the lives of children in her community. “I’m in my second year as an elementary school social worker, and I work with about 450 students in grades K-6,” says Osborn. “I have always wanted to work in a school and was incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunity to do so. I love helping students work through their problems, walk through the stages of grief, and search for who they are.”
In her role, Osborn walks through students’ lives with them by providing in-classroom guidance, talking to students individually, working closely with the school resource officer, and even supporting parents and guardians. When she reflects on her experience in the MSW program, she can see how it informs her daily work.
“My program focused a lot on trauma, which was beneficial to my current role because students face more traumatic experiences than we often realize,” she says. “I’ve seen a high increase of food insecurity, inconsistency at home, and generational trauma in our students, and my MSW program showed me a lot of different avenues for supporting my students.”
Osborn is proof that a master’s degree can be achieved even if you think you’re too busy. “It can be incredibly intimidating to begin a graduate school program once ‘adult life’ has started, and I was out of school for four years before I decided to go back for my MSW,” says Osborn. “This program really does cater to the needs of anyone who lives a fast-paced life.”
Are you looking for a graduate program that equips you to advance your career and still fits into your schedule? Our online programs let you learn on your time. Explore your options today.