Distance education program fits social work student's life, career
Lynn Sitz Howerton had worked as a social worker for nearly 20 years when she learned a change in job qualifications put her livelihood in jeopardy.
Howerton, who earned a bachelor's degree in social work, needed a master's degree to continue in her employment. Apprehensive about going back to school, Howerton solved her dilemma by enrolling in a distance education program offered by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Now from her home in Jonesboro, Ark., Howerton is working on her new degree.
UT's College of Social Work offers two distance education programs for students pursuing a Master of Science in Social Work, or M.S.S.W.
Most of the classes are taught online and administered through UT's Department of Distance Education and Independent Study.
The classes are designed for students who live more than 25 miles from Knoxville, Nashville, or Memphis or whose schedules do not allow for regular classes. Already, the program has drawn interest from outside Tennessee, including border states Arkansas and Mississippi.
After Howerton learned she needed a master's degree, she searched for programs near her hometown and then found out about UT's Distance Education program.
"It was perfect," she said. "I could continue to work full-time and work on my master's degree."
Howerton began the program this fall and has almost completed her first semester.
"I will not say that it was easy by any means, but I will say the information we have studied has been exceptional, and I have learned so much in just one semester," she said.
There are two distance education programs:
• Distance Education Extended Study Program - A part-time program in which students take six credit hours per semester and complete the MSSW degree requirements (60 credit hours) in four years.
• Distance Education Advanced Standing Program - A part-time program in which students take six credit hours per semester and complete the MSSW degree requirements (36 credit hours) in two years. Applicants to this program must have earned BSW or BSSW from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education within the past five years and a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 to be considered for the DE Advanced Standing Program.
The MSSW program of the UT College of Social Work is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
While most classes are taught online, students should expect to attend a few sessions in person on Saturdays for some classes.
Internships will be arranged at locations within a reasonable driving distance from the students' homes.
For more information about the programs, contact Kate Chaffin at (615) 256-1885, ext. 141 or kmmclern@utk.edu.