Frequently Asked Questions

The simple answer is YES, you can do this. However, there are a few things you should consider before making this decision:

• Taking more credits than the CPW indicates in one term, and then less in another is totally fine. From an overall tuition standpoint, this will level back out.

  • For example, if your CPW says to take 6 credits in winter and 6 in spring/summer (12 credits), you can take 4 in the winter and 8 in the spring/summer (also 12 credits) and the overall tuition you pay still balances in the end (you are paying for 12 credits).

  • You can contact the University Office of Financial Aid (734-763-6600) or Cerise Carrington (734-936-0961) in our Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management to see how the number of credits taken will impact your financial aid package.

• If you are receiving federal aid, you are required to be enrolled in at least 4 credits. So if you are reducing in a given semester, keep that in mind.

• Our policy is that part-time students can take up to 8 credits in a semester. We have, on occasion, approved part-time students to take 9 credits in a semester. Approval for this is needed, so please be in touch with Antuan Featherstone or Barb Hiltz to discuss the approval process.

• You are welcome to go over the total of 45 credits, just know you'll pay more in overall tuition. Part-time students pay per credit hour. So you'll pay extra for the classes you take beyond 45 credits.

• If you want to stray from the plan your CPW lays out, it is good (though not required) to check in with your technical advisor, Antuan Featherstone. He can make sure that anything you intend to wait to take will be available in a later term.

View this video to see how to backpack a course in Wolverine access.

Video Transcript

Hello and thank you for joining me. Today I'm going to show you how to backpack a course in Wolverine access; specifically a field education course. So when you arrive in Wolverine access at the top of the screen you should click on the students tab that will take you to this page with several different menu options. You want to select Student Business and it will open a new window and take you to a screen that should look fairly similar to this. In this case we want to search or click on the student center that is - that will take you to this window on the left hand side. You will click backpack slash registration. Here you will find listed several different terms the current term that you might be in. If there isn't a previous term you will see the term that is new for you as you will be registering for that upcoming term so in this particular case we're selecting winter 2023.

Select the term and click continue and it will take you to this window where you can search for classes to add to your backpack. Here we're going to click on search. Once you land on this page in the subject box you can either click select subject and spine social work or in this case we'll go easy on ourselves and type in SW for social work. If you know the particular course number you can type it in but I usually like to select 500 level and above courses and also include independent study classes. This way I will have a full view of the courses being offered at the 500 level or above level in the area of social work. So once this information is filled in we'll click search. Now it will take a few seconds so be patient because again this is pulling every social Work course at the 500 level being offered at the 500 level or above and corresponding sections. So this can be a nightmare to navigate but the easiest thing is to collapse all. This way you will see the courses and their subject and on the left hand side you can click the drop down to see the corresponding sections. So in this case we're going to add field education to our backpack. I'm going to select Social Work 515 and yes there are many different section options but in this case we want to always select section 888. I will click select, it will take me to this page that will offer a brief summary of what I'm preparing to add to my backpack. I'll click next and now that course is in my backpack for winter 2023. I hope this has been helpful please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thank you.

View this video to see how to register and how to drop a course from your student center.

Video Transcript

Welcome back. So today I'm going to show you how to register and how to drop a course from your student center. You will click on backpack and registration which will take you to this page. Here you will see a listing of terms that are available for you to make changes. In this instance we have Winter 2023 available and this will be the term that we will use to add and drop a course. So I will select the corresponding term and continue on to the next screen which will take me to the backpack. I decided that I'm interested in taking social work 657 section 001. The courses in my backpack my registration appointment has began so now I can officially enroll. Here you will select the course for state to step two of three this will take you to this page where you can confirm the classes that you were preparing to add to your enrollment. Once you confirmed everything you will finish registering and once the system updates, your schedule will reflect that change. And so now you can see I am officially enrolled in Social Work 657 section 001. Now if you decide to make a change and you're no longer interested in that course go up to the top of your screen and click the drop button. Once you're here you will see the list of courses that are on your schedule. You will select the corresponding course and click drop selected classes it will take you back again to this screen where you can confirm your selection. You will confirm that you've selected the appropriate course click finish dropping and then you will be dropped from the course and the change will be noted in your schedule. Hope this helps!

Graduate school is always a lot of work. Add that you chose the University of Michigan - the top program in the nation.

• For a 3 credit class, you should expect to spend 2 hours in your live session plus an additional average of 8-9 hours on asynchronous work (readings, assignments, watching videos, etc).

• That means, if you are taking 2, 3-credit classes in a semester, you should expect to spend about 20-22 hours each week on your MSW coursework.

We know, this is a lot. There will be times that this is simply not possible. Here are some tips you might consider.

U-M SSW is a big place, and U-M itself is huge. With a big (huge!) campus, comes big (huge!) bureaucracy. Expecting this can actually help you as you maneuver through it.

• View your faculty advisor as a partner to help you navigate your way. They may not always know the answer, but they can sure help you find one. Let them know if/when you're feeling overwhelmed by it all. They can help.

• Your technical advisor (Antuan) is here to help with anything course related. Petitions problems, independent study questions, substitutions... these can all go to your TA.

• Be sure to rely on each other. Use your Slack channels to connect with colleagues. It is likely that someone else has answers - or at least support - to offer.

Just when you get into a rhythm with work and classes, you will need to roll in a field placement. Students love field, because it's where the class material really comes alive. A few practical things to think about early:

• You will need to do 16 hours/week in your field placement. Most people do this over two full days, though other configurations might be possible.

• Many agencies want field students in the daytime hours. We do our best to accommodate evening and weekend placements, but depending on where you live, this could be limited. If you work days, you might want to talk to your employer now about how much flexibility you could have. This will give you more options.

• Some students do what is called an employment based placement where they do their field placement at the same place they work. This reduces the time it takes to travel elsewhere, get oriented, etc.

With all of these things, talking to your field faculty early is advised.

The upside of a big school is that we also have a lot of resources.

• The SSW has our own writing specialist, Betsy Williams (betsywil@umich.edu). Not only can that office help you with general learning about the mechanics of writing, they will also proofread and edit your papers. You can connect with the writing center here.

• Often, instructors expect students to follow APA writing, formatting and citation guidelines in papers. Learn more about APA formatting here.

• The U-M has an extensive library system with librarians ready and waiting to help you. They can assist with literature searches, teach you how to use the journal databases, and generally support you in your information gathering needs. You can reach out to any of the U-M libraries, but SSW also has our own librarian, Darlene Nichols (dpn@umich.edu).

Once you've been back in school for a while, this will get easier... we promise!

The answer to this is going to be different for different students, and may even differ depending on the class. Some things to consider:

• You are moving through the program at a slower pace. Residential students move fast and are often solely focused on school.

• Residential students enter field sooner. If you're not yet in field, you may find it hard to relate to the things they are talking about.

• Classes are designed for students who are in Ann Arbor. Groups may need to meet together, and sometimes classes do community based projects that would be difficult for you.

• Access to faculty might be limited to the day. Even if the class is in an evening, residential program faculty usually restrict office hours to daytime hours.

We developed a comprehensive resource that was sent out before the SW590/Orientation Weekend: Online MSW Student Welcome Guide. Review the guide to find:

• Content regarding the online program in general

• Information about courses and course planning

• Field education information and schedule

• Links to resources in the SSW and U-M overall

We all have ebbs and flows in our lives. Those of us in part-time, online programs are often balancing a lot of competing demands. Sometimes something has got to give! Some considerations:

• Learn the art of the skim. Some readings will be more meaningful to you than others. Consider skimming some of it. Here is a great article from UNC about how to skim.

• Prioritize the things you will do (and not do). As adult learners, we are in control of our education. Making strategic decisions about setting some work aside might actually help us do better at what we take on.

• Remind yourself this is ok. Doing less reading for a week or two will not be enough to set you off course in the program. This is not a reflection of your worth.

• Talk to your instructors. Life happens, and instructors know that. Don’t hesitate to let your instructors know what you’re dealing with. Ask for extension when you need them. While not guaranteed, most instructors are open to considering them.

View this video to see where you can find your academic advisor and enrollment or as we call a registration appointment in the student center within Wolverine access.

Video Transcript

Welcome back. Today I'm going to show you where you can find your academic advisor and enrollment or as we call a registration appointment in the student center within Wolverine access. So your academic advisor or faculty advisor will be noted on the right hand side of your screen under the advisor section here. In my case there isn't one assigned however this is where you would find that information. Now if you're trying to find your enrollment appointment or as we call it registration appointment you will see that information here under enrollment dates. Click on the details button and that will give you a full listing of your enrollment dates the times in which you can actually register for courses during the enrollment period. Hope this helps feel free to reach out if you have any questions.