Long Island University Master of Social Work Program at C.W. Post and Brooklyn Campuses Offers Opportunity for Career Change and Advancement

With her heart set on helping others, Fran Saltz is changing careers to the social work field.

Two years ago, Fran Saltz, a law school graduate, was serving as the executive vice president of operations for Tourneau, the largest watch seller in the U.S. She had accomplished a great deal professionally, but she realized something was missing.

"I've always been interested in the human dynamic," she noted. "And at 53 years of age, I had a lot of life experience - joy, tragedy and everything in between. I felt that it was time for me to switch from a profession that was business based to one that was more emotionally based." Drawing on her experiences, Fran Saltz embarked on a new phase of her career and her life. She began pursuing a Master of Social Work at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. "I enjoy talking to people," the Lattingtown, N.Y. resident said. “Social work allowed me to share, listen, help and contribute to the community."

The Long Island University Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, is a two-year program that can be completed at either the University’s C.W. Post Campus in Brookville or at the Brooklyn Campus. Innovative and collaborative, the program offers four specializations: Gerontology (either long-term care administration or senior community service), Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Non-Profit Management or Child and Family Welfare.

Saltz, a mother of four who started the program in September 2007, has completed an internship at the Nassau County Department of Social Services and will begin another this fall at a hospice. She is specializing in gerontology. "The elder community is one of the most underserved," she asserted. "Gerontology is a very broad field and one that is very rewarding.” It's also one that is growing. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, due to the aging of the baby boom generation, the demand for health and social services is dramatically increasing. The agency reported that in 2007, five in 10 jobs were in the health care and social assistance industries. Many of these positions require an advanced degree.

It was life experience that also drew Lawrence Freundlich, an accomplished editor, publisher and writer, to the program and motivated him to change careers. Freundlich, who co-authored "The Intimacy Factor" (HarperCollins, 2003), will begin his studies during the Fall 2008 semester, and will take classes at C.W. Post while completing his practical work in Brooklyn. "In the course of my career and my personal life, I've learned about the various ways in which people treat each other in a dysfunctional manner," he said. "With this degree, I hope I can bring healing to the community."

Long Island University's graduate-level social work program offers an unparalleled educational opportunity to students in the New York metropolitan area by utilizing the resources of two major university campuses while connecting two diverse student populations. Those enrolling do not need to hold an undergraduate degree in social work and have the opportunity to enrich their graduate study experience through classroom interaction, program activities, field experiences and networking opportunities via university-community partnerships with organizations in Brooklyn and on Long Island. Graduates who complete the rigorous program are well prepared for rewarding careers as they are afforded a full spectrum of challenging coursework and internships opportunities. Both campuses also offer undergraduate programs in social work.

For more information about the master's degree programs in social work at Long Island University, contact Dr. Ilene Nathanson at the C.W. Post Campus at (516) 299-3924 or Dr. Samuel Jones at the Brooklyn Campus at (718) 488-1025. Applications for enrollment at either campus are currently being accepted for the Fall 2008 semester, which begins September 2. Visit the social work Web site at: www.liu.edu/socialwork.

Posted: August 7, 2008