COVID-19 has drastically changed the way education is delivered and received amongst students nationwide. As such the way students experience education in the context of the pandemic is impacted too.

Most graduating MSW students at Hunter experience academic responsibilities and requirements as challenges during this time, while for some, school is a double edged sword.

• 2% of respondents said academics serve solely as a strength.
• 64% are experiencing school as a challenge.
• 29% experience academics as both a strength and a challenge. 
• 1/3 of students who responded to a question asking what researchers missed that may be impacting their present experience, discussed school primarily as a challenge.
• Some identified school more broadly, whereas others highlighted a more negative view of the CUNY system.

Completing field placement hours is core to MSW education standards and graduation requirements. Students were not surveyed on their experiences in the field, specifically. However, students expressed disappointment and frustration in their field placement organizations’ responses to the pandemic. 

Graduation is the goal in completing one’s education. This milestone is frequently paired with significant hopes, fears, and anticipations for the future. Graduating MSW students at Hunter expressed the following hopes & fears for how they foresee COVID-19 affecting their outlook and future work. Additional information on students’ hopes, fears, and anticipations, as they relate to the social work profession, can be found in the tab labeled” Implications for SW.