Michael Herman, MSW ‘22, was working at Microsoft when he began studying social work. With a Cornell degree in Applied Economics and Management and experience in technology consulting and account management, he had already built a career. But he had questions about people that economics alone couldn't answer.
“I’ve always been curious about how folks make decisions,” he says. Looking at those decisions “through the economics-only lens” left him wondering about influences beyond market incentives. He explored psychology, counseling, neuroscience and other disciplines before arriving at social work.
“Social work, to me, was the most all-encompassing of these disciplines,” he says. “It looks at the structural relationship between people and their environment at different levels, and also considers their internal experience.”
Today, Michael works as a behavioral designer at the nonprofit ideas42 and sees clients as a psychotherapist at Tribeca Therapy in New York City. He is an LMSW pursuing LCSW licensure. The two roles reflect the breadth that drew him to social work in the first place.
Why Wurzweiler’s Online MSW Made Sense
Michael began his MSW studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. He wanted a program that had been designed for online learning before universities were forced to move classes remotely. Wurzweiler’s established online MSW appealed to him, as did its connection to New York City.
Another consideration was more personal. “What I appreciated was that Yeshiva included a spiritual component as well,” he says. In class, students encountered spiritual perspectives as one way of understanding people’s experiences and decisions.
“If we’re going to be thinking about ... all the different domains here that go into someone’s life and inform how they behave, and the choices they make ... a spiritual lens is important,” he explains.
His classmates also brought a wide range of experiences. Some came from healthcare or psychology; others, like Michael, came from technology and business. He appreciated meeting people of different ages who were changing careers and approaching the same questions from varied directions.
“Having exposure to people who were pursuing different things ... gave me just more information about what could be done in the world and with the degree,” he says.
A New Perspective With an Immediate Career Impact
When asked how soon his studies affected his career, Michael answers with one word: “Immediately.” He entered the program while working at Microsoft and joined ideas42 before graduating.
“Even just the first semester, first year of the MSW program, the way you’re thinking starts to be oriented around the interaction of different systems with the individual person and their context,” he says.
That approach helped him move toward the social sciences work he had long wanted to do. At ideas42, he researches challenges involving civic engagement, philanthropy and community building, then works with partners to design possible solutions.
For Michael, the most enduring part of his education is the perspective he developed. “What sticks with you is how you think about things,” he says. He continues to consider how family history, culture, social systems and personal circumstances affect people’s ability to make choices.
“That’s something I’m always, always thinking about, including self-reflectively,” he says. The courses, he adds, built on that way of understanding people and problems.
A Practicum That Put His Ambitions to the Test
Michael entered the online MSW program knowing he was interested in both intervention design and psychotherapy. But wanting to become a therapist was different from knowing how it would feel to work directly with clients.
His practicum at Housing Works gave him an early opportunity to find out. He was especially pleased to work with an organization serving people who might struggle to afford private-pay psychotherapy.
“At some point, you actually have to do that work,” he says. He describes the importance of sitting down with another person, asking questions and discovering whether the work was a good fit.
He remembers wondering, “Is this something I can do and I’m interested in?” The experience helped him reflect on his strengths and build confidence for the following year.
Michael also appreciated that practicum experiences could introduce students to professional settings they might not otherwise consider. He recognized the value of that exposure, even when a placement differed from a student's original interests or expectations.
The logistics needed attention, too. He was working full time, and he acknowledges that practicum placements do not always match every student preference. Wurzweiler asked about his interests, location and commuting limits when seeking opportunities. Once he was placed, his Housing Works supervisors collaborated with him on a workable schedule, occasionally including virtual days. Making the arrangement work required communication with both Wurzweiler and Housing Works, along with some flexibility in his own schedule.
Connections That Remain Useful After Graduation
Michael also found value in the people he met through Wurzweiler. Group projects and shared assignments helped him develop relationships with classmates.
When he later considered psychotherapy positions, he reached out to former classmates working in different settings. Their firsthand perspectives helped him compare small group practices, individual supervision arrangements and larger mental health organizations.
“Asking them ... the pros and cons of each of these and their own experience was super useful,” he says. “Better than me just Googling.”
He also points to alumni communications that share information about professional events and continuing education. He is careful to distinguish this kind of exchange from networking that directly produces a job offer. For him, the benefit lies in discovering opportunities and perspectives he might otherwise miss.
Two Roles, One Way of Understanding People
At ideas42, Michael works on research and design projects intended to address social challenges. At Tribeca Therapy, he works with individuals, couples and families. Both roles draw on the same habit of considering people within their larger circumstances.
He sees that approach as essential when confronting difficult problems, from technology’s effects on young people to income inequality. Regulations and restrictions may help address particular concerns, but Michael believes effective solutions require a fuller understanding of how individuals interact with the systems around them.
“If you want to create ... meaningful interventions for people and for social systems, you need to think about all of the different ways that that problem shows up in someone’s life,” he says.
That’s the lasting connection between his MSW education and his daily work: the ability to examine a problem at the level of an individual while keeping the larger systems in view.
Bring Your Own Perspective to Meaningful Work
Asked what he would tell someone considering Wurzweiler, Michael opens succinctly: “Do it already.”
He follows that with a more considered endorsement of the program’s range of courses and perspectives, experienced professors and additional learning opportunities. “The professors ... know what they’re doing,” he says. “They’re smart people who’ve been working in the field for a long time.”
Yeshiva University’s online Master of Social Work program combines academic study with supervised practicum experience and opportunities to learn alongside people from varied professional backgrounds. The curriculum emphasizes ethical practice, cultural responsiveness and the relationship between individuals and the communities and systems around them. The program also offers opportunities to apply your knowledge and develop specialized expertise:
- The Heights, Wurzweiler's virtual case simulator, calls on you to apply social work concepts to realistic scenarios in a supportive setting
- Specialized training in Gerontology and Palliative Care prepares you to support older adults and people facing serious illness
- The Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) path helps you develop skills for working with individuals affected by substance use disorders
Whether you hope to become a therapist, pursue community-focused work or bring social work perspectives to an existing career, Wurzweiler can help you develop the knowledge and experience to serve people more effectively.
Explore the admission requirements and financial aid opportunities. Then connect with an admissions outreach advisor to discuss how Wurzweiler's online MSW program can support your professional goals.