Abstract
This research project is considered exploratory-quantitative in nature specifically to address current environmental issues as well as academic issues surrounding stress suffered by California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) graduate students. The intention of this research project is to discover common stresses felt by social work graduate students and offer coping strategies that will give support to the success of the encounter. Seventy-nine students participated in the study, which represented roughly 28% of the social work graduate student population. The overall findings of the project found a divide between MSW II and I students. It is the belief of the researcher that MSW II students experienced a greater amount of stress due to environmental factors, specifically due to job prospects, and feelings of unpreparedness for interviewing. Additionally, MSW II students perceived the professors at CSUS less favorably than the MSW I participants. The researcher recommends more instruction on managing stress, in the way of coping strategies, be taught to future graduate students.