Master of Social Work Program

Educating Tomorrow’s Social Work Practitioners

Students in our top-ranked MSW program aren’t just scholars—they’re also researchers who collaborate with faculty on compelling projects and practitioners who spend 2-3 days per week working in schools, nonprofits, and hospitals through our robust field placement program.

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Deadlines

Early App: 11/15/23
Priority App: 1/15/24
Regular App: 3/1/24

Chart your course to difference-making. 

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Fields of Practice
 

Our MSW program offers six concentrated fields of practice pathways that include
specialized coursework and advanced field education placements. 

Afrocentric Social Work

The Afrocentric Social Work field of practice centers on the African Diaspora and Black experiences, inclusive of continental Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Central America, and the United States. The Afrocentric perspective is an ontological and epistemological orientation that places African people as participants and agents shaping their life chances and experiences. It will equip MSW students with a holistic approach towards a critical examination of social work from an African-centered perspective. Students will be exposed to Afrocentric thinking and practice modalities – clinical and macro – that function as staples of social work with Black communities.  Students will have historical and contemporary contexts of the vast African diaspora that makes up the many “Black communities” globally. They will obtain an overview of the African worldview and the history, culture, and contributions to the world civilization of African-descended people applied to social work practice. 

Clinical and Macro Social Work

Required course:
Advanced Practice in Afrocentric Social Work

 

Children, Youth, & Families

Our innovative Children, Youth, & Families curriculum will prepare you to assess individuals and families and to develop and implement evidence-based intervention strategies that improve the health and resilience of families and their communities.

Children, Youth, & Families students intern in settings such as schools, private non-profits, community health centers, and organizations working on issues related to trauma, poverty, family homelessness, health and behavioral health, immigrant integration, and a host of growing family issues confronting society. In the advanced practice course, students delve deeply into learning how to create engaging, activity-based therapy groups for youth, as well as learning several parenting and family therapy models. Additionally, specialized courses in school-based social work will prepare you for meeting the academic requirements for the Department of Education School Social Work license in Massachusetts and some other states.

Clinical Social Work

Required course:
SCWK 8872 Advanced Clinical Interventions with Children, Youth, & Families

Macro Social Work

Required course:
SCWK 8885 Management of Organizations Serving Children, Youth, & Families

 

Global Practice

Global Practice will prepare you to work effectively in the fields of global social work, humanitarian aid, and international development. You will learn different approaches to addressing complex social issues that often transcend national boundaries and affect much of the world’s population. Your work will be guided by the principles of human rights, human security, human development, and the promotion of sustainable solutions to social problems.

As a Global Practice student, you will have the opportunity to work domestically or internationally with one of our many intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizational partners. Examples of this work include providing training and support for case managers serving refugees and asylum seekers; drafting immigration policies; developing programs to promote peace or prevent gender-based violence; writing grant proposals; monitoring and evaluating child protection programs; or helping develop organizational policies for effective and sustainable practice.

Our Global Practice graduates work in the U.S. and overseas in a range of positions that involve direct practice, program development, management, evaluation, research, training, capacity building, and policy. From policy development in Washington, DC., to program development in Cambodia, our graduates contribute to policy, practice, and research that improve the lives and well-being of individuals, families, and communities around the world.

Clinical and Macro Social Work

Required courses include:
SCWK 7797 Frameworks and Tools for Global Practice
SCWK 8806 Global Policy Issues and Implications

 

Health

Our primary goal is to prepare you for advanced practice in clinical services, advocacy, or management roles in the field of health care.

You receive specialized knowledge, skills, and training in the areas of assessment, evidence-based interventions, policy, planning, and management techniques. Clinical students focus on developing strong assessment skills and learning evidence-based treatment interventions to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in healthcare settings. Macro students specialize in developing the policy, planning, and management skills to become effective advocates and leaders at the local, state, or national level.

Our graduates work in a panoply of health and behavioral health settings ranging from hospital based to community based, acute care to rehabilitation facilities, forensic services and homeless services, outpatient clinics and substance abuse programs, state agencies, and grass roots organizations. With Massachusetts leading the way in national health care reform, you will be exposed to the rapidly changing organization and delivery of health care.

Clinical Social Work

Required course:
SCWK 8873  Integration of Behavioral Health & Medical Care Practice

Macro Social Work

Required course:
SCWK 8897 Planning for Health and Mental Health Services 

 

Latinx Communities

The Latinx Communities field of practice trains MSW students to work with Latinx communities in the U.S. and around the world. Our innovative program includes culturally-centered coursework and field placements, tailored mentoring, self-advocacy training, and career development guidance.

From an asset-based approach, you will develop a nuanced understanding of the barriers Latinx populations encounter in accessing equitable education, social services, and health care, as well as a deep understanding of how to implement evidence-based interventions that address systemic inequities.

Following a cohort model, you will take core classes taught in Spanish and intern at a field placement with one of our many partners in the Greater Boston area that serve the legal, medical, behavioral health, immigration, and educational needs of the Latinx community.

Please note, unlike the other fields of practice, you must apply to the Latinx Communities Field of Practice prior to starting your first year in the MSW program. Learn more about this field of practice and how to apply by reviewing our frequently asked questions.

Clinical and Macro Social Work

Required course:
SCWK 8837 Social Services with Latinx Populations in the US

Trauma-Informed Mental Health

Our primary goal is to prepare you for advanced practice in clinical services, advocacy, or management roles in the dynamic field of trauma-informed behavioral health.

You receive specialized knowledge, skills, and training in the areas of assessment, evidence-based interventions, policy, planning, and management techniques. Clinical students focus on developing strong trauma-informed assessment skills and learning evidence-based treatment interventions to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in behavioral health settings. Macro students specialize in developing the policy, planning, and management skills to become effective advocates and leaders at the local, state, or national level.

Our graduates work in a variety of settings that often require trauma-informed skills. Settings range from hospital based to community based, acute care to rehabilitation facilities, forensic services and homeless services, outpatient clinics and substance abuse programs, state agencies, and grass roots organizations. With Massachusetts leading the way in national health care reform, you will be exposed to the rapidly changing organization and delivery of behavioral health.

Clinical Social Work

Required course:
SCWK 8874 Adult Psychological Trauma 

Macro Social Work

Required course:
SCWK 8897 Planning for Health and Mental Health Services 

Certificates

Our certificates give students the opportunity to build knowledge in subject-specific areas of social work. 
Certificates require the completion of three specified courses within a chosen area. 

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Tuition & Aid

100%

Of students receive some type of scholarship

More About Tuition & Aid

Our Students

Our current students and alumni serve communities locally and across the globe, sustaining positive social change through critical work.
 

Class of 2022 Outcomes

100%

Were employed within one year of graduation

76%

Received starting salaries of $50,000+

88%

Passed licensure exam on first attempt

Career Services

From the Field: Social Work in Action

“Dispatches from the Field” showcases the relationships BCSSW students foster and the impact they have through fieldwork—in Greater Boston and around the world.

Dispatches from the Field

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