Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
MSW applicants: Contact the BCSSW Admissions Office at swadmit@bc.edu or 617-552-4024 to arrange to meet with an admissions representative. It may also be possible to speak with a current BCSSW student or visit a class, with advance notice.
PhD applicants: Contact the doctoral program office at 617-552-4064 to arrange an in-person visit with a member of the doctoral program staff.
Due to ongoing concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), admission information sessions, campus tours, and events have been suspended for now. We look forward to hosting you for a campus visit as soon as it is possible.
We encourage students and families to visit campus when programming resumes. We will post future event dates shortly and will be in touch with anyone who had previously registered for an event.
Schedule a graduate student campus tours by here: https://apply.bc.edu/portal/graduate_campus_tour
MSW applicants: A number of information sessions for prospective students are offered during the academic year. They provide a valuable opportunity to talk with faculty, students, and admissions representatives.
Application
MSW applicants: Application Deadlines
Advanced Standing Program & Transfer Students:
- January 15, 2020
Two-Year, Full-Time Program and Three-Year, Part Time Program:
- Early Application Deadline December 1
- Priority Deadline January 15
- Regular Application Deadline March 30
PhD applicants:
Application for the PhD program are due by December 1. Review of completed applications will begin in January and notification (by email) of decisions will begin around the second week of February.
The evaluation of your application will include an assessment of academic performance and preparation, related experience, career objectives, potential for leadership, and commitment to social justice.
You can mail any additional application material to:
Boston College School of Social Work
140 Commonwealth Ave
Admissions
McGuinn Hall - Rm 221
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
or email to swadmit@bc.edu
You can access the Application Status website.
If you have any further questions related to your application status, please contact the BCSSW Admissions Office at swadmit@bc.edu or 617-552-4024.
Accepted applicants to the MSW program may defer enrollment for one year by submitting the $200 tuition deposit and response form. Accepted applicants to the PhD program may defer enrollment by one year by contacting the doctoral program office.
The GRE is not required for the MSW program but may be submitted to strengthen your application. The GRE is required for the PhD and MSW/PhD programs but there is no minimum score. Each case is evaluated on an individual basis. The BCSSW School Code is 3219 and BCSSW Department Code is 5199.
You are considered an active applicant once you have submitted your application. Delays in completion of the application will result in later review, however, and could put you at a disadvantage for available spaces.
There is no need to request an application extension, but late application submissions are given a lower priority due to limited space.
Most materials should be uploaded before submitting your application. ie: transcripts, resumes and personal statement.
If you need to mail any addtional materials, please send it to the address below.
Boston College School of Social Work
140 Commonwealth Ave
Admissions
McGuinn Hall - Rm 221
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
or email to swadmit@bc.edu
If you are a U.S. military veteran or a full-time volunteer with a recognized non-profit service organization such as the Peace Corps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, City Year, or AmeriCorps, you are qualified to receive an application fee waiver. Simply submit a form or letter certifying your dates of service, or submit one of your required recommendation letters on organization letterhead, and then call or email the Admissions office to request the fee waiver. Returned volunteers are also eligible for a fee waiver. If you have paid the fee prior to submitting a request for a fee waiver, the fee is not refundable.
Academic
It depends on your program. Please see our Full-time MSW and Part-time MSW pages and PhD in Social Work page for curriculum details.
Advanced standing students who enroll in June will graduate the following May, completing the program in 12 months. January entrants will graduate in May of the following year, completing the program in 18 months.
Advanced standing students have a 240-hour spring or summer placement followed by a 720-hour advanced concentration placement during the final academic year.
A student may cross-register for one social work-related elective per semester in another graduate school or department at Boston College (e.g., Lynch School of Education, Carroll School of Management, School of Theology and Ministry, Sociology Department, Psychology Department). Students may also take electives during the academic year at Boston University, Tufts University, and Brandeis University through the Boston Area Graduate Consortium.
MSW Advanced Standing students may apply for the Global Practice concentration by taking a 16-month Advanced Standing curriculum which begins with January enrollment. After completing the Spring term Advanced Standing curriculum, students take the Global field of practice final year curriculum, beginning with summer term.
Students, with the exceptions noted below, may request transfer of not more than six graduate credits taken prior to admission. Only courses in which a student has received a grade of B or better, and which have not been applied to a prior degree, will be accepted. If approved, the transfer course and credit, but not the grade, will be recorded on the student's academic record. Credit received for courses completed five years prior to a student’s admission to their current degree program are not acceptable for transfer. Requests for transfer credit must be made prior to program enrollment.
M.S.W. students who earned a B.S.W. degree from an accredited Council of Social Work Education program within the previous five years may apply for advanced standing equal to a maximum of 21 credits. Students who earned course and/or field work credits in an accredited M.S.W. program may receive up to 32 credits needed for graduation. Only courses in which a student has received a grade of B or better will be accepted.
Student Life
Check out our Living Here page for housing information