Educating Tomorrow’s Social Work Practitioners
Master of Social Work Program
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.
Application Deadlines
- Early: 11/15/23
- Priority: 1/15/24
- Regular: 3/15/24
- Rolling: 7/15/24
Customize your MSW Degree
PrintPractice Specialty
You will choose between clinical or macro. The clinical program teaches students how to integrate evidence-based interventions. Macro social work aims to affect change within large systems at the community, organizational, and policy levels.
Clinical Program
We challenge and prepare our clinical program students to integrate evidence-based interventions and culturally sensitive practice with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Students become proficient in assessment and diagnostic classification and learn to develop professional therapeutic alliance and relationship skills.
Through coursework and field practice, students are exposed to a broad overview of therapeutic interventions and have an opportunity to develop advanced practice skills and therapeutic techniques.
Macro
Macro social work aims to affect change within large systems at the community, organizational, and policy levels. BCSSW’s macro specialization focuses on social innovation and leadership, emphasizing the development of ideas, mechanisms, and new social arrangements to enhance community capacity to address complex social challenges. Students train in the foundations of participatory community-based social work practice and research and learn recent advances in human-centered design, systems thinking, and other analytical tools to drive innovation, address complex social problems, and enable sustained social impact.
In their coursework and field internships, students gain practice skills that focus on advocacy, leadership and administration, financial management and resource development, and novel approaches to drive social change and advance the common good.
Fields of Practice
Within either specialized practice (clinical or macro), you will develop expertise by selecting a field of practice.
- Afrocentric Social Work
- Children, Youth, & Families
- Global Practice
- Health
- Latinx Communities
- Mental Health
Certificates
Build additional knowledge and specialized skills by completing an optional certificate. 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.
- Advanced Research
- Aging Populations & Gerontology
- Black Leadership
- Child Welfare
- Design Thinking for Social Change (new)
- Global Humanitarian Practice
- Latinx Leadership
- Leaders for Equity & Justice in the Workplace
- Neuroscience and Social Work Certificate
- Refugees & Immigrants
- School Social Work
- Trauma
- Early Childhood Policy and Leadership* (Lynch School)
Electives
Our MSW program consists of 12 required courses and 5 electives.
Each semester there are 50+ electives to choose from.
With electives, students can customize their curriculum plan, deepen their knowledge, or venture into an area of practice that is new and fascinating.
Full-time vs. Part-time
Full-time
Our full-time, two-year MSW program offers a rigorous curriculum, valuable field education opportunities, and the ability to customize your degree by selecting a specialization and field of practice and pursuing optional certificates in a range of subjects.
Part-time
Our three- or four-year MSW program offers the rigorous curriculum and valuable field experience of our full-time program in a flexible format that accommodates your busy schedule.
For those working in human services settings, the part-time program provides classroom learning that supports your work experience. Classes meet once per week and run between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. to accommodate your schedule. The opportunity to use your current job as a practicum opens the door for working people to continue to earn a living while pursuing an MSW.
Initiatives
To have the greatest impact, it is crucial that our curriculum, field placements, and research be informed through collaboration with the people they are meant to serve. Our initiatives encourage our students to develop a more nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by specific populations, so they can move us closer to solutions.
Dual Degrees
BCSSW offers three dual degree graduate programs in partnership with other schools at Boston College. Students interested in the dual degree program must be admitted independently to the respective schools.
We also offer a BA/MSW degree for Boston College undergraduates.
- The MSW/JD Dual degree Program was developed by both the School of Social Work and the BC Law School. It is designed for students who are interested in serving the combined legal and social needs of individuals, families, groups, and communities.
- The MSW/MBA Dual Degree Program was developed by both the School of Social Work (BCSSW) and the Carroll Graduate School of Management (CGSOM). The purpose is to provide professionals with a unique knowledge base combining the skills and credentials of management and social work.
- The MSW and Master in Theology and Ministry dual degree was developed by both the School of Social Work and the School of Theology and Ministry. This dual degree is designed for students who are interested in serving both the pastoral and social needs of individuals, families, groups and communities.
Advanced Standing
The Advanced Standing MSW is an accelerated program that allows you to complete your master's degree in only three semesters so you can start making positive change in your community sooner.
Our Advanced Standing program was developed for students who have already proven their commitment to improving vulnerable lives by earning a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
All students are able to choose their course of study (macro or clinical); one of six fields of practice; and over 50 electives. Advanced Standing students can complete up to two certificates.
12-Month and 16-Month Program Options
Advanced Standing MSW students can choose from two accelerated tracks — one that begins in January, and one that begins in May.
Students in the School of Social Work receive professional training from organizations throughout the Greater Boston area, providing them with critical on-the-ground experience that enhances their classroom learning and prepares them for a successful career. We've cultivated strong relationships with our agency partners, enabling you to choose from more than 1,000 opportunities. You'll receive mentoring and support every step of the way.
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
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 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
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
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
This certificate program enables MSW students to build their research skills while exploring their interest in research-related careers. As part of the program, students take two statistics courses with first-year doctoral students.
Required Coursework
- SCWK 7747 Research Methods in Social Work Practice - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 9964 Intro to Statistics & Data Analysis - offered in the fall semester. This is a doctoral course. Permission from the instructor is necessary.
- SCWK 9960 Regression Analysis for Social & Behavioral Sciences - offered in the spring semester. This is a doctoral course. Permission from the instructor is necessary.
This certificate program prepares students to support the health and well-being of older adults and their families. As part of the program, students will gain specialized knowledge and skills for working with older adults in health and mental health settings and understanding the policy landscape affecting aging societies.
Required Coursework
- SWCK7721 Human Behavior and the Social Environment - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK8823 Practice in Health and Mental Health Settings with Older Adults - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK8802 Policy for Aging Society: Issues and Options - offered in the spring semester
This certificate program prepares students to develop solutions to complex problems facing Black communities. As part of the program, students explore anti-Black racism, racial trauma, and systemic barriers that perpetuate inequities, as well as how the history of activism among Black people has shaped modern-day advocacy.
Required Coursework
- SCWK 7723 Re-thinking Diversity - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 8844 is History of Activism in Black Communities - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 8845 Afrocentric Organizations - offered in the spring semester
This certificate program prepares students to support the health and well-being of children. As part of the program, students will learn how to advocate for policies that improve the lives of children and families; explore issues such as adoption, foster care, and family reunification; and examine a range of modalities for assessing and treating youth who have experienced trauma.
Required Coursework
- SCWK 8805 Policy Issues in Family & Children’s Services - offered in the spring semester
- SCWK 8880 Social Work Practice in Child Welfare - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 8822 Child and Adolescent Trauma: Clinical Assessment and Treatment - offered in the summer, fall and spring semesters
This certificate program, taught partly in Spanish, prepares students to work with Latinx individuals, families, and communities. As part of the program, students examine their own perspectives of the world; develop a strong understanding of the biopsychosocial dimensions of different Latinx populations; and gain awareness of the complex factors affecting Latinx immigrants.
Required Coursework
- SCWK 7723 Re-thinking Diversity - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 8854 Advanced Clinical Practice with Latinx Populations (in Spanish) - offered in the summer semester
- SCWK 7777 Service to Migrants: A Border Perspective - offered in the spring semester (limited enrollment based on seat availability; travel required)
This certificate program prepares students to improve equity in the workplace for women, people of color, and other marginalized employees. Those who earn the certificate will be well-positioned to take on leadership roles in equity, justice, and inclusion programs at colleges, public agencies, and private companies.
Required Coursework
- SCWK 7723 Re-thinking Diversity: Systems of Oppression & Privilege - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 8847 Creating the Inclusive Workplace: Topics in Organizational Justice - offered in the summer emester
- SCWK 8838 Dismantling Organizational Bias through Evidence-Based Practice - offered in the spring semester
This certificate program prepares students to understand the biological processes of human development throughout the lifespan, with a primary focus on neuroscience and an introduction to genetics. Through coursework, students learn how to read and comprehend neuroscience research and methodologies; build a rich vocabulary in biology; understand how to appropriately include neuroscientific findings in practice such as psychoeducation; and more deeply understand the human experience through the lens of the brain. Students gain an understanding of how the brain builds and changes over time, while considering contexts relevant to social work such as caregiving, material hardship, loneliness, love, and toxic stress. During the program, they select a topic of interest, such as mood disorder or sleep, and delve into examining its neurobiological underpinnings in a final project that is meaningful for society and that illustrates the importance of factoring biological perspectives into understanding the human experience in context.
Required Coursework
- SCWK 7721 Human Behavior and the Social Environment - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 7724 Neurobiology of Stress & Resilience in the Life - offered in the summer and spring semesters
- SCWK 7726 Neuroscience of Human Relationships & Development - offered in the fall semester
This certificate program equips students with in-depth knowledge of issues facing migrants and refugees while giving them the foundational skills to implement interventions with these populations both at home and abroad. Courses place special emphasis on taking person-centered approaches to human mobility, collaborating across sectors, and engaging with diverse communities in crisis.
Required Coursework
- SCWK 7723 Re-thinking Diversity: Systems of Oppression & Privilege - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 7794 Immigrants & Refugees - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 7719 Migration, Politics, and Social Work: The Challenge of Justice and Care - offered in the summer semester OR SCWK 7777 Services to Migrants - - offered: Spring semester (limited enrollment based on seat availability; travel required)
This certificate program prepares students to practice social work in school-based settings. As part of the program, students receive a comprehensive overview of education policy while developing the skills to effectively communicate with teachers, school personnel, and diverse families.
(This certificate is for clinical students only. It does not alone meet the requirements for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education School Social Worker licensure.)
- SCWK 8855 Clinical Practice with Children and Families - offered in the spring semester
- SCWK 8881 School Social Work: Program Development and Educational Policies - offered in the fall semester
- SCWK 8858 Clinical Practice in Schools - offered in the spring semester
This certificate program prepares students to work with survivors of trauma, with a particular emphasis on linking social justice to clinical practice in an effort to better understand survivors, their experiences, and evidence-based interventions. Students develop clinical skills to address a broad range of trauma experiences while enhancing their knowledge of emerging theories and topics in trauma practice.
This certificate is for clinical students only.
- SCWK 8856 Clinical Practice with Adults - offered in the spring semester OR SCWK 8855 Clinical Practice with CYF - offered in the spring semester
- SCWK 8822 Child and Adolescent Trauma: Clinical Assessment and Treatment - offered: Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters, and required for all clinical mental health field-of-practice students who want this certificate OR SCWK 8874 Adult Psychological Trauma- offered: Fall semester
- SCWK 8879 Advanced Trauma Theory and Treatment Modalities - offered in the spring semester
This certificate program trains master’s and doctoral students to develop a deep understanding of the needs of children and families whose lives are shaped by early childhood programs, services, and policies.
This is an interdisciplinary certificate between BC Lynch School of Education and Human Development and the School of Social Work. There are four components of the ECPL certificate that must be completed to earn the certificate. Students must: Take three courses from a list of approved courses. One course must be selected from each of the following three domains: science of early childhood development; policy development and evaluation; and leadership, advocacy, and partnerships. There is a list of courses that satisfy each domain offered through the Lynch School or School of Social Work. Both in-person and virtual course options are available under each domain. For more information on coursework, please see the program of study for this certificate. Participate in a monthly seminar, targeting key issues related to early childhood policy, research, practice, advocacy, and leadership. Complete a three-month paid summer internship in a local, national, or international setting to solidify skills in policy analysis, research, research translation, program development, or leadership in the early childhood field. Translate learning from the internship and certificate courses by completing a capstone project, such as a policy brief, academic paper, or policy analysis.
Apply Here • Additional Information • Contact: buonopaf@bc.edu
This certificate program enables students to build a strong understanding of humanitarian issues, systems, and practices both at home and abroad, placing special emphasis on taking person-centered approaches to human mobility, collaborating across sectors, and engaging with diverse communities in crisis. Courses include online modules designed by faculty and staff from the BCSSW Global Practice program in conjunction with internationally renowned subject experts.
- SCWK7721 Human Behavior and the Social Environment (Fall semester)
- SCWK8853 Global Humanitarian Practice (Fall semester)
- SCWK8807 Global Migration and Forced Displacement (Spring semester)
This certificate prepares students to work with communities to create scalable interventions for positive social change, with a particular focus on prototyping and testing new products and services,
Required courses:
- SCWK 8800 Basic Skills in Macro Practice (fall semester)
- SCWK 8843 Theories of Design Thinking for Social Change (summer semester)
- SCWK 8848 Practicing Design Thinking for Social Change (fall semester)
At a Glance
By the Numbers
Student Experience
Reflect, discern, and grow—in the classroom and in the field.
Learn why the Boston College School of Social Work is consistently nationally ranked among its peers. With rigorous, hands-on experience paired with a close-knit community, our students graduate ready to make a difference in their chosen field.
Our Community
Our current students and alumni serve communities locally and across the globe, sustaining positive social change through critical work.