12 Best MSW Programs in Massachusetts (Online & Campus) – 2025
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Wondering which Massachusetts career path offers job security, a good salary, and an opportunity for you to express the caring parts of your personality? Enroll in one of the MSW programs in Massachusetts, and become a licensed social worker. Social workers in the Bay State work are employed in many settings, including hospitals, schools, community agencies, government agencies, and their own private practices. On average, they make $65,440 a year, and their job opportunities will increase by 11 percent in the coming decade. Many MSW programs in the Bay State are offered online, so you can balance them with your family and work responsibilities. This list of the 12 best MSW programs in Massachusetts for 2025 will tell you more.
RECOMMENDED ONLINE MSW PROGRAMSWHAT ARE THE BEST MSW PROGRAMS IN MASSACHUSETTS (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025?
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, the following are the 12 Best campus-based and online MSW Programs in Massachusetts.
1) Boston University - Boston, Fall River, Worcester, Bedford, & West Barnstable
MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Full-time MSW (On-Campus), Part-time MSW (On-Campus), and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)), Online MSW (Online), Off-Campus MSW (Blended), Hybrid MSW (Hybrid), On-Campus Advanced Standing MSW, Off Campus Advanced Standing MSW, and Online Advanced Standing MSW
MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice (Behavioral Health; Children, Youth & Families; Aging Practice, Policy & Social Justice; and Trauma & Violence), and Macro Practice (Behavioral Health; Children, Youth & Families; Aging Practice, Policy & Social Justice; and Trauma & Violence)
Online MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice (Traditional Track, Human Service Experience Track (HSE), and Advanced Standing Track) and Macro Practice (Traditional Track, Human Service Experience Track (HSE), and Advanced Standing Track)
Off-Campus MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work Practice (Traditional Track and Human Service Experience Track (HSE)
Hybrid MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical (Traditional Track and Human Service Experience (HSE) Track) and Macro Social Work Practice (Traditional Track and Human Service Experience (HSE) Track)
On-Campus Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice and Macro Practice
Off-Campus Weekend Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice
Online Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice and Macro Practice
About Boston University: Boston University’s Master’s of Social Work degree is widely lauded as one of the best MSW programs in Massachusetts due to the versatility of its academic offerings, the excellence of its faculty, and the school’s dedication to equity, inclusion, and social justice. The school offers Clinical Practice and Macro Practice concentrations in conjunction with its traditional MSW and Advanced Standing MSW degrees.
Boston University MSW Program Details: The 65-credit traditional MSW and the 22- to 25-credit Advanced Standing MSW are offered at BU’s Charles River campus as well as online. The traditional MSW track consists of a foundational year during which you’ll take classes like “Communities & Organization,” “Introduction to Social Work Clinical Practice,” and “Human Behavior” and an advanced standing year, during which you’ll focus on your chosen specialization. If you’re enrolled in the traditional MSW, you’ll complete 1,200 hours of fieldwork; if you’re enrolled in the Advanced Standing MSW, you’ll complete 740 hours of fieldwork.
Campus-based MSW students can choose one of two specializations: a Clinical Practice concentration for those who want to work one-on-one with clients and a Macro Practice concentration for those more interested in community organizing and human services management.
The Advanced Practice is essentially the second year of the traditional MSW track. Keep in mind, however, that you must take 43 credits at the School of Social Work for graduation and that Boston University will not allow you to transfer credits toward your MSW degree.
Both the traditional MSW and the Advanced Standing MSW have full-time and part-time completion paths. You must complete the traditional MSW in two years if you’re enrolled full-time. Part-time students will complete this traditional MSW in Massachusetts in three years (if they opt to attend classes during the summer semester) or in four years.
Dynamic settings for fieldwork are provided by the more than 800 social service agencies and organizations with which Boston University maintains relationships. Placements and classroom courses are scheduled concurrently. If you’re a full-time student, you can expect to spend two to three days a week at your field assignment.
A convenient option for working students is BU’s off-campus weekend program at BU’s Fall River and Bedford classes, where classes take place on weekends. Boston University also offers a learning format that blends online courses with classroom experiences at its teaching centers in Worcester and Cape Cod. All four of these learning options are offered part-time.
Boston University’s distance-learning MSW degrees utilize synchronous and asynchronous technology. Fieldwork assignments will be scheduled in the community where you live.
Boston University MSW Admission Requirements: You must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or hold a baccalaureate degree when you begin your MSW studies. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must have a BSW degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
Key Highlights For Boston University MSW Students
• In 2021, 315 students received MSW degrees from Boston University.
•
U.S. News & World Report ranked Boston University’s MSW program the 11th best in the nation in 2022. (It tied with Boston College.)
• Boston University offers three concurrent MSW degrees: a dual MSW/Master’s of Public Health (MPH,) a dual MSW/Master’s of Education (EdM,) and a dual MSW/Master’s in Theological or Divinity Studies (MTS or MDiv.)
• This MSW school in Massachusetts offers a special Human Service Experience track for MSW students with a minimum of two years of professional, supervised experience in a social service agency or organization.
2) Boston College - Chestnut Hill
MSW Programs Offered: Full-Time MSW (On-Campus), Part-Time MSW (On-Campus), and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)
Full-Time MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work and Macro Social Work
Part-Time MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work and Macro Social Work
Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work and Macro Social Work
About Boston College: Boston College’s School of Social Work is not only one of the oldest social work programs in the U.S., but it is also one of the best MSW schools in Massachusetts. The school offers two specialty concentrations, Clinical Social Work and Macro Social Work, which are further divided into subspecialties. This MSW school in Massachusetts offers a traditional MSW and an Advanced Standing MSW. Both tracks are taught on Boston College’s campus in Chestnut Hill.
Boston College MSW Program Details: The 60-credit traditional MSW is offered as a full-time two-year program and a part-time three-year program. The program is divided into a foundational segment, during which you’ll take core MSW classes, and a specialization segment, during which you’ll take courses that pertain to your clinical or macro choice of practice. Foundational coursework includes “Human Behavior & the Social Environment,” “Rethinking Diversity: Systems of Oppression and Privilege,” and “Social Welfare System.” Concentration subspecialties include Afrocentric Social Work; Children, Youth, & Families; Global Practice; Health; Latinx Communities; and Mental Health.
The 30-credit one-year Advanced Standing MSW program is only open to applicants with bachelor’s degrees in social work. This program essentially duplicates the specialization segment of the traditional MSW program.
Traditional MSW students must complete 1,200 hours of fieldwork, while Advanced Standing MSW students must complete 740 hours. Students spend two or three days a week on fieldwork assignments. Those days are typically Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Boston College partners with more than 1,000 agency partners, including Boston public school systems, medical systems like Boston Medical Center and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Catholic Charities, and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.
Boston College MSW Admission Requirements: The traditional MSW program is only available to applicants with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW track must have an undergraduate degree in social work. Preference is given to applicants with significant professional or volunteer experience in the human services field.
Key Highlights For Boston College MSW Students
• Boston College awarded 315 MSW degrees in 2021.
•
U.S. News & World Report dubbed Boston College the 11th-best MSW program in the nation (a tie with Boston University.)
• You can pursue Boston College’s MSW degree concurrently with three other graduate-level degrees: MSW/Juris Doctor (JD), MSW/Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), and MSW/ Master in Theology and Ministry (MA.) You can also complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, Psychology, Neuroscience, or Applied Psychology and Human Development while you’re finishing your MSW degree.
• You can add optional certificates to the MSW degree you earn from Boston College in Advanced Research, Aging Populations & Gerontology, Black Leadership, Child Welfare, Latinx Leadership, Leaders for Equity and Justice in the Workplace, Neuroscience & Social Work, Refugees & Immigrants, School Social Work, and Trauma.
3) Simmons University – Boston
MSW Programs Offered: Full-Time MSW (On-Campus), Part-Time-Extended MSW (On-Campus), Full-Time-16-month Accelerated MSW (On-Campus), Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus), Online MSW (Advanced Standing MSW (Online), Accelerated MSW (Online), Full Time MSW (Online), and Extended MSW (Online))
About Simmons University: Simmons University offers its MSW degree as either a campus or distance-learning option. Like many other MSW programs in Massachusetts, the university offers an Advanced Standing MSW program as well as a traditional MSW program. While Simmons doesn’t offer any MSW specializations as such, it does offer several certificate programs that will prepare students to deal with social issues in specific populations of interest. This is one of the reasons why Simmons continues to rank highly year after year on every list of the best MSW programs in Massachusetts.
Simmons University MSW Program Details: The 65-credit traditional MSW program in Massachusetts takes two years to complete if you pursue it full-time and three years to complete if you pursue it part-time. Simmons also offers a 16-month accelerated traditional MSW program that you can complete in four semesters. The distance-learning option offers the same completion paths as the program you’ll complete at Simmons’s Boston campus.
The traditional MSW curriculum is split into foundational and clinical components. Foundational classes include “Social Work Practice,” “Social Policy, Communities, and Organizations,” and one elective. Clinical courses include “Advanced Clinical Practice” and two electives. You’ll be required to complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of fieldwork.
The 34-credit Advanced Standing MSW involves eight advanced-level courses and can be completed in nine months. You’ll be required to complete 672 hours of fieldwork.
Simmons University’s online MSW program offers the same full-time, part-time, accelerated, and Advanced Standing tracks that the campus-based program offers. Every effort will be made to find you a fieldwork placement close to where you live. Pending approval from Simmons’s School of Social Work, you may be able to complete your fieldwork assignment in a social service agency or clinical setting close to where you live. However, your fieldwork supervisor cannot be your current manager.
Simmons University MSW Admission Requirements: You must complete the application for Simmons University’s MSW program online. You’ll need a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university for consideration. As with other MSW programs in Massachusetts, applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must have a BSW. You’ll need to submit three personal references, a resume, and a personal statement with your application.
Key Highlights For Simmons University MSW Students
• Five hundred and fifty-one students graduated from Simmons University in 2021 with Master’s of Social Work degrees.
• In 2022,
U.S. News & World Report named Simmons University the 42nd best school in the nation for social work.
• Simmons University allows you to earn four professional certificates along with your MSW: a Trauma Practice certificate, a School Social Worker Licensure certificate, a Public Policy certificate, or a Healthcare & Social Work certificate.
• In 1904, Simmons University became the first school in the United States to offer training specifically designed for the needs of clinical social workers.
4) Smith College - Northampton
MSW Programs Offered: MSW (On-Campus) and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)
MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work
Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work
About Smith College: Smith College’s School for Social Work began in 1918 as a program that trained social workers to offer care for soldiers returning from the World War I battlefront with what was then described as “shell shock” and is now described as post-traumatic stress disorder. Smith offers a traditional MSW program and an Advanced Standing MSW program at its campus in Northampton. This MSW program in Massachusetts offers a concentration in Clinical Social Work. Smith College uses the quarter system rather than the semester system.
Smith College MSW Program Details: Smith College’s traditional MSW program consists of 15 quarter credits and 1,020 hours of fieldwork. Smith’s innovative teaching model, unique among accredited MSW programs in Massachusetts, is called a block plan and is one of the reasons why Smith is ranked so highly among the best MSW programs in Massachusetts: In Smith College’s block plan, the curriculum alternates between 10-week academic sessions and eight-month intensive fieldwork assignments. The entire program lasts 27 months, beginning in June and ending in August. The three academic sequences are Social Work Practice, Human Behavior in the Social Environment, and Social Welfare Policy and Service.
If you enroll in the 70-quarter-credit Advanced Standing option, you’ll be responsible for completing 960 hours of fieldwork, and you’ll be able to skip most of the coursework that makes up the first academic session.
Smith College maintains relationships with more than 150 social service agencies in 20 states, and it is common for MSW students to complete their fieldwork assignments outside Massachusetts. These social service agencies include schools, family service agencies, child welfare agencies, mental health clinics, and hospital psychiatric units.
Smith College MSW Admission Requirements: For Smith’s traditional MSW in Massachusetts, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Candidates seeking to enroll in the Advanced Standing MSW program must have a BSW. Preference is given to applicants with at least one year of paid or volunteer experience in the human services sector.
Key Highlights For Smith College MSW Students
• Smith College awarded 121 MSW degrees in 2021.
• Smith College’s School for Social Work ranked #16 on
U.S. News & World Report’s list of the nation’s best social work schools.
• The Smith College School of Social Work also offers a Palliative and End-of-Life Care certificate.
• Though Smith College remains an all-women’s college at the undergraduate level, it admits men into its graduate programs—including its Master’s of Social Work degree program.
5) Salem State University - Salem
MSW Programs Offered: Evening Cohort MSW (Hybrid), Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus), and Fall MSW (On-Campus)
Evening Cohort MSW Concentrations Offered: Integrating Health and Behavioral Health Practice
Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Integrating Health and Behavioral Health Practice
Fall MSW Concentrations Offered: Integrating Health and Behavioral Health Practice
About Salem State University: At Salem State University’s School of Social Work degree program is affiliated with the Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services. This MSW school in Massachusetts offers three MSW tracks: an Evening Cohort MSW track designed to meet the needs of working students, a traditional MSW track (called Fall MSW,) and an Advanced Standing MSW track for students who’ve previously earned a BSW. Salem State University’s MSW program offers an Integrating Health and Behavioral Health Practice concentration.
Salem State University MSW Program Details: Like other accredited MSW programs in Massachusetts, the 62-credit Fall MSW program’s curriculum is divided into MSW foundational coursework and concentration-related coursework. Foundational courses include “Human Behavior and the Social Environment,” “Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Social Work and Social Welfare Policy,” and “Community Practice and Social Change.” Concentration-relevant classes include “Human Behavior and the Social Environment” and “Health Policy Services.”
Full-time students will be able to complete this Fall MSW in two years, while part-time students will be able to complete it in three years. This MSW in Massachusetts is taught on campus.
The 62-credit Evening Cohort MSW is a hybrid track taught chiefly through two synchronous online courses scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 pm to 5:40 pm and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:40 pm. You’ll also be required to attend two in-person sessions per semester at Salem University’s campus.
For fieldwork, you can choose between assignments scheduled during the academic year or assignments scheduled during the summer. The Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services has developed close relationships with community agencies, health and behavioral clinics, schools, and other social service organizations in Salem and other communities along Boston’s north shore. Field assignments during the year typically consist of 16 to 20 hours a week, while summer fieldwork assignments take up 30 to 40 hours a week.
The 44-credit Advanced Standing MSW curriculum can be completed in one year by full-time students or two years by part-time students. This track requires a one-year field internship from May to May.
Salem State University MSW Admission Requirements: You’ll need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. If your GPA is not 3.0 or higher, you’ll need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE.) Preference is given to applicants with professional or volunteer social service agency experience. Only applicants with a BSW can apply to the Advanced Standing MSW program.
Key Highlights For Salem State University MSW Students
• In 2018, Salem State University awarded 118 MSW degrees.
• Salem State University’s MSW program was the first public social work program in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• Salem State University’s School of Social Work offers a number of electives for students who want to specialize further within the Integrating Health and Behavioral Health Practice concentration, including Trauma Informed Practice; Substance Abuse; and Death, Dying Grief, and Bereavement Across the Life Span.
6) Springfield College - Springfield
MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Weekday MSW (On-Campus), Evening MSW (Hybrid), & Weekend MSW (On-Campus)) and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)
MSW Concentrations Offered: Advanced Generalist Practice
Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Advanced Generalist Practice
About Springfield College: Springfield College’s MSW in Massachusetts was designed with the working student in mind. In addition to a traditional MSW program, Springfield offers a full-time evening MSW program and a part-time weekend MSW program. If you earned an undergraduate BSW, you’ll qualify for the one-year Advanced Standing MSW. All four of these accredited MSW programs in Massachusetts are taught on the college’s campus in Springfield. Springfield offers an advanced practice concentration that prepares students to interact in interdisciplinary collaborative public and private partnerships.
Springfield College MSW Program Details: The traditional weekday MSW, the Evening MSW, and the Weekend MSW tracks all consist of 60 credits. Like many other best MSW programs in Massachusetts, these tracks include foundational MSW coursework during the first year and specialization-relevant coursework during the second year. Classes throughout the first and second years include “Human Behavior in the Social Environment 1, 2, & 3” and “Social Policy 1, 2, and 3.”
The Evening MSW track meets on campus weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:15 pm to 8:30 pm. The remainder of the coursework is delivered online. The traditional weekday MSW track meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am to 3:50 pm, and all coursework is taught in the classroom. The Weekend MSW track meets seven times on campus in the fall and spring and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 3:40 pm during the summer semesters.
You can complete the traditional weekday MSW and the Evening MSW tracks in two years and the Weekend MSW track in three years. All three MSW tracks require 1,050 hours of fieldwork.
The Advanced Standing MSW track is only open to students who’ve completed an undergraduate social work major. This MSW in Massachusetts can be pursued on campus either full-time for three semesters during weekdays or part-time for four semesters during weekends. The Advanced Standing MSW requires 600 hours of fieldwork.
Fieldwork placements include a variety of social work settings throughout central Massachusetts, New York State, and other parts of New England. You may be able to choose your own assignment, but your choice will have to be approved by Springfield College’s Director of Field Education.
Springfield College MSW Admission Requirements: The traditional MSW program is open to applicants who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a background in liberal arts and a minimum GPA of 3.0 throughout their last two undergraduate years. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must have an undergraduate degree in social work. You’ll need to submit a resume, a personal statement, and three professional references with your application.
Key Highlights For Springfield College MSW Students
• One hundred students graduated from Springfield College in 2021 with Master’s of Social Welfare degrees.
• Springfield College offers two dual degrees in conjunction with its MSW degree: an MSW/JD in partnership with Western New England University School of Law and an MSW/ Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in collaboration with the college’s own Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
• You may be able to do your fieldwork assignment at a social service agency where you’re currently employed so long as you’re engaged in duties other than your typical work responsibilities.
7) Bridgewater State University - Bridgewater
MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus), Full-Time MSW (On-Campus), 3 Years Part-Time MSW (On-Campus), and 4 Years Part-Time MSW (On-Campus)) and Saturday MSW (Hybrid)
About Bridgewater State University: Bridgewater State University’s Bachelor of Social Work program is the largest in the Bay State, and its Master’s of Social Work program is one of the most highly regarded accredited MSW programs in Massachusetts. Bridgewater offers four traditional Master’s of Social Work degree options and an Advanced Standing MSW track for students who already have a BSW degree. Bridgewater offers a generalist specialization, which trains students to work with individuals, organizations, and communities to pursue social and economic justice goals.
Bridgewater State University MSW Program Details: Bridgewater offers a two-year, full-time MSW option; a three-year, part-time MSW option; a four-year, part-time MSW option; and a three-year, part-time MSW option that meets on Saturdays. The full-time and part-time MSW tracks are campus-based, but the traditional Saturday MSW track uses a hybrid teaching format that combines online coursework with a limited number of face-to-face classes on Saturdays.
The traditional MSW track consists of 62 credits. Like other MSW programs in Massachusetts, Bridgewater’s Master’s of Social Work program is divided into core MSW coursework and specialist MSW coursework. Classes include “Dynamics of Diversity and Oppression,” “Human Behavior in the Social Environment,” and “Social Policy I, II, & III.” Students pursuing the traditional MSW track must complete 1,064 hours of fieldwork and spend approximately 16 hours a week at their fieldwork assignments.
The Advanced Standing MSW track consists of 35 credits and 600 fieldwork hours. Unlike most other master’s in social work programs in Massachusetts, Bridgewater’s Advanced Standing MSW is designed to be completed in two years.
Bridgewater University’s field education staff is responsible for making all fieldwork assignments. You are not allowed to solicit agencies that you think may be possible placement sites for you on your own. Bridgewater maintains relationships with potential partner agencies that specialize in child welfare, schools, health and mental health, aging, criminal justice, addiction, and related issues throughout Boston and other parts of southeastern Massachusetts.
Bridgewater State University MSW Admission Requirements: Applicants to the traditional MSW program must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must have a BSW. You’ll need to submit three professional references, a resume, and a personal statement with your application.
Key Highlights For Bridgewater State University MSW Students
• In 2021, Bridgewater State University awarded 70 MSW degrees.
• Bridgewater offers a dual MSW/JD degree in conjunction with the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
• Bridgewater State University takes pride in its MSW courses’ low student/teacher ratio.
8) Westfield State University - Westfield
MSW Programs Offered: Traditional MSW (Hybrid) and Advanced Standing MSW (Hybrid)
Traditional MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice (Child, Youth & Family, and Health Social Work)
Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice (Child, Youth & Family, and Health Social Work)
About Westfield State University: When Westfield State University was founded in 1839, it became the first public institution of higher learning in the United States to admit applicants regardless of race, gender, or economic class. Today, the university’s Social Work Department continues these traditions of inclusivity and social justice. Westfield offers a traditional MSW program and an Advanced Standing MSW program. Its Clinical Practice concentration has two subspecialties: Child, Youth & Family, and Health.
Westfield State University MSW Program Details: Both the 66-credit traditional MSW and the 37-credit Advanced Standing MSW are hybrid programs that combine classroom teaching with online coursework. Students attend classes at the university’s campus in Westfield on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5:15 pm to 9:00 pm. They access the remainder of their coursework online using asynchronous distance-learning technology.
Like other MSW programs in Massachusetts, Westfield divides its curriculum into foundational MSW coursework and coursework specific to its Clinical Practice concentration. Foundational classes include “Diversity and Social Justice,” “Social Welfare Policy Analysis,” and “Generalist Practice I & II.”
The Advanced Standing curriculum forgoes foundational coursework and, after a bridge class, launches right into specialization-related coursework. These MSW programs in Massachusetts have full-time and part-time completion options: If you pursue the traditional MSW full-time, you can graduate in two years; if you pursue the traditional MSW part-time, you can graduate in three years or four years. If you pursue the Advanced Standing MSW full-time, you can graduate in one year; if you pursue the Advanced Standing MSW part-time, you can graduate in two years.
The traditional MSW program requires 900 fieldwork hours, while the Advanced Standing MSW requires 400. The fieldwork assignments you’ll be required to complete will be scheduled within a 60-mile distance of Westfield or in Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, or New York within 50 miles of the Massachusetts border.
Westfield State University MSW Admission Requirements: For the traditional MSW program, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 2.8. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must have an undergraduate major in social work with a minimum GPA of 3.0. This is one of the social work master’s programs in Massachusetts that requires you to submit three professional references, a statement of purpose, and a resume with your application.
Key Highlights For Westfield State University MSW Students
• Eighty-two students earned MSW degrees from Westfield State University in 2021.
• Westfield University participates in the Integrative Behavioral Health Collaborative, which awards second-year MSW students a $10,000 training stipend to provide integrated behavioral health (services across medically underserved areas in western and central Massachusetts.
• Westfield University’s Department of Social Work offers a number of electives in educational social work, substance abuse and treatment, and gerontological issues that are designed to help students learn more about topics of specific interest.
9) Regis College - Weston
MSW Programs Offered: Traditional MSW (Online) and Advanced Standing MSW (Online)
Traditional MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work
Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Social Work
About Regis College: Regis College offers one of the only entirely online MSW programs in Massachusetts. Regis offers two Master’s of Social Work degrees—a traditional MSW and an Advanced Standing MSW—with a Clinical Social Work concentration.
Regis College MSW Program Details: Like other accredited MSW programs in Massachusetts, the 60-credit traditional MSW track comprises foundational and specialization social work classes that must be taken sequentially. Foundational courses include “Social Work Community Practice: Leading for Change,” “Human Behavior and Social Environment I & II,” and “Social Work Practice with Individuals.” Specialization courses include “Advanced Clinical Practice with Individuals,” “Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis,” and “Advanced Clinical Practice with Families.” The traditional MSW track is a two-year curriculum if you enroll full-time though a part-time completion option is also available.
Students who enroll in the Advanced Standing MSW track are only required to take the specialization coursework. The Advanced Standing MSW track is a one-year curriculum.
While you’ll be able to access most of your coursework using asynchronous distance-learning technology, field seminar courses include six synchronous sessions during which you’ll have to log on in real time. The traditional MSW course requires 1,080 hours of fieldwork, while the Advanced Standing MSW program requires 600 hours of coursework. You’ll be able to complete your fieldwork assignments in the community where you live.
Regis College MSW Admission Requirements: For admission into the traditional MSW program, you must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Candidates for the Advanced Standing MSW track will need a BSW. Accompanying your application, you must submit two professional references, a resume, and a statement of purpose.
Key Highlights For Regis College MSW Students
• Fifteen students earned MSW degrees from Regis College in 2021.
• While Regis College is a Catholic institution of higher learning, its MSW programs are open to students of all faiths and do not incorporate Catholic tenets.
• Regis College is one of the MSW schools in Massachusetts that allows you to complete your fieldwork assignments at the place where you’re employed so long as your fieldwork responsibilities are not identical to your employment responsibilities.
10) Anna Maria College - Paxton
MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Full time MSW (On-Campus), Part time MSW (On-Campus), & Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus))
MSW Concentrations Offered: Advanced Generalist Practice
About Anna Maria College: Anna Maria College’s MSW degree is a relatively new course initiated in response to the shortage of social workers in Paxton, Worcester, and other parts of central Massachusetts. This is another one of the campus-based MSW programs in Massachusetts. As an MSW student here, you’ll have the option of enrolling in a traditional MSW program or an Advanced Standing MSW program. MSW students at Anna Maria College pursue an Advanced Generalist Practice concentration.
Anna Maria College MSW Program Details: The 62-credit traditional MSW offers two completion options: The full-time track will take two years to complete, while the part-time track will take four years. The Advanced Standing MSW program has a full-time (one year) and a part-time (two years) option.
Like other social work master’s programs in Massachusetts, Anna Maria College’s curriculum is divided into MSW core coursework and specialization coursework. Traditional MSW students tackle foundational coursework their first year and specialization coursework their second year; Advanced Standing MSW students go straight into specialization coursework. Foundational classes include “Social Work and Practice Fields,” “Growth and Behavior in Social Environment,” and “Social Welfare Policy.” Specialization coursework includes “Evaluation and Assessment,” “Administration and Supervision,” and “Policy and Practice.”
Anna Maria College has a number of memorandums in place with human services agencies and organizations throughout the Greater Worcester Metropolitan Area and other parts of central Massachusetts that afford MSW students the opportunity to pursue their fieldwork placements. Students enrolled in the traditional MSW program must complete 1,070 hours of fieldwork; those enrolled in the Advanced Standing MSW program must complete 620 hours.
Anna Maria College MSW Admission Requirements: The traditional MSW program is only available to graduates with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a GPA of 2.7 or higher. Advanced Standing MSW program applicants must have an undergraduate social work degree. You’ll need to submit three references, two of which must be academic references. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must submit one reference from their program director, one from their field director, and one from their field supervisor. You’ll also need to submit a resume and a statement of purpose and sit for a personal interview with Anna Maria College’s MSW program director.
Key Highlights For Anna Maria College MSW Students
• In 2021, Anna Maria College awarded 13 MSW degrees.
• One of the reasons why Anna Maria College is one of the best MSW programs in Massachusetts is because it is the only college in central Massachusetts to have received a $1.92 million grant from the federal government’s Health Resources and Services Administration to support the training of future social workers.
• Anna Maria College is a Catholic institution of higher learning. While the college admits students of all religious denominations, its educational methods reflect a commitment to Catholic principles.
11) Lesley University – Cambridge
MSW Programs Offered: MSW (On-Campus)
About Lesley University: Lesley University’s Master’s of Social Work degree stands out among other MSW programs in Massachusetts for its unique focus: This program educates students to work with neurodiverse populations, including people with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, and other developmental disorders. Lesley University’s traditional MSW program is taught on campus. Lesley offers a single traditional MSW program, which is conducted on its campus in Cambridge.
Lesley University MSW Program Details: Like several other MSW programs in Massachusetts, Lesley University’s 60-credit Master’s of Social Work degree is divided into a first-year foundational curriculum and a second-year advanced generalist curriculum. If you enroll full-time, you should be able to complete the program in two and a half years; if you enroll part-time, you should be able to complete it in three and a half years.
Foundational coursework includes “Fundamentals of Social Work Practice,” “Social Work with Communities and Social Systems,” and “Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Practice.” Second-year coursework includes “Assessment and Evidence-Inform Intervention with Mental Health, Neurodiversity, and Substance Use,” “Social Work Practice with Individuals, Couples, and Families Across the Lifespan,” and “Standards and Ethics for Socially Just Practice.”
You’ll be required to complete 1,000 hours of fieldwork. Fieldwork assignments will be scheduled with human service organizations and agencies throughout Cambridge and other Greater Boston Metropolitan Area parts.
Lesley University MSW Admission Requirements: This program is only open to graduates of accredited baccalaureate programs. You’ll need to submit three professional or academic recommendations, a current resume, and a personal statement. If your undergraduate GPA is lower than 3.0, you may be required to interview with a graduate admissions counselor.
Key Highlights For Lesley University MSW Students
• MSW students will have the opportunity to work with Lesley University’s own Threshold Program, a non-degree postsecondary program for young adults with diverse learning, developmental, and intellectual disabilities.
• MSW students benefit from Lesley University’s low student/faculty ratio.
12) Merrimack College - North Andover
MSW Programs Offered: MSW (On-Campus) and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)
MSW Concentrations Offered: Advanced Generalist
Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Advanced Generalist
About Merrimack College: Merrimack College’s MSW program is affiliated with the college’s Winston School of Education and Social Policy. This MSW in Massachusetts program offers a traditional Master’s of Social Work degree and an Advanced Standing Master’s of Social Work degree with an Advanced Generalist concentration. Numerous electives give students opportunities for more in-depth specializations. Both MSW degree options are taught at Merrimack’s campus in North Andover. Merrimack College is a Catholic college, and while it welcomes students from diverse religious backgrounds, its teaching methods are grounded in Catholic traditions.
Merrimack College MSW Program Details: You should be able to complete Merrimack’s 56-credit traditional MSW in two years. Merrimack College also offers a 36-credit Advanced Standing MSW program that can be completed in a single year. Traditional MSW students are required to complete 900 hours of fieldwork.
Like other MSW programs in Massachusetts, Merrimack’s Master’s of Social Work degree is split into foundational coursework, concentration-related coursework, and electives. Foundation courses include “Introduction to Social Welfare Policy and the Profession of Social Work,” “Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice,” and “Introduction to Social Work Research and evidence-based Practice.” Concentration-related coursework includes “Evaluation of Social Work Practice” and “Advanced Generalist Micro and Mezzo Social Work Practice: Assessment and Intervention.” Advanced Standing MSW students skip the first year of foundational coursework.
MSW electives allow students to pursue specializations in school social work, criminology, substance use disorders, community engagement, and spirituality. Fieldwork assignments are made to schools, community agencies, nonprofits, health mental health centers, and other relevant social service organizations and institutions throughout northeastern Massachusetts.
Merrimack College MSW Admission Requirements: The traditional MSW program is open to all students with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Advanced Standing MSW students will need to have completed an undergraduate NSW. Preference is given to students who’ve maintained an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. You’ll need to submit a statement of purpose and two letters of recommendation with your application.
Key Highlights For Merrimack College MSW Students
• Graduates of Merrimack College’s MSW program are eligible to sit for the Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) examinations even though Merrimack College’s MSW program as of 2023 is in pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education.
• Shannon Mokoro, Merrimack College’s MSW degree program director, co-chairs the Council on Social Work Education.
• This MSW in Massachusetts offers a Spiritual Direction graduate certificate program in conjunction with the college’s Religious & Theological Studies department.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What Are The Total Number Of Accredited MSW Programs In Massachusetts?
As per the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), currently, there are 12 accredited Master Of Social Work programs in Massachusetts.
Total MSW Programs in Massachusetts |
| 12 |
How Much Does An MSW Graduate Make Per Hour In Massachusetts?
The average salary of an MSW graduate per hour in Massachusetts is $30.89.
How Much Does An MSW Graduate Make Per Year In Massachusetts?
The average salary of an MSW graduate per year in Massachusetts is $64,250.
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
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