Master of Social Work
Simmons's nationally regarded Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) Program provides a rigorous clinical social work education for women and men. The Program is highly respected for its fieldwork component, with internships three days per week in both years of the Program. We offer a progressive, hands-on curriculum that infuses education and practice with social justice values and multicultural perspectives.
Options for Completing the M.S.W.
The Full-Time Program
Students in the full-time M.S.W. Program typically require two years to complete their degree. They are assigned a field placement for three days a week for both years of the Program and take classes two days per week.
The Extended-Study Program
The Extended-Study Program offers students the option to expand a two-year program into two-and-a-half, three or four years. The first year of the Program could be called part-time, as students devote two days a week to classes and study. Simmons offers flexible evening and Saturday scheduling to accommodate working professionals; however, not all Program requirements can be met in the evening or on Saturdays. In the subsequent years, students must plan four or five days per week for classes and field placements. Most students complete the Program in three years. Note: A limited number of 16 hour per week/11 month placements are available to students in the Full-Time and Extended Programs.
The Advanced-Standing Program
The Simmons School of Social Work offers a 12-month Advanced-Standing Program to qualified applicants with a bachelor's degree in Social Work (B.S.W.) who have graduated within the last five years from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The Program includes one three-days-per-week (24-hour) field placement from September to August, concurrent with a total of eight advanced-level courses.
Certificate Option
M.S.W./Urban Leadership Certificate Program
Clinical social workers recognize that the problems an individual suffers frequently reflect larger issues in his or her community. In order to help the individual, it may be necessary to effect change at a societal level. With this focus, students in our Urban Leadership Certificate Program (ULP) develop the skills and confidence to work as leaders, advocates, and activists in the communities they serve.
ULP students earn a master's degree in social work, plus a certificate in urban leadership in clinical social work. Several components distinguish the ULP from the regular M.S.W. Program. ULP students take Leadership in Action for Social Work Practice and Leadership Skills for Social Work concurrently with their field internships, allowing them to connect leadership theory with practice — to identify, implement, and practice leadership skills. They also complete a yearlong agency-based project that examines a barrier to service. Students have the opportunity to analyze the root causes of the problem, examine the personal, cultural, and institutional factors that contribute to the problem, and develop an action plan that identifies both short- and long-term interventions. Finally, ULP students take four "mini" courses: oral presentation skills for social workers, grant writing, community politics, and one elective. Full-time students can complete the Program in two academic years. The M.S.W./Urban Leadership Certificate Program also can be completed in three years.
Urban Leadership Program 2012-13 Student Projects
Spring 2013 Urban Leadership Newsletter
Interdisciplinary and Dual-Degree Options
Interdisciplinary Social Work/Public Health Training Opportunity with the Harvard School of Public Health and the Simmons School of Social Work
There is substantial interest in combining education in social work with education in public health. Faculty and staff at the Simmons School of Social Work (SSW) and faculty at Harvard School of Public Health will collaborate with interested students to facilitate such an opportunity.
Interdisciplinary Social Work/Public Health Training Opportunity with the Harvard School of Public Health and the Simmons College School of Social Work provides highly qualified M.S.W. and Ph.D. students with the opportunity to combine the applied clinical expertise of a social work degree with comprehensive scientific public health training. Graduates of each of these degree programs enter the workforce with advanced skills to address health and mental health needs of diverse populations. Career paths include program and policy development, administration, and evaluation in international and domestic organizations. Potential employers include NGOs, departments of health, humanitarian agencies, advocacy coalitions, hospitals, and health-care organizations.
For additional information on this program please contact:
Peter Maramaldi, M.S.S.W., M.P.H., Ph.D., L.C.S.W.
Simmons School of Social Work
peter.maramaldi@simmons.edu
or
Ms. Trish Lavoie, Senior Coordinator,
Maternal and Child Health/Children Youth and Families,
Harvard School of Public Health
tlavoie@hsph.harvard.edu
M.S.W./MBA
The M.S.W./MBA is an option available to applicants who are interested in the exciting opportunity to earn both an M.S.W. from the Simmons School of Social Work and MBA from the Simmons School of Management for clinical practice, leadership, and administration in nonprofit organizations. With both Simmons degrees, graduates will be prepared for careers that draw upon their unique skill sets: management, clinical practice, or a combination of roles further enhanced by the learning in each program.
Currently, after admission to both programs, schedules are developed based on individual student needs. Usually, the student enters the one-year MBA program first, with the M.S.W. program following, making this a full-time, three-year program.
