Simmons University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program offers exceptional preparation in clinical social work, scholarship, and social action.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of social workers is projected to grow 13 percent from 2019 to 2029. Job prospects are very good, particularly for clinical social workers.
When it comes to choosing an MSW degree program, what sets Simmons apart? We are committed to providing a personalized, coordinated, and integrated learning experience. Faculty and advisors supervise each MSW student's course load and work with students to help them select practicum education placements that meet their goals. The MSW program holds true to the Simmons mission: to provide transformative learning that links passion with lifelong purpose.
The Simmons MSW offers flexibility: MSW students at Simmons can choose between traditional on-campus courses or online courses and can even dictate their pace of study.
Our innovative, hands-on MSW curriculum integrates education and practice with social justice values and multicultural perspectives, with a strong emphasis on practicum education. As clinician activists, our MSW degree students, faculty, and alumnae/i all work to develop solutions to social and racial injustice through their teaching, research, clinical practice, and community engagement.
There is also an Advanced Standing MSW program for qualified applicants with a bachelor's degree in Social Work (BSW). For undergraduate students seeking a social work degree, view our Social Work (BSW) program or our accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Social Work (BSW)/Social Work (MSW) 3+1 program.
To apply to our MSW degree program, you must submit the following:
Learn more about admission requirements for our MSW degree.
Simmons' School of Social Work is the only Social Work School in Massachusetts that uses Social Work Simulation Education, a current best practice in the field, to facilitate MSW students’ higher level learning.
Simmons Social Work Clinical Simulation enables students to learn how to integrate social work theory, knowledge, skills and values into practice. Standardized patients who are trained actors and case studies are used to produce simulated clinical situations, allowing Simmons MSW students to practice treatments. With the use of simulation, Simmons MSW students engage in real-life clinical situations, preparing them for circumstances that arise in their field placements and for jobs as clinical social workers after they graduate.
Hear more from the Simmons MSW community about how simulation prepares students for real world practice.
Graduates of our MSW program have established themselves as strong agents of change. They are grounded in direct clinical practice and committed to working with underserved populations.
Areas in which MSW graduates are currently working include child welfare, community mental health, corrections, disaster response, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, housing, juvenile justice, medicine, public health, public policy, and school social work. MSWs in the state of Massachusetts are also eligible to become LCSWs and LICSWs.
Simmons also offers an on-campus PhD in Social Work and an online Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) designed for advanced clinical scholars.
Are you ready to find out more about earning your MSW at Simmons? Request more information about the Boston Campus MSW program, visit our campus (visit a class, talk to current MSW students, schedule an informational meeting and a campus tour), register for an MSW information session, or apply to our MSW today! You can also read more information about our fully online MSW degree option SocialWork@Simmons.
Students in the full-time MSW 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.
See the full program plan.
This program plan is only for students who start Fall 2019 and after.
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 scheduling to accommodate working professionals; however, not all program requirements can be met in the evening. 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.
See the full program plan
Our students apply their academic knowledge through direct-practice internships with individuals, groups, agencies, and larger systems. Prior to entering the MSW Program, students meet with our practicum education faculty to assess interests, discuss learning goals, and arrange an internship plan. First-year internships provide a strong foundation of social work practice skills. Mid-way through their first placement, students meet with an adviser to plan for the advanced second-year placement. Second-year internships focus on advanced clinical skills and specialized areas.
Internships are three days (24 hours) per week from September to May for both years of the MSW Program. Students take a total of four courses concurrently the other two days. Summer class options and evening classes allow some flexibility.
Internships, taken during the second and third years of the program, are three days (24 hours) per week from September to May. Students can choose to do placements 16 hours per week for 11 months.
On occasion, students who are currently employed by a human service agency may be permitted to do their internship as a supervised "job placement" at their current agency. Students interested in this option must apply to the field department. Only placements that meet the strict criteria — including the provision of a new LICSW supervisor and a new work assignment — are approved. Only one placement can be a job placement.
Learn more about Practicum Education.
Ready to take the next step? We'll guide you through the requirements and deadlines — and get you started on your way.
Hear more from the Simmons Master of Social Work community about how simulation prepares students for real world practice.
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