The Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) is one of the professional schools of Boston College

Boston College

Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...

, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. GSSW is central to Boston College's mission of social justice. Its major goal is to assist and empower the disadvantaged members of society. It benefits from Boston College's Jesuit foundation that encourages the combination of rational thought with faith and logical inquiry with belief.

The GSSW attempts to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Opportunities for continued learning are provided for alumni. Several departments make connections in the community. It also seeks to contribute to positive social changes through outreach services and scholarly activities within the social work profession. A recent example of outreach service was an Afternoon of Service in which about 70 new students, along with 16 faculty, administrators and staff, volunteered around Boston to help after school programs, visit the elderly, organize play activities for children, and paint and landscape public spaces and residences for homeless families.

International Social Work Programs

• University Exchanges with Universidad Alberto Hurtado (UAH), Santiago, Chile, and Goteborg University (GU), Goteborg, Sweden
• Academic courses with international field visits that have included student visits to Cuba, Greece, and China.
• GSSW in Africa: Tanzania. Students spend three weeks working with the International Rescue Committee exploring issues affecting refugees from the Great Lakes region, East Africa. Students learn about child protection, repatriation, and child/maternal health clinics.
• GSSW in Asia: India, Thailand, and Nepal. Three-week experiences include study and community service. Students examine social problems and the cultural context of social work practice in developing countries.
• GSSW in Europe: Northern Ireland. Students spend two weeks of coursework and agency visits in Belfast at Queens University studying the extensive human care system and its response to the social problems in the region.
• GSSW in Europe: Romania. This three-week field experience combines community service with Habitat for Humanity and Fundatia Inocenti, a Romanian child welfare agency, with the study of social, political, and economic issues in a transitioning country.
• International Concentration: Global Practice. GSSW students entering their final full-time year will choose a concentration that combines field work, advanced policy, and advanced practice courses.

Masters of Social Work

• Class study and field education with practice concentrations in
  • Children, Youth & Families
  • Global Practice
  • Health & Mental Health
  • Older Adults & Families.
• Dual Degree Programs are also available as options:
  • Three-year MSW/MBA program with the Graduate School of Management
  • Four-year MSW/JD program with the Law School
  • Three-year MSW/MA with the Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry in the areas of Pastoral Counseling and Social Ministry

PhD Program

The Doctoral Program is designed to prepare students to excel as researchers and teachers in leading academic and social welfare institutions worldwide. Doctoral students in social work are encouraged to consider a semester abroad or similar arrangement with universities in other parts of the globe if such opportunities would enhance the student's scholarly development.