Online MSW Programs in Massachusetts (MA)

There are two universities with campuses in Massachusetts that offer online Master of Social Work (MSW) programs: Boston University and Simmons University. Both graduate programs offer online MSW programs with Clinical Social Work Practice concentrations. In addition, Simmons University offers several specializations that include Child and Family, Trauma and Interpersonal Violence, Mental Health and Addictions, and Health and Aging. Both programs are 100% online in that they do not require students to visit the campus during the program.

Please note: All online MSW programs require students to complete field education at a local health services agency.

The Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) offers an online MSW program with three tracks, two designed for traditional standing students (those who have not earned a Bachelor of Social Work) and one for advanced standing students (students who have earned a BSW from a CSWE accredited institution). BUSSW’s traditional standing program is unique in that it offers a Human Experience Track designed for students who have at least two years of experience in the social services. Students in this track are required to complete fewer field education hours compared to the traditional program at BUSSW (1,000 versus 1,200 hours). All three tracks are offered in a part-time format. At this time, students who live within the Massachusetts route 128 corridor are not eligible for the online MSW program.

The Simmons University School of Social Work currently offers a traditional standing online MSW program that can be completed either in a full-time or part-time format and an advanced standing track that can be completed full-time. The School of Social Work at Simmons University is the oldest school of social work in the United States and while the undergraduate programs at Simmons University are exclusive to women, the graduate programs are coed. Simmons University has small class sizes with no more than 15 students, and uses a combination of synchronous live instruction and dynamic self-paced content. The online MSW program at Simmons University is open to all students who live in Massachusetts.

In addition to schools with a physical campus in Massachusetts, there are 21 graduate schools that offer online MSW programs that accept students from Massachusetts. 16 of the 21 programs are offered fully online and do not require students to visit the campus during the program. The other 5 schools do require a limited number of campus visits per year. These 5 schools are California State University, San Bernardino (3 visits total), Humboldt State University (1-2 visits per year), Indiana University (1 visit), Portland State University (3 visits total) and the University of North Dakota (1 -2 visits total).

For students who are interested in out-of-state programs, some schools offer the same tuition for in-state and out-of-state students, while others do not. Check with the school for more information on tuition costs.

In the tables below, click on the school name to learn more about the programs offered by that school.