Springfield College School of Social Work to Host Open House
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield College School of Social Work (SSW) will hold an open house for prospective students on Thursday, March 14, 2013 from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Brennan Center, 45 Island Pond Road, Springfield.
The SSW offers multiple programs for students including a full-time, two-year, weekday master of social work program in Springfield; a part-time, three-year, weekend master of social work program in Springfield and Worcester; and a concentration in advanced generalist practice. There are also options for graduates of Council on Social Work Education-accredited bachelor of social work programs to choose either a four-semester weekend or three-semester weekday advanced standing program. Students can work toward a post-master’s certificate in advanced practice with children and adolescents.
The combined master of social work/juris doctorate is a four-year program in conjunction with Western New England University School of Law.
Since September 2011, the SSW has also offered courses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Mass., on weekends, for the convenience of students from central Massachusetts. The school has an increasing number of applicants from the greater Worcester area, where the demand for certified social workers has continuously risen.
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reports that employment of social workers is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016,” said Springfield College SSW Dean Francine J. Vecchiolla. “Our master of social work program offers a single concentration in advanced generalist practice, which is ideal preparation for direct practice, group work, community development and organization, and administration in a wide variety of settings including adoption agencies, schools, hospitals, veterans’ services, senior centers, prisons, mental health clinics, military support programs, public social agencies, hospice care and corporations. The school is student centered, community focused, and committed to diversity and cultural competence and to promoting continuous learning.”
At the informal information session, prospective graduate students may meet faculty members and current students, learn about admissions and financial aid, and tour the school’s facilities. Refreshments will be served. Advance registration for the open house is available by calling the admissions coordinator at (413) 748-3060 or prospective students may RSVP online at springfieldcollege.edu/ssw.
Since 1989, the Springfield College SSW has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the official accrediting body for social work programs in the United States. Graduates are eligible for professional social work licensure in all 50 states. The M.S.W./J.D. program is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Graduates are eligible for professional social work licensure and bar examination.
The home of the SSW, the Brennan Center, is a state-of-the-art teaching and conference facility that underwent a $2.2 million renovation in 2002. The facility was again renovated in 2012 to include more classroom and office space. It includes technologically enhanced classrooms, a computer lab, a tiered auditorium, faculty offices, and a large, light filled atrium, which is the site of school events and also serves as a student lounge. Easily accessible, it is located 1.45 miles from the main campus, and has on-site parking.
