Springfield College School of Social Work Hosts Open House in Springfield and Worcester | Springfield College

Springfield College School of Social Work Hosts Open House in Springfield and Worcester

The Springfield College School of Social Work (SSW) will be holding an open house for prospective students from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Brennan Center, 45 Island Pond Road, Springfield, Mass., and at Saint Vincent Hospital, 123 Summer Street, Worcester, Mass., on Thursday, December 6, 2018.
 

The Springfield College School of Social Work (SSW) hosted an open house for prospective students at the Brennan Center, 45 Island Pond Road, Springfield, Mass., and at Saint Vincent Hospital, 123 Summer Street, Worcester, Mass., on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

The SSW offers multiple programs for students including a full-time, two-year, weekday Master of Social Work program in Springfield, and a part-time, three-year, weekend Master of Social Work program in Springfield and Worcester.  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. The combined Master of Social Work/Juris Doctorate is a four-year, full-time program in conjunction with Western New England University School of Law. Students also can work toward a Post-Master’s Certificate in Trauma Informed Practice with Children and Adolescents.

“The number of active social workers has been growing steadily. Between 2004/05 and 2014/15 the number of practicing social workers grew by 15.5% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that social work jobs will grow by 11.5% between 2014 and 2024,” said Springfield College SSW Dean Francine J. Vecchiolla.  “Our Master of Social Work program offers a single advanced generalist concentration, which is ideal preparation for direct practice, group work, community development and organization, and administration in a wide variety of settings including child and family 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 open house, prospective graduate students will hear from a panel of faculty members, current students, field education faculty, and admissions staff.

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 MSW/JD 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. The weekend program in Worcester is located at Saint Vincent Hospital.