Join the Lesley Community
Submit your undergraduate deposit by June 1 to secure your spot in our upcoming class!
Social Sciences

Social Work

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Advance your career and the lives of those you serve.

Building on our Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program, as well as decades of leading in the expressive therapies, counseling, and other helping professions, Lesley’s Master of Social Work (MSW) is a distinctive program with a mission of emphasizing social justice, promoting client well-being, and serving and supporting a diverse range of vulnerable individuals, families, and communities. 

Taught by faculty who are practicing in the field and engaged in ongoing research, you’ll learn state-of-the-art generalist social work practice, as well as specialized training with a variety of individuals ranging from trauma survivors and incarcerated youth, to people living with developmental disorders. In fact, Lesley MSW students have a specific and unique opportunity of experiencing what it’s like to work with a neurodiverse population, including people with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, and other developmental disorders.

REGISTER: Master of Social Work Virtual Information Session

In this 60-credit program, available part-time or full-time, you’ll benefit from intimate class sizes and a minimum of 900 hours of supervised field experiences by licensed social work practitioners. This training will provide you with exposure to a variety of roles and settings, including schools, hospitals, prisons, government agencies, and more.

Another advantage of Lesley’s MSW is our Cambridge location. Our diverse community provides the opportunity to work with clients of different races, ethnicities, gender identities, and many other underserved groups. The Cambridge/Boston area is also one of the best places in the country for internships, with world-renowned facilities like Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital just over the river. Plus, our own Threshold Program gives you the chance to work with many neurodiverse students right here on campus.

Whether you’ve earned your Bachelor of Social Work and want to advance your career, or you’re looking for a new career where you can effect change and help others, Lesley's MSW program might be the perfect fit for you.

Accreditation

Our Master of Social Work (MSW) program is in Candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation.

View the MSW assessment measures.

Graduate Program Inquiry Form

Program Structure

Full- or part-time on-campus program

60 Credits

How Social Workers Are Responding to the Pandemic

In this video, our MSW program director April Berry-Fletcher talks about the field of social work, how social workers are advocating for people during a global pandemic, and Lesley's new Master of Social Work program.

Colleen Shannon stands in a room at the Children's Place.

A Light in the Dark

Social worker Colleen Shannon '04, recipient of the Emerging Leadership Award from the National Association of Social Workers, gives grieving children a healthy way to heal.

Careers
Fields of Practice
There's a wide variety of industries and organizations that have real (and growing) needs for social workers.
Careers
Where You Could Work
The Boston/Cambridge area may be the best in the country for social work opportunities, in terms of both internships and jobs. Here are some of the organizations in the area that currently employ MSW-level social workers.

Faculty

Total approximate cost for this master's degree program.
Social Work
  • Tuition
    $1,150/credit x 60
    $69,000
  • Fees
    Field Experience Fee
    $3,400
    MAP Tevera Fee
    $200
    Comprehensive Fee
    $1,500
  • Total
Estimated Cost

All graduate students are reviewed for merit scholarships through the admissions process and are awarded at the time of acceptance. Other forms of financial aid are also available. Review all graduate tuition and fees, and what they cover. Tuition and fees are subject to change each year, effective in the Summer term.

Apply Now

Ready to get started? We're here to make the application process as smooth as possible. Just answer one quick question to get your customized application requirements.

Total approximate cost for this master's degree program. Tuition and fees are for the 2023–2024 academic year.
Use our step-by-step guide to apply for federal and university funding. Scholarships, grants, Work-Study, and loans. It’s all right here.

Next steps to apply

Ready to get started? Get your customized application requirements right here.