Boston University Reviews of Master's in Social Work

"While there are good things about this program, I am overall disappointed in the quality of the live classroom component, which is the reason I chose this program over an asynchronous program. Facilitators that run the classes feel much more like TAs than professors for the majority of courses. The part of the program that is currently working are the asynchronous lectures and reading materials. The program uses a combination of both to educate its students. If structured, face-to-face learning (virtual or in person) is important to you, this is not a program I’d recommend."

"It was a wonderful university in the heart of a big city"

"Excellent School of Social Work with many flexible schedule options, knowledgeable staff, and in a beautiful city."

"important to go on for higher education in this field. Obtaining an MSW opened many job doors to me. I would recommend."

"Boston University houses a wide variety of tremendous instructors with years of expertise who are open and willing to engage students. Some professors are working practitioners who bring their current cases to class to apply concepts to real life examples. The work you engage in class will directly apply to field practice in the same week, allowing students to make connections from theory to real life models.Many of the professors I've worked under have been very intentional about meeting student's needs and incorporating themes of diversity and meeting cultural competence. I feel very prepared to graduate and enter into the field with the knowledge I've gained from BU."

"Boston University is a great school and the Masters of Social Work program is ranked one of the best in the country for a reason. The program is very rigorous, but it is worth it for the amount of clinical material/ experience you will receive throughout your education. The field department is also very helpful in getting you clinical field education that fits your goals for your future career. Highly recommend"

"Pros: academically challenging, invested and supportive faculty, vast network in the Boston area for after graduation and there is a lot of emphasis put on socializing within the program. Cons: very large workload, student body mostly white, cost of living in the area is extremely unaffordable for a graduate student."

"It is very hands on and you learn a lot but it is expensive and overwhelming at times."

"The School of Social Work at Boston University is rigorous and diverse. However, the city of Boston is too expensive as rent is one of the highest in the country."

"The program lives up to its name in that the faculty is well-informed and invested in student success and the curriculum prepares you for future practice. Due to both the location and involvement of coordinators, internships are exceedingly valuable and generally at well-respected institutions. Cons are that living in Boston is very expensive, and that many students have found it difficult to balance school, work, and a social life."

"It is very expensive to live in Boston. This graduate program is very time-consuming leaving little to no time to maintain a job, so it is necessary to rely on loans. Unfortunately, the profession of social work is not well-paid, so paying off student debt will be challenging. However, my personal experience in this program, with the professors, other students, and field work has surpassed any of my expectations in the greatest way possible. I feel that after I complete the program, I will, indeed, be well-prepared to be a licensed social worker. The main issue that has presented itself to both myself and my peers has been the lack of diversity amongst the students. As well, there were not nearly enough discussions regarding diversity/race/etc. at the beginning of the program; these conversations have not yet occurred until the second semester at the urging of the students. Overall, there are certainly areas needing improvement with my program, but I am very happy and grateful to be in it."

"Pros of my graduate program include its push for academic success. Although the program is challenging, it encourages me to work hard and challenge myself so that I understand the material and am truly learning all there is about the field of Social Work. The cons of my program are its availability of courses that meet the interests of all students and their desires. In addition, the support services and opportunities created by the school itself are limited and rely on the involvement of the students. It would be wonderful to see more staff and faculty involvement in student life."

"I love that the School of Social Work offers an off-campus weekend program, designed for students who are employed full time. The classes are intense and fast paced but not too difficult. The cohort model provides support for fitting school into an already busy schedule."

"The Social Work program at BU is, overall, great. The professors are all wonderful and helpful. The students that are chosen for the program are like-minded but also diverse. The only downfall about this program is the location - Boston - which is extremely expensive."

"Boston University School of Social Work offers a number of graduate programs - on-campus, off-campus, and online. This allows non-traditional learners to get involved. The con of the program is that it is quite expensive."