Who Are We?
The Master of Social Service (M.S.S.) program at Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research (GSSWSR) prepares students to become effective social work practitioners, advocates for social and economic justice, and leaders in the social work profession. Students learn about work with individuals, families and groups, as well as social work with organizations and communities. Our students learn a holistic approach to social work practice with an emphasis on the importance of diversity and inclusion.
What Do We Offer?
GSSWSR awards a Master of Social Service (M.S.S.) degree, which is equivalent to an M.S.W. We offer a full-time program and a new part-time program that can be completed with a combination of evening, weekend, and hybrid courses to meet the varying needs of our diverse student body. Students graduate from the GSSWSR with either a Clinical Social Work Practice concentration, or a Community Practice, Policy, and Advocacy concentration. Additionally, the School provides professional development opportunities for students, and a number of certificate programs.
The Field Education Office at the GSSWSR utilizes an individualized approach in assigning field placements, using GSSWSR’s knowledge of agency resources along with consideration of students’ previous experiences, interests, and academic and professional goals to identify appropriate field learning opportunities for students. GSSWSR's Field Education Office currently partners with more than 300 agencies in greater Philadelphia, surrounding counties, and other parts of the state, as well as in the neighboring states of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland/Washington, DC.
What Makes Us Unique?
The faculty of the GSSWSR has practice and research expertise in a broad range of areas relevant to social work. Together the faculty emphasize two broad areas of research and practice that are relevant to building knowledge and skills. These are: “Health and Mental Health Across the Lifespan,” and “Children, Families and Society.”
The learning community of the M.S.S. program is both challenging and supportive. Our students benefit from a low student to faculty ratio, access to a vibrant alumni network, a number of certificate programs (including a Home and School Visitor program), on-site opportunities for professional development, and access to more than 300 field placement opportunities representing a wide array of agencies and community organizations. We are also able to offer three new courses to our students beginning in the 2017-2018 Academic Year:
- Caring for an Aging America: An Integrated Care Approach
- Integrated Health Care and Social Work Practice
- Health and Mental Health of Immigrant and Refugee Families
Facts and Figures
- The GSSWSR has been a premier school of social work in the United States since its inception more than 100 years ago
- Current Alumni support network: 4,000+ members
- % of students employed 3-6 months after graduation: 86%
- Licensing Exam pass rate: 94% (75% of graduates took the exam)
- Student to Faculty ratio: 13:1
- Average discount rate: 45% of the tuition or approximately $35,000 toward the total program cost
For information about admission to the GSSWSR or to schedule a visit to campus, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@brynmawr.edu or visit the GSSWSR Admissions website.