Off-Campus Cohorts: An Essential Piece of Your MSW Journey
By Diego A. (MSW’23, Fall River Campus)
There is no need to consider it a cliché — in BUSSW’s Off-Campus Program, I guarantee you’ll make a close personal connection with at least one other member of your cohort. The cohort model is an indispensable part of the BUSSW off-campus experience. Without them, completing the three years of classes and internships (while also balancing paid work and private life) would be theoretically possible, but not nearly so profoundly satisfying.
Why are cohorts satisfying?
Because completing classes with the same peers (throughout, say, a global pandemic or war) manifests itself in many ways, such as impromptu social gatherings, car-pools, study sessions, and many other community-building activities. These relationships will make a world of difference in the quality of your practice once you graduate.
A cohort community develops organically.
Given that a great deal of class time takes the form of Socratic discussion, you will naturally begin to develop warm connections to the group. In addition, a significant amount of 2nd and 3rd-year student field placements are generated through student connections. These relationships can then lead to more connections with a variety of agencies and resources across southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Cohorts lead to a better MSW education.
Finally, but most importantly, the cohort widens and deepens our academic study as future social workers. Being a part of a cohort means being a part of your peers’ lived experience: including school teachers, veterans, case managers, yoga teachers, recovery coaches, artists, community organizers, and much more. The cohort model will show you eclectic and flexible models of social work practice that the BUSSW program presents to students. I cannot imagine doing my MSW any other way.
If you have any questions about BU School of Social Work’s MSW or the field in general, feel free to email me anytime at dtam@bu.edu.
Learn More About Off-Campus Programs at BUSSW
Diego A. (MSW’23) is a recent graduate of the BU School of Social Work’s Fall River Program. In his free time, he reads poetry, plays soccer, and discusses TV shows with his wife and stepson.