Online Students

• Setting Up Your Account
• Upload Your Profile Picture
• RSVP for Summer Orientation
• Complete BUSSW Graduate Student Academic Integrity Module
• Order textbooks
• Review the following
  • BUSSW Policies and Procedures
  • Program Requirements
  • Getting Ready for Classes
  • Understanding Resources
  • Purdue OWL American Psychological Association Style Guide
• Complete Attestation

• Our community is looking forward to welcoming you to BUSSW!
• Click here for more detailed information about orientation for each campus.

• Online Campus
• Current MSW Student Resources
• Summer 2026 Academic Calendar
• Important Dates
• Request for Transfer Credit Form
• Incoming Student Guide
• Incoming Student Checklist
• Disability and Access Services
• Conduct & Netiquette for Learning at BUSSW
• Registration Guide

Entering Summer 2026 Program Plans:

Find program plans for each entering cohort here.

Forms

Forms are available on the Registrar page.

* Please note: students need to meet with the appropriate program administrator before a leave of absence or withdrawal can be processed. 

For questions, reach out to the Online Program Dept. at sswolp@bu.edu

• Advanced Standing students in the Online Program complete the program over six consecutive semesters.
• Students enroll in courses in the first two semesters of the program and then begin their practicum placement in their third semester of the program.

Practicum Education and the Placement Process

• Online Program Advanced Standing students begin their practicum placement in the third semester of the program. 
• You’ll begin working with a practicum coordinator as you near the start of your practicum placement (often during the first or early in the second semester). 
• All students work with a student services administrator, practicum coordinator and practicum liaison who collaborate as a team to monitor your success in the program.

Additional information regarding practicum education can be found here.

Curriculum and Program Plans

Please be sure to follow your specific program plan to ensure that you meet the requirements for graduation: Program Plan by Cohort

Our Online Program offers student services support and advising including the following:

• Group and Individual Advising
• Academic Support and Program Planning
• The Professional Development Seminar

Group and Individual Advising 

• The Student Services team provides academic support and program planning to students beginning at Orientation and continuing throughout the student’s enrollment in the program.  Students can explore their academic interests and personalize their educational program plan to meet their goals.  The Student Services Team can also help identify resources for assistance with academic, personal, financial aid, and career planning needs. Students who have questions or are contemplating a change in their program plan should begin the process by submitting a request online using the  Revised Program Plan Request form.

The Student Services Administrator

• You’ll be assigned a student services administrator (SSA) when you enter the program. SSA’s are members of the BUSSW Online Program team and will meet with you through monthly, small group seminars and individually, as needed. This group advising process offers you the opportunity for socialization with student colleagues while managing your transition to graduate social work education and learning about the social work profession.  SSA’s will be your contact for all academic questions (i.e. revised program plans, program resources, leave of absence etc.).

The Professional Development Seminar

The Professional Development Seminar is comprised of three parts, each part focusing on the students’ developmental phase while enrolled in the MSW program.

The seminar covers:

• an overview of the social work profession including its values and ethics
• an orientation to, and integration of curriculum and practicum education
• career preparation and an overview of social work professional licensing

The Seminar consists of a self-paced component combined with group advising session held virtually. Students access the seminar through the Online Campus portal at onlinecampus.bu.edu.

You will need to register for IS600 Professional Development Seminar every semester to access the seminar online content.  While not credit based, the Seminar is a required component of the program.  Participation, attendance, and completion of the Seminar tasks are required in order to receive a passing grade.

Additionally, we offer a number of First Thursday Virtual Events throughout the year.

Practicum Education

• Practicum Education is a dynamic and integral part of the curriculum at BUSSW.
• It provides you with opportunities to apply what you learn in the classroom to actual practice in social work and other human service settings.

• Our Online Program students may be eligible for funding in the form of a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Direct Loan, private credit-based loans, tuition reimbursement through employers as well as veterans benefits.

BUSSW scholarship funding is not available to online students.

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan 2025-2026 Fact Sheet
• 2025-2026 Federal Graduate PLUS Loan Information    

Tuition Payment Plan

• Students and their families may choose to budget all or part of their academic charges in monthly installments with the Tuition Payment Plan.

Veterans & Military Services 

• Please click here for information on veterans services.

Loan Forgiveness

• The Association of American Medical Colleges provides information on loan forgiveness programs in most states. For example, in some places it may be possible for social workers working full time in an underserved area at a community health center to be eligible for a repayment per year of service.
• Information about loan forgiveness programs not specific to social workers, but still possibly applicable, are available online. These programs include Americorps, Peace Corps, and National Health Service Corps, as well as other paths to forgiveness.
  • Mass. Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals
  • Federally Designated Underserved Areas
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness       

• April 30, 2026
  • Deadline for University-issued official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) institutions. Please mail it to the Admissions and Financial Aid Office or send it electronically to busswad@bu.edu.
  • Deadline for sending an official copy of your transcript indicating that you received a bachelor’s degree, if you are currently completing the final semester of undergraduate study. Please mail it to the Admissions and Financial Aid Office.
  • Deadline for advanced standing students to send a copy of your final practicum evaluation to the Admissions and Financial Aid Office.

Our mailing address is:

Boston University School of Social Work Admissions and Financial Aid Office
264 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215

For detailed information about the Research Waiver Exam, including important deadlines and contact information, go to the Social Work Research Waiver Exam webpage.

Social work licensing requirements vary from state to state. Please be sure to check specific regulations for your state of residence available through the following resources:

• Master of Social Work Licensing Disclosure
• BUSSW Career Guide
• Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
• Social Work Licensing Regulations
• Compare Licensing Requirements
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

Career Services & Professional Development

Explore the many ways our Career Services office and BU support you in your professional development.

Boston University State Authorization and Distance Education Disclosures site provides a variety of information regarding distance education programs, including:

• SARA and Boston University Approval
• Complaint Resolution process
• The University’s Refund Policy
• Information about distance education programs that lead to professional licensure and certification
• Information about International Distance Education