The Fenway Social Work Collaborative

An Expedited Path to a Masters in Social Work (MSW)

The Fenway Social Work Collaborative is a partnership between Emmanuel College and Simmons University, creating a streamlined path for Emmanuel graduates to earn their MSW at Simmons, the nation's oldest clinical social work program.

Through the Fenway Social Work Collaborative, Emmanuel students gain three key benefits:

  • Guaranteed admission to the Simmons MSW program for qualified students and a streamlined application process (no fee, personal statement, or letters of recommendation required)
  • Guaranteed $12,000 in graduate tuition
  • A path to waive up to four MSW courses

Students can use the Collaborative to attend Simmons University in both campus-based and hybrid formats, including full-time, part time and accelerated options. 

Selected students will receive $12,000 in guaranteed scholarship aid distributed over 4 terms of full-time study or 6 terms of part-time study.

With a fast-tracked pathway to an MSW, Emmanuel graduates with a calling for social work can jumpstart their career and use it to positively impact peoples' lives and make the world a better place.

How do I apply?

Fill out the Fenway Social Work Collaborative application survey here.

Once you are notified that you have been accepted, follow the steps below to complete your application:

  • On the Simmons MSW application, enter your personal information, address, academic history, and other details.
  • Upload your resume.
  • List Dr. Ivy Krull or Dr. Linda Lin as your recommender (whoever emailed you to inform you of your acceptance).
  • Email your unofficial transcripts to ssw [at] simmons.edu (ssw[at]simmons[dot]edu). After graduation, or if you have graduated already, send your official transcripts to the same address.
  • Use the code SSWGEN when you submit your application. This will waive the application fee.
  • Remember: no other application materials are required under the Fenway Social Work Collaborative.

Optimizing the Path to an MSW

"This partnership recognizes the baseline our social work students have established at Emmanuel and allows them to really hit the ground running for that next step in their careers," said Associate Professor of Sociology, Dr. Ivy Krull.

FAQs

Emmanuel undergraduate students who have any of these declared majors/minors:

  • Minor in Social Work (paired with any major)
  • Major in Psychology with a concentration in Counseling and Health
  • Major in Sociology with a concentration in Social Work

Students who have:

  • A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • A 3.0 GPA or higher in each of the social work-focused courses
This includes courses for your major in Psychology: Counseling and Health, and the Social Work concentration components of the Sociology major.

Yes! Students who don't meet all the requirements are considered by Simmons on a case-by-case basis. If an MSW at Simmons is your goal, apply!

Yes! Students who have graduated from Emmanuel within 4 years of the current application year (Classes of '22, '23, '24 and '25) are eligible to apply to the Fenway Social Work Collaborative.

Yes! You shouldn't apply for the Collaborative until you are ready to go to Simmons. Emmanuel graduates have 4 years to apply through the program.

If you might be interested in pursuing a Master's in Social Work, you can use the course requirements listed for the Fenway Social Work Collaborative to plan out your courses.

By taking specific courses at Emmanuel, you can waive corresponding courses at Simmons to save time and money on your MSW. View the course waiver chart below to learn more.

Course Waiver Options

Specific Emmanuel have been approved to waiver-eligible by Simmons University.

If you took any courses in the EC column and got at least a B, you can waive the course (and fees) listed on the right, lowering the credits and cost of your MSW program.

EC CoursesWhat is waived at Simmons

SOC 2015: Race, Ethnicity, and Group Relations OR

PSYCH 2211: Race, Gender and Sexuality

SW 409: Dynamics of Racism (3 credits)

SOC 2103: Qualitative Methods OR

SOC 2104: Quantitative Methods OR

PSYCH 2802: Methods and Statistics II

SW 441: Social Work Research (3 credits)

SOC 1111: Introduction to Social Work AND

SOC 2201: The Practice of Social Policy

SW 403: Social Policy & Social Work in 

Communities and Organizations (3 credits)

SOC 2200: Drugs and SocietySW 422: Substance Use & Social Work (3 credits)

 

Each course waived reduces the number of credits required to graduate with an MSW. For students who waive all four classes, they will be eligible to graduate with their MSW having only earned 53 instead of the standard 65 credits.

What if I got a B- in a class I want to waiver for?

You need at least a B to qualify for a waiver and cannot get a course waived if you got a B- or below.

Why don't other classes count toward waiver options?

The waiver courses have been reviewed by the Simmons MSW team to ensure students have the knowledge base they need to join higher-level classes without any gaps.

“

This is exactly the kind of partnership that makes the Fenway such a powerful learning community. By working together, we're providing Emmanuel students a head start in pursuing their careers - and making a profound difference to countless individuals, families and communities."

Cindy O'Callaghan, Chief Strategist and Special Assistant to the President