Becoming a Social Worker at Regis
Regis College appears in our ranking of the 35 Best Value Christian Colleges with CSWE-accredited Programs.
Since 1976, the School of Health Sciences has awarded the Bachelor of Social Work for Regis College undergrads called to advocate justice on behalf of all God's children. Chaired by Prof. Hugh Clark in College Hall, the 125-credit program emphasizes Catholic ethics while meeting the 10 competencies for generalist practice. Courses like Prejudice, Social Policy, and Child Welfare are kept small with a 12:1 student-faculty ratio. Gained skills are applied with 520 fieldwork hours at Boston Metro placements, such as Sandra's Lodge, Brandon School, Voices Against Violence, or South Middlesex Opportunity Council. Adults with 45-75 transfer credits can finish fast on the Online BSW Completion track. Majors may also become PRIDE Scholars, cross-register at Babson or Bentley, study in Morocco, engage with Serving the Dear Neighbor, and join the College Diabetes Network.
Starting three times yearly, Regis College confers the Online Master of Social Work on Moodle for post-grads strengthening their leadership skills for programs serving the vulnerable. Led by Dr. Dawn Higgins, the 60-credit, non-GRE degree spans two years to cover modern evidence-based practice models. The built-in Advanced Clinical concentration qualifies mental health advocates for Massachusetts' LCSW licensing. Expect eight semesters of online courses like Human Behavior, Psychopathology, Cross-Cultural Issues, and Supervision & Administration. Authorized in 50 states, Regis College lets majors tackle the 900 to 1,100 fieldwork hours in their hometown, including their place of employment. Other opportunities are joining the Graduate Student Organization, attending the NASW-MA Symposium, adding the Gerontology Certificate, engaging in the Haiti Project, and becoming a Peer Mentor.
About Regis College
Regis College was incorporated in February 1927 by the Massachusetts Legislature for women-only, Catholic liberal arts education. Named for Rev. Mother Mary Regis Casserly, Regis was first built in Morrison House by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Coeducational since 2007, Regis College also expanded its offerings with the Lifelong Learning Program and Children's Center. Endowed for $16.2 million, Regis now educates 2,700 Pride, including Social Work majors, from 31 states with 96 full-time faculty. The nonprofit GNAC member occupies a 132-acre Weston campus west of Boston that's wired to RegisNet and accessible online with Moodle. Linked to 7,270 LinkedIn alumni, Regis College has graduated Diane Guerrero, Randall Roth, Catherine Imbriglio, Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, and others.
On Niche, Regis is America's 36th safest campus, 479th most liberal university, and 559th top value. Times Higher Education included Regis College in the top 600 institutions nationwide. The Princeton Review picked Regis for its 229 "Best in the Northeast" schools. College Factual named Regis the country's 92nd best Catholic university with the 393rd most focused social work program. Regis has separately been declared a College of Distinction, NLN Center of Excellence, and Apple Distinguished School since 2010. Great College Deals ranked Regis the 20th most valuable small college in Massachusetts. PayScale also calculated a mid-career median salary of $79,600 for Regis College graduates.
Regis College Accreditation Details
In March 2014, Regis College satisfactorily passed its comprehensive evaluation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) to retain the Level V accreditation under its 10th president, Dr. Antoinette M. Hays. Headquartered just 14 miles north in Burlington, this regional accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to check the quality of Regis' 23 baccalaureate, 12 master's, and two doctoral majors from Lawrence to Medford and online. The School of Health Sciences renewed BSW accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) through October 2024 too.
Regis College Application Requirements
Getting into Regis College is deemed "moderately difficult" by Peterson's with the Fall 2016 acceptance rate at 84 percent. First-year Pride seeking the Bachelor of Social Work after their high school diploma or GED undergo holistic review. Four years of English and three years of math, including Geometry, are encouraged. Freshmen have a mean GPA of 3.06 and rank in the top 50 percentile. On average, admitted undergrads present a 1050 SAT score and 22 ACT score. Previous non-remedial courses graded "C" or higher are transferable, especially from partners like Dean College and Bristol Community College. The Online MSW mandates a four-year bachelor's in any field with a minimum 3.0 average. Foreign learners also need to score at least 71 on the TOEFL iBT or 169 on the CAE.
Regis College has an Early Action deadline of November 15th and priority deadline of February 1st for freshmen. BSW transfers should apply by April 1st for Fall and November 1st for Spring entrance. The Online Master of Social Work also set preferential dates at May 1st, September 1st, and February 1st. Interested students can file the Common Application or log into CollegeNET for Regis' Online Application. Extra materials might be mailed to 235 Wellesley Street in Weston, MA 02493. Contact (781) 768-7330 or [email protected] with questions. The Social Work Department generally requests the following:
- $50 application fee ($65 for graduates)
- Official transcript from the last school attended
- College entrance exam scores via the agency
- Uploaded, up-to-date résumé or CV
- Professional goal statement up to 750 words
- Two letters of recommendation in PDF form
- English proficiency tests (international only)
Tuition and Financial Aid
Bachelor of Social Work students at Regis College are billed $41,015 per year full-time. Studying part-time incurs $500 per credit. Unless waived, health insurance adds $2,809 annually. Living at the Weston campus' dorms like Angela Hall costs $15,180 for room and board. Annual BSW attendance equals roughly $57,625 on-campus or $45,485 off-campus. The Online Master of Social Work currently charges $875 per credit, or $52,500 total.
According to the NCES College Navigator, 74 percent of full-time Regis Pride receive median financial aid offers of $24,377 each for $23.01 million total yearly. Social work majors often earn institutional funds like the Therese Higgins Scholarship, Jeanne D'Arc O'Hare Award, Tower Scholarship, Anniversary Scholarship, Hannah C. Bradley Scholarship, Phi Theta Scholarship, Sibling Award, Catholic High Schools Scholarship, and Yellow Ribbon Scholarship. The Fung Scholars Program has gifted $10,000 to students from China and Hong Kong with GPAs over 3.5. Completing the FAFSA application with code 002206 unlocks Federal Pell Grant and FSEOG Grant money. Massachusetts residents claim the Cash Grant, Part-Time Grant, Public Service Grant, and more. Federal Work-Study jobs pay at least $11/hour. Money magazine ranked Regis College 491st for its average student debt of $23,250 from Perkins, Stafford, and private loans too.
Learn more about Regis College at the Social Work Department website.