St. Bonaventure University will offer a Master of Social Work (MSW) program beginning in January.

The university has received pre-candidacy accreditation for the 60-credit graduate program from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The state’s Education Department approved the program in May.

Students admitted to the program beginning in spring 2025 or after will be recognized as graduates from an accredited program.

“We’re thrilled that the CSWE recognized the excellent program that Dr. (Doyle) Pruitt and Dr. (Jessica) Hare have developed,” said Dr. David Hilmey, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “The alignment of this program with our university mission makes the MSW a perfect fit for St. Bonaventure.”

The institution’s values of nurturing compassion, seeking wisdom, and building integrity are embedded within the mission of the MSW program, which will be housed in the university’s School of Arts and Sciences.

“In the Franciscan tradition, the program is grounded in commitment to service, respect for human dignity, and engagement in critical inquiry,” Pruitt said. “We’re excited about our program’s trauma-informed, social justice clinical focus and how this will prepare our graduates to be leaders in the diverse communities they serve.”

Pruitt, the program director, and Hare, the MSW practicum director, drafted the course of study and all curricula for the fully asynchronous online program.

“I can’t thank Doyle and Jessica enough for their tireless efforts to get us over the approval hurdle,” Hilmey said. “People need to understand what a heavy lift seeking accreditation is. Their essential, behind-the-scenes work was vital to this success.”

St. Bonaventure is approved by New York state for a clinical MSW degree, leading to licensure that allows a graduate to independently engage in clinical practice.

The MSW program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis and is designed for applicants who have a bachelor’s degree either (a) not in Social Work or (b) in Social Work, but awarded more than 5 years ago. These students will begin in the Foundation Curriculum and, upon completion, progress to the Advanced Year curriculum.

An Advanced MSW track is forthcoming for applicants who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program within the last 5 years and do not need to complete the Foundation Year curriculum.

For more information on the MSW program, email Pruitt at dpruitt@cnof86.com.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).