Smith College School for Social Work, Office of the Registrar records

The School for Social Work, Office of the Registrar oversees the academic life of MSW, PhD, and Continuing Education students. The Office handles all registration of students for courses, provides transcripts, distributes diplomas, and assists students with a variety of logistical needs on campus. The registrar is also responsible for curriculum planning, course evaluations, and course scheduling.

Founded in 1918, the Smith College School for Social Work grew out of discussions among leading psychologists and mental health professionals over the needs of returning veterans of World War I. In 1918, sixty-three students completed the first summer’s 8-week course work and reported for 6 months of practical training. The students received certificates at the completion of the full course, which were granted by the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. The School earned its first accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education in 1919.

In 1924, the Board of Trustees of Smith College decided that the program would offer the degree of Master of Social Science and made it retroactive to the class of 1920.

The 1930s were a time of immense change in the curriculum and structure of the courses. In 1931, the School founded the Program of Continuing Education to make new developments in theory and practice available to practicing social workers. In 1933, Plan A was introduced, consisting of three 8-week summer sessions and two 9-month winter sessions. Then in 1934, a course for supervisors, also known as Plan D, began under the direction of Bertha Capen Reynolds. Plan D was discontinued in 1938. In 1939, the School offered its first multicultural course, “Culture as a Determinant of Behavior,” taught by the social anthropologist Dr. Bronislaw Malinowski from the University of London.

During WWII, the program was again significantly modified. In 1943, the School shortened its 24-month curriculum to 15 months. In 1945, the School started an onsite training institute for supervisors in Army and Navy hospitals. In 1946 with the end of the war, Plans A and B were reinstated, which included a summer session of ten weeks and a winter session of eight and a half months.

In 1948, the Program of Advanced Study was established, directed toward the development of the advanced practitioner, supervisor, and teacher. In 1961, a “third-year sequence” extension was approved by the Board of Trustees. In 1963, this the extension program and the Program of Advanced Study were joined to create a new clinical Doctor of Social Work degree program.

Throughout the 1950s, the School continued to take the lead in the social work community, expanding its program based on the shifting needs of a changing political climate. While the School maintained its commitment to Veterans, the 1950s was marked by an increasing interest in interdisciplinary collaboration, the expansion of research as an area of focus in social work education, expanded social welfare curriculum offerings, and increasing interest in international social work, including the admittance of students from abroad.

In concert with the Civil Rights Movement, the School expanded its commitment to the issue of multicultural practice. Starting in the 1960s, coursework on socio-cultural, economic, and political environments was intensified. In addition, courses were added on group work, clinical social work and families, and issues of sexual orientation.

In 1961, the degree awarded changed from a Master of Social Sciences (MSS) to the Master of Social Work (MSW).

The 1970s were a time of expansion and development for the Continuing Education Program. In 1973, the Program of Continuing Education expanded into a 12-month program offering workshops, courses, and seminars both in Northampton and in other geographic areas. Then in 1978, the Program of Continuing Education began its first advanced training programs leading to certificates in Family Therapy and Group Therapy. These certificate programs consisted of two academic summer experiences of 10 days duration each followed by an 8-month field experience. 1979 saw the graduation of the first class of students from the Group and Family Therapy Certificate Program. In 1980, a third certificate program in Intensive Psychodynamic Individual Treatment for Adults began.

As of 2021, the Office of the Registrar continues to maintain the certificate programs, Continuing Education programs, and the MSW and PhD degree programs. In both the master’s and Ph.D. programs, students and instructional faculty come into residence on Smith’s campus for 10 weeks of coursework over three consecutive summers. Since 1931, the School has also offered a rich, active continuing education program for professionals around the country. The School offers two specialized certificate programs: Advanced Clinical Supervision and End-of-Life Care (co-sponsored with Baystate Health).