Alumni

Welcome!

Welcome to the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Are you a CSSW alum or about to become one? We urge you to get involved with us. We offer a network of more than 18,000 social work graduates, which can potentially provide you with job leads, mentors, and life-long friends.

Services We Offer

As a graduate of the Columbia School of Social Work, you are automatically a member of the CSSW Alumni Association. We offer a range of services to keep you in touch with the School and with each other:
Events
The CSSW Alumni Association organizes special events such as receptions, workshops, and lectures throughout the academic year. A special highlight is Alumni Day, held in spring semester. To receive emails regarding alumni events and other alumni-related news, we recommend that you register your contact information with the Alumni Directory. (Alternatively, you can send your contact info to sswalumni@columbia.edu, and we will enter the info into the Alumni Directory on your behalf. Please be sure to include your full name and graduation year.)
Career Assistance
The Office of Career & Leadership Development is committed to providing the School’s alumni with the necessary tools to successfully manage their professional development throughout their careers. To schedule a session with one our career guidance counselors, please send an e-mail to swcareer@columbia.edu. Meantime, we recommend that you take the following five steps:
  1. Create an account with CAREER CONNECT, the School’s new online jobs database. This site is maintained by the Office of Career and Leadership Development for the exclusive use of CSSW alums.
  2. Join the (closed) group for CSSW alumni and students on LinkedIn, with over a thousand members.
  3. Log into the School’s online Alumni Directory where you can find Columbia alumni working in organizations where you may be interested in working.
  4. Explore the options on Career Connections, a site maintained by the Columbia Alumni Association (UNI & PW required). This site contains some helpful job board and career fair information (including for the School of Social Work). It also provides access to WETFEET and VAULT.COM, two useful career research tools.
Request Transcripts
You can obtain your transcript from the University Registrar’s Office, either in person or by sending in a Request for Transcript form. Questions on the process can be emailed to byg3@columbia.edu.
Licensing Assistance
For information about New York State LMSW & LCSW licensure information, click here (PDF: 15 pages). For information about licensure in other states, contact that state’s Department of Education. Our Office of Student Services has bulletins with course descriptions going back to 1981. Please send your query to byg3@columbia.edu.
Columbia Libraries
You can access a number of electronic resources and databases from your home computer through the Alumni and Friends gateway, using your UNI and password. You also have lifetime visiting and reading privileges (borrowing privileges cost $30 per month) at all Columbia University libraries. NOTE: To activate those privileges, you must first register with the Library Information Office at Butler Library and obtain a University ID card (This can only be done by visiting Butler Library. Please make sure to bring a government-issued photo ID with you.) For more information, go to Using the Libraries (on the Columbia Libraries site).
Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame honors the alumni of the Columbia School of Social Work who have made outstanding contributions to the theory and/or practice of social work and who, by their example, have added distinction to the social work profession. Go to Hall of Fame Inductees (PDF: 2 pages). All alumni are welcome to nominate other alumni for this honor. Graduates from all fields of practice will receive full consideration in the nomination process. NOTE: Nominees must have obtained their CSSW degree program at least 15 years prior to the year of nomination. Go to Nomination Form.
Further Educational Opportunities
CSSW is an approved provider of contact hours for New York State. Please check out our list of continuing education workshops, for which you can earn CEUs. In addition, and as a benefit of being an alumna/us, you are eligible to enroll in a number of LCSW-approved for-credit courses every semester (Spring, Summer and Fall). Besides earning credits, alumni who successfully complete a full-semester course will receive 45 New York State CEUs (22.5 CEUs for a half-semester course), except as noted.
Alumni Directory
Our online Alumni Directory is a great resource when looking for a job, moving to a new city or state, or staying connected with friends. Search for alumni across the globe working in specific organizations, reconnect with classmates, and update your contact information by logging in with your UNI and password.
ColumbiaYou
ColumbiaYou is a collective memoir sponsored by the Columbia Alumni Association, open to anyone with a Columbia affiliation.Share your story here!

Spotlight on Alumni Who Give

Planned Giving

“You thought ahead. It will make a huge difference to Columbia,” says Ryan Hart, Executive Director of Planned Giving, to CSSW alumna Laurie Marsden (Class of 1999), who made a gift through her will to the School of Social Work. As this video playfully demonstrates, Marsden’s planned gift automatically made her a member of Columbia University’s 1754 Society.

Annual Fund

“At Columbia, I was able to merge my prior work in business with social policy and practices. Regardless of the amount, we should support those with the heart, interest, and capacity to further quality outcomes for children, families, and communities.”

—Dr. Ivye Allen, CSSW, Class of ’00

Pay It Forward

“CSSW was the foundation for my career. Without the financial support I got, I would never have become a social work researcher. Our support for CSSW can open the road for talented low-income students to achieve the dream of their lives. They will use their talents to serve those most in need.”

—Dr. Jaime Alvelo, CSSW, Class of ’81, ’86

Questions about Alumni Services or Making a Gift?

For questions about alumni services or events, please contact Jennifer March at: 212-851-2372 | jm1404@columbia.edu

For questions about making a gift by will, a gift to the annual fund, or other ways of giving back to the School, please contact:

Hear from alumni who are making waves, moving mountains, and changing lives

With Columbia MSW in Hand, Kainen Bell Wins Fulbright for Research on Brazil
Kainen Bell, a 2017 graduate of the Columbia School of Social Work's Advanced Standing Program, has received a Fulbright grant to study in Brazil. Bell will leave for São Paulo in February of 2018 to conduct a research project on the impact the nation’s prolonged recession has had on its social service sector.
CAREER STORY: Rachel Waltz (MS'08) Cares for Homeless Veterans
One of CSSW's alums, Rachel Waltz, started her career working with the homeless in Brooklyn. Though a non-vet, she transferred to working with homeless vets when she moved to a different state, one with a large veteran population. Her account of the homeless veterans' situation is moving.
CAREER STORY: Sweet Dreams Are Made of This: Alexis Miesen (MS'04)'s Story
Alexis Miesen, co-founder and co-proprietress of Blue Marble Ice Cream, has taken her degree from the Columbia School of Social Work in some unexpected directions: first, by founding a locavore ice cream shop in Brooklyn and then by expanding the business to a women's collective in Africa. Inzozi Nziza ("Sweet Dreams" in Kinyarwanda) is Rwanda's first and only local ice cream shop.
CAREER STORY: Sasha Diamond-Lenow (MSW '09) Combines Social Work with Sports
CSSW graduate Sasha Diamond-Lenow (MSW '09) was an advanced standing student who received her degree in just one year. She fell into her dream job combining sports (squash) with social work in an innovative way.
CAREER STORY: How Laurie Marsden (MSW'99) Evolved into Helping Other Women Evolve
CSSW alumna Laurie Marsden (MSW'99) describes her career path from modeling into studying social work at Columbia, and tells us how she came to launch an online therapy program for women: "8 Steps to Becoming You" at http://lauriemarsden.com/ Interested in applying to Columbia School of Social Work? Visit https://apply.ssw.columbia.edu/apply/ to start your application today.