The Columbia University School of Social Work is the graduate school of social work ofColumbia University. It is the nation's oldest social work program, with roots extending back to 1898, when the New York Charity Organization Society's first summer course was announced in The New York Times and began awarding the Master of Science (MS) degree in 1940. With an enrollment of over 900, it is one of the largest social work schools in the United States. The combination of its age and size has led to the School becoming a repository for much of the reference literature in the social work field.