Our History
1922 graduating class.
The University of Minnesota School of Social Work is the country’s first graduate social work program at a public land-grant university. Established in 1917, the School provides national and international leadership in advanced studies in child welfare; youth studies; family violence prevention; studies in aging; social justice; community strategies and practices; and social welfare policy. The School’s Ph.D. program was founded in 1946.
The School of Social Work provides local, national, and global outreach through its research centers, policy development and practice, and continuing community education. Its philosophy of collaborative problem solving, training, innovation, and concerned support continues to dynamically affect people, institutions, and policy. The School is home to four research and training centers that serve local and national educators, researchers, and professional social workers. The School is ranked among the top 10 social work programs in the United States.
Geraldine Kerase Brookins, first
Gamble-Skogmo Land Grant Chair,
Child Welfare and Youth Policy, 1989,
and friends.
Faculty members take a leading role in social work research on a range of topics including child welfare, violence prevention, restorative justice and mediation, child abuse prevention, African American families, aging, social welfare history, gay and lesbian families, community analysis, and developments in distance education. Faculty members continue to be published in major social work journals, serve on numerous editorial boards, and present research findings at local, national, and international conferences. Faculty also provide leadership for the provision of social services through participation on agency boards and by offering training and consultation with a variety of agencies and social welfare organizations.
Every year hundreds of students choose the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota for their graduate studies. They come from Minnesota as well as from other states and countries. They demonstrate a collective commitment to make a difference in their communities and, once admitted, become a vital part of our teaching, research, and public service mission.
Throughout its 90-year history, the School has been vitally committed to social work education, research, and community outreach. Social work in the 21st century will be defined in the context of unprecedented complexity and diversity. Never have social workers been more needed, and never has their education been so crucial. If you are seeking the opportunity to learn, to study, to advocate and to make a difference, the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota is an excellent choice.