Social Work

Undergraduate major: social work (BA)

Undergraduate minor: social work

Graduate degrees: MSW; PhD in social work

Faculty: https://socialwork.uiowa.edu/people

Website: https://socialwork.uiowa.edu/

The School of Social Work’s mission is to develop culturally responsive practitioners, scholars, researchers, and leaders to create a more just society. The school operates from strengths-based perspectives and systems perspectives. It educates its graduates to be culturally competent scholars and practitioners who are committed to social justice and social work values and ethics, and who are prepared to serve in and have a positive impact on a broad range of family-centered and community-based practice settings throughout the State of Iowa and beyond.

The school provides a program of professional training accredited by the Council on Social Work Education at the baccalaureate and master's degree levels, aimed at developing effective intervention in multiple systems and using professional social work values and ethics. It also offers a PhD program, which prepares students to conduct research that contributes to the knowledge base of social work, to be leaders in setting policy and practice, and to teach in colleges and universities. In addition, the School of Social Work administers the programs listed below.

Minor and Certificates

Student standing outside the School of Social Work building.

Aging and Longevity Studies

The School of Social Work administers the graduate certificate and the undergraduate minor and certificate in the Aging and Longevity Studies Program; see Aging and Longevity Studies in the catalog.

Critical Cultural Competence

The School of Social Work administers the undergraduate certificate program in critical cultural competence; see the Certificate in Critical Cultural Competence in the catalog.

Resilience and Trauma-Informed Perspectives

The undergraduate certificate program in resilience and trauma-informed perspectives is administered by the School of Social Work; see the Certificate in Resilience and Trauma-Informed Perspectives in the catalog.

Projects and Seminars

Students may become involved in special projects such as the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and the School of Social Work's programs in gerontology and in end-of-life care.

The school also offers students the opportunity to participate in travel/study seminars.

Continuing Education

Nondegree students may enroll in selected courses. Students who complete continuing education work and later enroll in a degree program may be able to apply a limited amount of their continuing education work toward their degree requirements; applicable credit is determined by the School of Social Work.