The University of Michigan School of Social Work is a professional school within the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
located in
Ann Arbor, Michigan.
History
A formal curriculum in
social work was first offered by the
, in 1921. In 1936, the first
Master of Social Work
The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a master's degree in the field of social work. It is a professional degree with specializations compared to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). MSW promotes macro-, mezzo- and micro-aspects of professional social work ...
(MSW) degree was offered by the Institute of Public and Social Administration (later to become the Institute of Social Work in 1946). From 1936 to 1951, a total of 348 MSW degrees were granted.
In 1951, the School of Social Work was established to offer a professional educational program on the graduate level leading to advanced degrees, and the program moved from
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
to
Ann Arbor, with Fedele F. Fauri acting as
dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
until 1970. The school was first located in a small house on Washington and Thayer, before moving into the Frieze Building, where it remained until 1998, when the school moved to a new dedicated building on the corner of South and East University.
During the School of Social Work's first year, 91 full-time and 96 part-time students were enrolled. Today the school averages around 650 enrolled MSW students and 80 enrolled doctoral students. In 1957, the Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Social Science was created.
In the past 15 years, the school has ranked either the #1 or #2 school of social work by ''
U.S. News & World Report'' and ranked in the top three schools of social work for the past 30 years.
Programs offered
Masters of Social Work (MSW)
The U-M SSW offers a
master of social work
The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a master's degree in the field of social work. It is a professional degree with specializations compared to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). MSW promotes macro-, mezzo- and micro-aspects of professional social work ...
degree program that offers a variety of concentration options:
Areas of study
* ''
Interpersonal Practice (or clinical social work):'' counseling, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment plans for individuals, families, and small groups
* ''
Community Organization (or Community Practice):'' organize groups and communities for positive change
* ''
Management of Human Services:'' lead and manage human service organizations
* ''
Social Policy &
Evaluation
Evaluation is a
systematic determination and assessment of a subject's merit, worth and significance, using criteria governed by a set of standards. It can assist an organization, program, design, project or any other intervention or initiative to ...
:'' develop, analyze, and evaluate social policies and programs
* ''
Children & Youth in Families and Society:'' work with children, adolescents, and families
* ''
Communities and Social Systems:'' influence
laws
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...
,
legislation
Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to ...
, and
policy
Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...
* ''
Aging in Families and Society:''
comprehensive care for the aging population
* ''
Mental Health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...
:'' prevention and treatment of
mental and
behavioral health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
disorders
* ''
Health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
:''
health promotion
Health promotion is, as stated in the 1986 World Health Organization (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, the "process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health."
Scope
The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for Hea ...
and
disease prevention,
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
, treatment, and rehabilitation in public,
primary, and
long-term care
Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long-term care is focused on individualized and ...
settings
Joint Ph.D. Program: Ph.D. in Social Work & Social Science
Students who pursue a
Ph.D. in Social Work at the U-M SSW must do so jointly with another
social science discipline at the U-M.
Joint Ph.D.’s can be in one of the following disciplines:
*
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
*
Economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...
*
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
*
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
*
Sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
Undergraduate Minor—Community Action & Social Change
Undergraduates
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
at
U-M can enroll in the Community Action & Social Change (CASC) minor to gain skills, knowledge, and experiences that will prepare them to become effective agents of
community action and
social change
Social change is the alteration of the social order of a society which may include changes in social institutions, social behaviours or social relations.
Definition
Social change may not refer to the notion of social progress or socio ...
.
Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center
The Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center serves as a research incubator, evaluation training, and research support services center at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
The Curtis Center offers research consultation, educational programming and training, and program evaluation training and services for students, postdocs, and outside organizations.
References
External links
University of Michigan School of Social WorkUS News & World Report Schools of Social Work Rankings
{{Coord, 42.2747, -83.736, type:edu_region:US-MI, display=title
University of Michigan
Schools of social work in the United States
University of Michigan campus