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School of Social Work

The School of Social Work embraces the profession’s commitment to the values of human diversity and the dignity and worth of all people, with particular attention to those who are oppressed, vulnerable, or living in poverty. We view social and personal problems as resulting from complex interactions between people and the structures of society itself, and we work to address those problems at the level of public policy, community organizations, families, groups, and individuals.

In November 2024, Syracuse University announced that as part of a plan to reshape its human dynamics programs, as of July 2025, the School of Social Work would be housed within the School of Education. This announcement came after four months of assessment and cross disciplinary collaboration by members of the Human Dynamics Task Force, co-chaired by Rachel Razza, Associate Dean for Human Dynamics, and Peter Vanable, Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School.

This transition allows for closer collaboration between two programs that share historical commitments to inclusive and antiracist pedagogy and practice and reciprocal community partnerships across Central New York. It also positions the University’s education and counseling programs to leverage the School of Social Work’s expertise in online teaching and its dedication to veterans and military-connected families.

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224 White Hall, Second Floor
Syracuse, NY 13244
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About the School of Social Work

The mission of the Syracuse University School of Social Work is to prepare competent, compassionate, and socially responsible professionals who address human need and promote social, economic, and environmental justice in a diverse and rapidly changing world through the strengthening of services, interventions, and policies. Our collaborative and interdisciplinary approach fosters learning across disciplines, recognizing the interconnectedness of social issues.

Social workers share a fundamental commitment to creating social and economic justice in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Through practice that challenges oppression and increases the power and wellness of vulnerable people, we work to create a more just society.

Prepare to lead a growing profession

Job opportunities for social workers are expected to increase much faster than the national average, making a social work education more valuable than ever. Social work education prepares graduates to work in a wide range of professional settings, including mental health care, hospitals, schools, child welfare, substance abuse treatment, services for older adults, supportive housing, and federal, state and local government. Social workers lead not-for-profit organizations, guide service users through complex health care systems, lead labor and other community organizations, assess the strengths and needs of communities and individuals, engage in social research, serve in public office, facilitate adoption, and provide psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups.

The School of Social Work bachelor of social work (BSSW) program prepares undergraduates to work at a generalist level across the scope of our field. And our innovative master of social work (M.S.W.) program offers two license-eligible tracks of graduate study: Advanced Clinical Practice, for those who wish to specialize in the direct provision of services to individuals, families, and groups; and Advanced Integrated Practice, for those whose interests also encompass practice in interdisciplinary organizations, human service administration, community organizing, and public policy.

History of Social Work at Syracuse University

Social Work programs at Syracuse University trace their origins to 1930, when undergraduate courses in social work were offered through the Department of Sociology and College of Home Economics. At this time the University and Council of Social Agencies of Onondaga County begin envisioning a dedicated School of Social Work. In 1945-1946, the University’s adult education unit begins offering a social work course through the State University at Buffalo. In 1955-1956, the University launches the School with an endowment from the Rosamond Gifford Charitable Foundation. The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education in 1957.

In 1958, a Ford Foundation grant helps launch the Youth Development Center, further strengthening the School’s ties to the community. At the time, it was the United States’ largest university-community venture. More community-oriented projects follow, including the War on Poverty-funded Central Village Services (1964, the only university run social services agency in the nation); the Family Service Center (1965); the Educational Facilities Laboratories (1968); and the All-University Gerontology Center (1972).

The School admits its first B.S.S.W. class in 1971, one of the nation’s original bachelor’s degree programs and the only one accredited in Upstate New York (1975). Academic programs further expand in the 1980s, with an Occupational Social Work concentration added (1984) and off-campus programs launched across Upstate New York (1987).

The 1990s saw the creation of new community partnerships: the Yenawine Institute for Corporate and Community Partnerships (1995); the Zurenda Fund Initiative, to research alcohol and drug abuse (1996); and the Rosamond Gifford Exchange Forum, to explore social and systemic changes in Syracuse (1999).

The School continues to innovate in the 2000s. In 2002, a gift from the Alan B. And Barbara Mirken Foundation establishes the annual Alan B. Mirken New York City Social Work Immersion trip; a Minor in Social Welfare begins in 2005; and in 2008, a study abroad immersion to visit human services agencies in France, Germany, and Switzerland is created. In 2015, two new M.S.W. concentrations are developed—Advanced Clinical Practice and Advanced Integrated Practice—and an online M.S.W. admits its first students in May 2021.

Associated with the College of Human Services and Health Professions (2001), College of Human Ecology (2007), and the David B. Falk College for Sport Management and Human Dynamics (2008), the School of Social Work joins the School of Education in July 2025.