About

Committed to social, political, and economic justice

The School of Social Work is motivated by its steadfast commitment to promote social, political, and economic justice, with special emphasis on populations of the Southwest. The School prepares professional social work practitioners and scholars who are committed to enhancing individual, family and group problem-solving capacities, maximizing human potential, and creating a more just and humane society.

The School prepares professional social workers for beginning-level generalist practice (BSW), and for advanced practice (MSW) in one of the following specializations: health/behavioral health; children, youth and families; public child welfare; planning, administration; or community practice. The Ph.D. program prepares social work scholars and educators for positions in research and evaluation and social work education.

Arizona State University aspires to be the gold standard for the new American university in which knowledge is integrated with the transformation of society, research is solution-focused rather than discipline-focused, and the knowledge, talent and resources of the university are harnessed in partnership with communities to solve problems and improve well-being. In keeping with this vision, the faculty of the School of Social Work, in partnership with communities, engages in use-inspired research that seeks solutions to seemingly intractable real-world problems such as poverty, health disparities, and violence that disproportionately affect society's most vulnerable members. The School seeks a diverse faculty and student body that brings with it the excellence and perspective needed to enhance the well-being of an increasingly diverse society.

Arizona State University is one of the largest state universities in the country with over 70,000 students located on four campuses in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.  The School of Social Work in located on the downtown Phoenix campus in close proximity to numerous health and human service agencies as well as the state government.  It also offers BSW and MSW programs in Tucson.  With over 2,000 students, the School of Social Work is one of the largest in the nation and many of its graduates hold prominent positions including four current state legislators, one U.S. Senator, and CEO's of major social service agencies.  The School is home to the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center that seeks to reduce health disparities in the areas of substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and mental health problems; the Office of American Indian Projects that works in partnership with Arizona tribes to enhance the social welfare of tribal members; and the Office of Latino Projects that seeks to enhance the well-being of working poor and immigrant Latino families living in the Southwest borderlands region.