Social work attracts idealists: people with an acute awareness of human suffering and injustice, and people with a strong commitment to reduce that suffering and injustice. Some issues that engage us endure over time, others change. Early social workers fought to outlaw child labor and to provide universal social security. Their successors struggle to prevent child abuse and community violence, to aid homeless or mentally ill individuals, to reduce poverty and social inequities, or improve the quality of life of older adults.
The central commitment to helping those in need and working to bring about effective social change—locally, nationally, and globally—remains constant. To people who have this kind of commitment, graduate training in social work offers two things: First is the opportunity to explore, in the disciplined and intellectually rich environment of the University, the dimensions of social need and response. Second is the opportunity to acquire, through class and fieldwork experiences, the skills for effective action.
SSA's Master of Arts program, a two-year program, has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and its predecessor organizations since 1919. We prepare master's students for advanced professional practice. And for over 100 years, SSA has provided advanced training for those interested in pursuing academic careers in social work and social welfare in the doctoral degree program.
SSA’s diverse array of course offerings features quality instruction and substantive exploration of clinical practice, community development and organizing, program management and policy issues. Classes are intended to challenge and engage students in the dynamic interplay of theory, research, and practice. Students gain an understanding that whatever the focus of their practice, from the clinical micro-level to the policy macro-level, their activities are guided by an appreciation of service in society and informed by a rigorous evidence and conceptual base. The concept of alleviating need has also been broadened to include prevention as well as treatment.
The Global Context
SSA stands to have an impact globally and has recently begun to expand its programming internationally. This structured curriculum includes international field placements and study abroad opportunities, additional courses, and an international visiting faculty program that enables internationally recognized scholars to spend three to six months at the School. SSA faculty engage and collaborate in scholarship and research with international partners in addition to teaching current courses that have an international perspective. And SSA is actively engaged as the University of Chicago develops international centers for education and research in China and, in the near future, India.
SSA, in collaboration with the Tata Institute of the Social Sciences Centre for Community Organization and Development Practice in Mumbai, India offer an intensive study-abroad program focused on urban poverty and community practice in India. The intent of this program is to provide SSA master's students with the opportunity to learn about key issues in international social welfare and gain field experience in international social work practice through intensive experiential learning in another country. SSA is hosts students and faculty from the Tata in a similar program, designed to introduce Tata students to urban poverty and community practice in Chicago.
Child Welfare Witness
Many scholars don’t get an opportunity during their entire career to testify on Capitol Hill. Ashley Lepse has already done so as a Master’s student at SSA.