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A dark-skinned, curly-haired person in graduation regalia smiling in a group of graduates outside

About

Crown Family School lives its mission, working toward a more just and humane society through research, teaching, and service to the community.
The School at a Glance
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Master's Program students listening to a lecture with one student raising their hand

The rigor and quality of a Crown Family School education have earned us a spot among the top graduate schools of social work in the world.

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.

For more than 100 years, the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice has defined the fields of social work and social welfare.

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Group of students standing outside a building with glass windows

I am exactly like the people we serve and I come from a very humble background and so the people that we serve, I can relate to. They live in neighborhoods where I lived and they struggle with the issues that my family struggled with, so for me it's personal.

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Ricardo Estrada
Shaping the Field
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Grace Abbott
Founders of the Discipline

Our “Founding Mothers” were among the first to use social research and community data to inform the care and counseling of the most vulnerable members of our society, and this integrated academic approach —using research to inform practice and policy—continues to distinguish us today.

 

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Edith Abbott Hall
Edith Abbott Hall

Edith Abbott Hall, the Mies van der Rohe-designed building that is home to our school was dedicated in honor of the School’s founding dean.

Giving for Impact
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A person in a white lab coat with 3 other people in a hospital corridor
The Crown Family School employs teaching, research, and service to create a more just and humane world.

In almost every area our faculty and alumni touch—from preventing violence and substance abuse to enhancing access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity — the Crown Family School is making a tangible and influential difference. Your gift may support:

  • Student scholarships
  • Faculty research
  • Student field work and education