LIVE YOUR PASSION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
WHY SOCIAL WORK at UW? “This is truly one of the most exciting places to be in the country. Our researchers are doing groundbreaking work, our teachers are innovating in the classroom, and our field education office is making hands-on experiential education a reality. This rich learning environment provides rare opportunities for professional growth in a variety of careers that address the most pressing social challenges of our day.”
Eddie Uehara
Professor and Ballmer Endowed Dean in Social Work
Small, collaborative and engaged
COHORTS
SOCIAL WORK—ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING OCCUPATIONS IN THE U.S. Here are some social work careers expected to undergo greater-thanaverage growth in the next six years:
MORE JOBS BY 2026 HEALTH CARE SOCIAL WORK
20%
MENTAL HEALTH/SUBSTANCE ABUSE SOCIAL WORK
19% 23%
MARRIAGE/FAMILY THERAPISTS
9 UW Distinguished Teaching Award recipients
15 + active student clubs and affinity groups
CHILD, FAMILY AND SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK
14% OVERALL FIELD OF SOCIAL WORK 16% U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
1
#
IN THE
WORLD
Among Schools of Social Work
CENTER FOR WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2017
2
#3 NATION IN THE
Best Graduate Schools
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT 2020
#1 INVESTMENT RETURN ON
Highest avg. salary for tuition dollars UW SEATTLE CAMPUS / CNBC, MAKE IT 2019
Portland
Vancouver
CANADA
#1 School of Social Work in the World
CENTER FOR WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2017
P ug
Average class size less than
ound et S
25
% 47 students of color
WORK toward
equity and social justice in schools, hospitals, prisons and clinics
Seattle Tacoma Olympia
600+
field-based learning sites for students
60 of MSW students receive %
departmental funding
% 70 of undergraduates are first
generation college students OREGON
%projected job 16 growth compared with a 7% average for all other occupations
CAREERS
counselor, community organizer, policy analyst, program developer, nonprofit leader, advocate
CAREER PATHS IN SOCIAL WORK Mental health professional Nonprofit leader Family therapist Community organizer Aging specialist Human rights activist Social service agency director Adoption expert Substance abuse counselor Policy advocate Poverty scholar Social impact scientist Medical social worker Hospice care counselor and more
14 research and innovation centers 3
STUDENT LIFE From joining passionate social work student clubs to engaging with the resources of a major research university, UW students have abundant opportunities to thrive. Our community supports student growth and is dedicated to helping you make the most of your Husky Experience.
Join a community that values diversity, equity and inclusion. The School of Social Work is one of the UW’s most diverse learning environments. Our efforts to create an inclusive and diverse social work community and to educate culturally responsive students put into action our core mission of advancing social change and creating a more just and equitable society for all.
The UW is ranked #1 for LGBTQ students in the 2019 Best Colleges, Campus Pride report.
Live in a naturally beautiful, innovative, vibrant city. Seattle offers something for everyone! You can kayak, visit Mount Rainier National Park, or explore the city’s urban center at Pike Place Market. Consistently ranked one of the top 10 U.S. cities for quality of life, the Emerald City draws students from around the globe. Home to diverse hospitals, clinics, nonprofits and government agencies, Seattle is a great place to practice social work.
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OUR PASSION NEVER RESTS
Here are a few of the groups and resources available to students.
UW CAMPUS RESOURCES
• Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) • Housing and Food Services: Graduate Student Housing • Graduate Funding Information Service • Disability Resources for Students • Q Center • Student Veteran Life
SOCIAL WORK
STUDENT GROUPS • Student Advisory Council • Social Work Asian & Pacific Islanders (SWAPI) • Anti-Racism & White Allyship Group (ARWAG) • Sizeism and Weightism Advocacy Group (SWAG) • Organization of Student Social Workers (OSSW) • School of Social Work QT (Queer and Trans Group) 5
Bachelor of Arts
IN SOCIAL WELFARE
“The BASW program brings together a talented and diverse group of students with a passion for social justice. Our goal is to provide the experiential and professional learning opportunities students need to transform their passions into real-world change.” Amelia Gavin Associate Professor, BASW Program Director
The BASW curriculum challenges students to examine their worldviews and biases, think critically about social systems, and learn to practice interventions aimed at solving critical social problems. You will become an effective leader and change maker able to take action against injustice and inequity. This two-year undergraduate program offers a close-knit cohort model plus hands-on skill building through rigorous coursework and more than 480 hours of supervised field experience and community service. Alumni pursue immediate employment or master’s degrees in social work, public health, law and more.
Students who earn a BASW degree are eligible to apply to our accelerated 10-month MSW degree program.
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“
I met phenomenal professors and classmates who continue to inspire me to break down barriers to social justice. L’OREAL KENNEDY, BASW 2009
”
QUESTION THE ANSWERS
“
I am so grateful for all the relationships I’ve built here. They are my classmates now; they will be my colleagues forever. For me, the cohort model is the most important part of the program. LINDSAY SOMBERG, BASW 2019
”
629 STUDENTS
[ 14%
BASW,
80% MSW, 6% PhD
[
Who we are
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“ Master of
SOCIAL WORK Our top-ranked, fully accredited MSW Program prepares students for leadership and direct practice in professional settings ranging from health, aging and mental health to public education, nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies. We offer three distinct degree paths—part-time Extended
Degree Program, full-time Day Program, and Advanced Standing Program—to accommodate your personal and professional interests and work-life commitments. Students who have completed any undergraduate major are eligible to apply for the Day and Extended Degree programs.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required for admission to the MSW program.
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I graduated with a greater sense of how vast the social work profession is and developed a personal and professional identity as a social justice worker. KAYLA CODY, MSW 2019
”
MSW
EXTENDED DEGREE PROGRAM Our Extended Degree Program provides a flexible part-time MSW degree path in nine to 11 consecutive quarters, including summers. With evening or Fri./Sat. classes, it’s an ideal option for students who need to balance work, family and study. Through theoretical and experiential learning, students develop the critical skills needed to help understand, unravel and tackle individual, family and community challenges in one of two clinical concentrations: n
Multigenerational Practice with Children, Families and Elders Perform cutting-edge interventions with children, families and elders across the life course within diverse communities and practice settings.
Integrative Health–Mental Health Practice Implement state-of-the-art, culturally relevant and evidencebased interventions for diverse populations in health and mental health settings.
Our tuition is among the lowest of the 15 topranked social work schools at public universities.
Financial support
[
$6,600 AVERAGE
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
60%
MSW STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
[
n
9
MSW
DAY PROGRAM Our full-time, two-year Day Program integrates highly engaged classroom teaching with experiential learning in the field. First-year coursework includes practical skill building, social work history, professional ethics, policy and social justice. In the second year, the focus shifts to building specialized knowledge of relevant policies, systems, theories and practice methods in selected concentrations.
CONCENTRATION AREAS MSW DAY AND ADVANCED STANDING PROGRAMS n
Administration and Policy Practice. Learn how to make a lasting impact through policy change and organizational leadership in a variety of human service and policy settings.
n
Community-Centered Integrative Practice. Partner and lead in transformative social work practice across systems within
n
Clinical Social Work Practice. Develop state-of-the-art, culturally relevant, evidence-based social work skills in a range of practice settings, including community mental health, health care, substance use treatment, behavioral health, schools and child welfare.
Who we are 10
[ 47%
STUDENTS OF COLOR,
Our new Latinx specialization offers focused coursework and field education learning for students committed to serving Latinx communities in a culturally responsive way.
83% WOMEN, 17% MEN
[
diverse and marginalized communities, both local and global.
MSW
ADVANCED STANDING Our 10-month, full-time Advanced Standing Program is designed for students who meet the GPA requirements and hold an undergraduate degree in social work or social welfare from a Council on Social Work Education–accredited school. Students start in mid-summer with “bridge” coursework and then join second-year Day Program students in the fall. This program allows students to dive deeply and develop professional skills at an accelerated pace in their concentration area.
“
Getting a master’s in social work opens many doors for my future. It gives me the opportunity to work in policy, clinical or even medical fields. RAY ALVAREZ, MSW 2020
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MSW
“When students get out of the classroom
FIELD EDUCATION
and grapple with real-life issues facing people
The experiential field education component of our curriculum
listening ear during this experiential journey.”
and communities, the learning is transformative. As field faculty we bridge the classroom and the community, guiding students throughout the placement process and offering individualized support, mentorship and a
provides a rich learning opportunity where you can
Rachel Wrenn Lecturer, Office of Field Education
synthesize your social work knowledge, values and skills. With more than 600 field education sites—ranging from mental health clinics and hospitals to nonprofit organizations and community agencies—our social work students learn by doing in a supervised and supportive setting. The Office of Field Education works closely with our community partners to ensure that field placements complement and enhance classroom learning, facilitating the mastery of social work competencies.
“
I learned immensely about social
workers’ role in community-based health, specifically providing resources and support to older adults. AYAN YOUSUF, MSW 2020
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”
Doctor of Philosophy
IN SOCIAL WELFARE
Our highly regarded PhD program offers an array of academic, mentoring and community engagement opportunities at one of the nation’s premier research universities. Our focus is on developing excellent researchers and teachers who intentionally incorporate anti-oppression, equity and social justice lenses into all of their scholarly pursuits. About 35 students are in the PhD program at any one time, with an annual cohort size of about five. During the first four years of study, we provide financial support through research
“
At UW I have found faculty who have nurtured
my growing skills and interests, while welcoming me into a community of scholars. Though our interests are diverse, we come
and teaching assistantships and tuition coverage for all
together in working for a more just world.
admitted students.
ERIN HARROP, PhD STUDENT
Who we are
[
53% OF PhD STUDENTS IDENTIFY AS STUDENTS OF COLOR
” [
Our graduates are offered post-docs and tenured faculty positions in highly ranked schools throughout the country.
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OUR FACULTY
Karen Fredriksen Goldsen
The School of Social Work has more than 50 highly
Aida Wells
diverse, innovative, full-time faculty members
I am so excited about our new Latinx specialization. At last, there is a social work program focused on growing a culturally responsive workforce for Latinx communities.
who are widely recognized for their teaching and scholarship. Here’s what a few faculty members have to say about teaching, research and social justice.
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Here at the School of Social Work, we pride ourselves on providing a supportive learning environment for LGBTQ students, research and community engagement.
Amelia Gavin
Taryn Lindhorst
Joining a university where students collaborate with researchers doing groundbreaking work on racial and social inequities opens up new ways of thinking and problem solving.
Students learning how to serve people with serious illnesses need mentoring and intellectual support. Our programs help students develop clinical, research and advocacy skills that are crucial to addressing inequities in health systems.
Jennie Romich
Mike Spencer
My focus is public policy and poverty. We live in a city that’s a laboratory for change. My research on Seattle’s labor laws shows how policy change can impact income inequality.
Our research partnerships with indigenous communities are grounded in the cultural values that sustain these populations who have shown great resilience in the face of adversity.
NEXT STEPS The UW School of Social Work Office of Admissions is here to help you. We invite you to connect with us by phone or email and to visit our website for information on the application process and financial resources. On our homepage, you can explore our calendar of upcoming on-campus and online information sessions, check out our drop-in advising hours, or connect with us to schedule an in-person or telephone advising session.
socialwork.uw.edu/admissions 206.543.5676 | sswinfo@uw.edu
DARE TO DO
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socialwork.uw.edu
CONNECT WITH US
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