The School @ a Glance

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. The early social workers in Western countries fought to outlaw child labor and to provide universal social security. Their successors all over the world 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.

The Crown Family School’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.

Accreditation

The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice Master of Arts Program in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and its predecessor organizations since 1919. The Crown Family School was reaccredited through June 2028. 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.

Programs

The University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice prepares students to become leaders in the field of social work. The Crown Family School offers graduate work leading to both the AM (Master of Arts) and PhD degrees.

The Crown Family School offers two Master's Degree Programs: Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration (SW) and Social Sector Leadership and Nonprofit Management (SSL). 

Graduates of the Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration program receive an AM degree, which is equivalent to an MSW, but with a broader educational and experiential foundation that combines direct social work practice with policy development, interdisciplinary research and social science theory. The SSL program provides students a deep understanding of the organizational and policy environments shaping social sector action with skills in organizational management, governance, and analysis. The School also offers a combined AB/AM degree for University of Chicago undergraduate students in the College, as well as joint degree programs (AM/MBA, AM/MDiv, AM/MPP) for the Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration AM; a joint degree program (AM/MPP) for the Social Sector Leadership and Nonprofit Management AM; and a dual AM SW/SSL program.

The Crown Family School also offers a minor, Inequality, Social Problems, and Change, exclusively for students in the College.

Since 1920, our Doctoral Program has provided training for those interested in pursuing an academic career in social work and social welfare. The Crown Family School’s doctoral graduates are leaders in the field of social work and social welfare scholarship. The program is designed to deepen students' mastery of both social science theory and research methods so that students are prepared to contribute to scholarly knowledge in innovative ways. The program accommodates students who are interested in developing and evaluating practice methods and interventions as well as those interested in understanding social problems and accompanying institutional and political responses. The diverse theoretical approaches of the Crown Family School's faculty make it uniquely positioned to support an interdisciplinary course of study.

Financial Aid

Each year, the Crown Family School provides more than $4 million to students in scholarships. Approximately 98% of our Master’s students are funded with a range of tuition awards. Doctoral students are fully funded during their first five years.

Students (2022-2023)

Total Enrollment 

  • Total AM Enrollment: 408 
  • Total PhD Enrollment: 60

Demographics (Autumn 2023)

  • AM Programs:
    • Asian: 36 (9%)
    • Black: 43 (10.5%) 
    • Declined to Respond: 8 (2%)
    • Islander: 1 (<1%)
    • Latinx: 60 (14.7%)
    • Multiracial: 19 (5%)
    • White: 185 (45.3%)
  • PhD Program:
    • Arab/North African: 1 (2%)
    • Asian: 3 (5%)
    • Black: 9 (15%)
    • Declined to Respond: 1 (2%)
    • Latinx: 8 (13%)
    • Multiracial: 2 (3%)
    • White: 24 (40%)

  • International Students:

    • AM: 45 (11%)

    • PhD: 12 (20%)

Class Size

In the Master's program, classes may be as large as 30 students and as small as 6-10 students. Classes in the Master's Core Curriculum are capped at 30 students. 

Faculty (2022-2023)

The Crown Family School has 32 distinguished faculty who were trained in fields such as anthropology, economics, psychology, and sociology, as well as social work and social welfare.

Demographics

  • Female: 21
  • Male: 11

Faculty 2022-2023

  • Hispanic: 1 (3%)
  • Asian: 4 (12%)
  • African American: 6 (19%)
  • White: 21 (66%)

     TOTAL: 32