General Info

For over 100 years, the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration has defined the fields of social work and social welfare. 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. SSA differs from other graduate schools of social work because we challenge our students to dig deeper to understand the root causes and human costs of social inequity. Our mission is to continue to produce the best, most forwarding-thinking research in social work and social welfare policy and to prepare the best social workers to use those ideas to serve individuals, families and communities in creating a better quality of life.