UNC School of Social Work
Founded in 1920, UNC School of Social Work is one of the oldest professional schools at UNC-Chapel Hill. The School offers Master of Social Work (MSW) and Ph.D. in Social Work degrees. The School recently completed an extensive BSW Feasibility Study and seeks to enroll 100 undergraduates by 2029. The on-campus MSW program, with more than 400 students enrolled, is one of the country’s highest-ranked social work programs and focuses on evidence-informed practice. Most recently, U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” ranked the on-ground MSW program #2 among public schools and #4 overall (tied) in the nation. Approximately 160 students are enrolled in the School’s new online MSW program, increasing access to underserved populations, particularly adult learners. An online Advanced Standing MSW program is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. School of Social Work faculty recently voted to prepare and implement a bachelor’s degree program i social work at Carolina, which will seek to enroll its first cohort in Fall 2026. Since 1993, more than 140 students have earned their doctorate in social work from our School, which aims to develop scholars and educators who are prepared for careers in academia, research, and policy. Faculty use advanced research methods to inform, develop and evaluate practice, program and policy interventions to promote social change. Our social work scholars were awarded more than $31.8 million in research awards in 2024. The most recent analysis puts the School at #4.
OUR MISSION
Our School has adopted this statement as our mission: Advancing equity, transforming systems, and improving lives. Our students, faculty, and staff are committed to understanding the etiology of social problems and to developing and implementing evidence-informed policies and practices that address those problems. This commitment calls us to serve vulnerable and marginalized populations in North Carolina and around the world.
OUR VISION
Our School works to become the leading school of social work for impact — generating knowledge with powerful and positive consequences. We embrace both the scholarship of discovery (knowing) and of translation (doing).
OUR VALUES
Our School has chosen six core values as a touchstone for excellence in all that we do. Our community demonstrates these values in both our personal and professional lives.
HOW WE WORK
• Rigorously
• Courageously
• Persistently
HOW WE INTERACT
• With trustworthiness
• With inclusivity
• With compassion
The School’s centers, labs and institutes partner with communities across the state, nation and globe in search of . For more on our current research, please visit sswimpactreport.unc.edu; for more on our current mental health initiatives, please see ssw.unc.edu/news. To sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, please visit: go.unc.edu/signup4impact