University of Minnesota School of Social Work

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The School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota is a top-ranked graduate school of social work. The University of Minnesota School of Social Work, established in 1917, is the oldest graduate social work program in public land grant university. In addition, the doctoral program, established in 1946, is the oldest doctoral social work program in a public university. The UMSSW is currently a part of the College of Education and Human Development. The UMSSW moved to the St. Paul, Minnesota campus in 2000 to a newly renovated, state-of-the-art building.

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program is consistently ranked among the top 20 MSW programs in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report.^{[citation needed]} Students may choose full-time, part-time, week-end, advanced standing and distance options for completing their MSW. The SSW is a pioneer in providing MSW distance education options, with programs offered over interactive television and the Internet. The SSW offers MSW programs focusing on direct practice or community practice. The community practice program, with specializations in human services management and community organizing & advocacy, is the only one of its kind in the upper midwest.^{[citation needed]} In addition, there are joint programs with the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and the School of Public Health. The SSW also offers a research-based doctoral program, and three undergraduate minors in social justice, youth studies and family violence prevention.

The 24 tenure line faculty are among the most productive social work scholars in the nation. They are leading researchers in public social services, including child welfare and aging; violence prevention; youth studies; mental health; disability policy, and social welfare history. The SSW is home to six research and training centers[1], including the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) [2], the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) [3], The Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking (CRJP) [4], and the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community (IDVAAC) [5]. In addition, a nationally recognized historical collection, the Social Welfare History Archives, is housed at the University of Minnesota campus.