Why Iowa?

With mental health services in greater demand than ever, social work training has never been more valuable. As the home of the largest and highest-ranked social work programs in the state, the University of Iowa has resources and expertise to prepare you for vital and rewarding careers helping people and communities.

Make an impact

Transform lives

Collaborative and committed

The Iowa difference

Benefit from the expertise, learning, and training opportunities you can only find at a Big 10 university and health sciences campus like the University of Iowa

# 1

Highest-ranked MSW program in Iowa

US News and World Report

Social work: a career and a calling

Social workers are the nation’s largest group of mental health services providers. There are more clinically trained social workers—over 250,000—than psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses combined. And with an expected growth in jobs of 12 percent by 2030, social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States.

“I chose to study social work as an undergraduate student and will continue on with attaining my master's here because of the faculty. The department is small enough that everyone will know your name, and they will be the first ones to check in and provide you with support and connection.”

- Olivia Van Fosson-Roelfs

Portrait of Olivia Van Fosson-Roelfs

A format that fits your life

You have a lot going on–Iowa’s online MSW makes it possible to advance professionally without putting the rest of your life on pause.

# 19

Online MSW program in the nation

Source: College Consensus

News and announcements

Conrad gives expert commentary on how engagement-driven algorithms shape children’s exposure to AI-generated content

Thursday, February 26, 2026
Aislinn Conrad, an associate professor of Social Work at the University of Iowa research focuses on child abuse prevention and the ethical integration of artificial intelligence.

Building social work careers in Siouxland: Meet the leader behind the Sioux City MSW program

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Sarah Stevens, practicum and program administrator for the School of Social Work, dedicates herself to helping MSW students thrive in Sioux City.

Finding purpose and community: How a transfer student immersed himself in Iowa’s BA in Social Work program

Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Nick Grober transferred to the University of Iowa to pursue a BA in Social Work, drawn to the program's experiential learning offerings and tight-knit community.

Upcoming events

Sioux City MSW Info Session

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Virtual
To learn about the MSW program options and specializations available in Sioux City.

Online MSW Info Session

Thursday, March 12, 2026 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Virtual

Please join us via Zoom for an info session to learn more about the online MSW program.

https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/91760640877

Questions? Contact Lauren at ssw-admissions@uiowa.edu

One Day for Iowa | The University of Iowa's Annual Giving Day promotional image

One Day for Iowa | The University of Iowa's Annual Giving Day

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 (all day)
Virtual

One Day for Iowa returns on Wednesday, March 25, marking 10 years of Hawkeyes coming together to support what matters most at the University of Iowa.

Give now: https://1dayforiowa.org/3N96oqb

Our 24-hour online giving day is a chance for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends to make an impact—supporting scholarships, research, health care, the arts, student experiences, and more. With special matching and unlocking opportunities throughout the day, every gift has the power to go further.

Ce...

"Reimagining the Rural from Idyll to Hinterland: Exhausting Rural Childhoods” — keynote lecture by Esther Pereen, University of Amsterdam promotional image

"Reimagining the Rural from Idyll to Hinterland: Exhausting Rural Childhoods” — keynote lecture by Esther Pereen, University of Amsterdam

Thursday, March 26, 2026 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art

This is a keynote lecture for the 2025-2026 Obermann Symposium: "Cultivating Rurality: Building Community around Rural Research."

Esther Pereen, University of Amsterdam: "Reimagining the Rural from Idyll to Hinterland: Exhausting Rural Childhoods”

Across the social and cultural realms, the rural is often imagined through idyllic and pastoral genres that allow it to be conceived as a refuge from globalization. Pereen's European Research Council–funded project RURAL IMAGINATIONS, concentrating on...

 "More than 'Not Urban': Serving Rural Communities as Places and as People" — keynote lecture by Andy Mink, Smithsonian Institute promotional image

"More than 'Not Urban': Serving Rural Communities as Places and as People" — keynote lecture by Andy Mink, Smithsonian Institute

Friday, March 27, 2026 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Iowa City Public Library

This is a keynote lecture for the 2025-2026 Obermann Symposium: "Cultivating Rurality: Building Community around Rural Research."

Andy Mink, Smithsonian Institute: "More than 'Not Urban': Serving Rural Communities as Places and as People"

What are synonyms for rural? Country and small town? Rustic or backcountry? Pastoral or hick? Rural communities are an important part of American life and history, yet they are frequently seen in a deficit model defined by what they are not instead of what they...

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