Highly rated and comprehensive social work education in Iowa

Welcome to the University of Iowa School of Social Work, providing the most highly rated and comprehensive social work education in Iowa.

Job opportunities for social workers are rapidly increasing in Iowa and nationally - and our educational programs are growing, too. We invite you to consider earning your degree with us.

Social work is a helping profession that offers unlimited career paths—whether you aspire to become a clinician/therapist, a case manager, an organizational or community leader, a social justice advocate, an intervention researcher; or to bring social work skills to a different industry or setting. A social work education will provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in working with individuals, groups, communities, and social systems to help you develop in your career.

If you are interested in a social work education, please consider what The University of Iowa has to offer.

Why Iowa?

Experience a unique and accredited education in social work at all degree levels

  • We are the only School of Social Work in Iowa that offers degrees at all levels-- BA, MSW, and PhD — and we work with students to help them achieve their educational aspirations.
  • We've been serving the state of Iowa through multiple learning centers for more than 50 years. We offer MSW programs in Iowa City, Des Moines, Sioux City, and through an online program. Our new MSW curriculum offers specializations in Clinical Practice or Leadership Practice.
  • We manage undergraduate certificate programs in Resilience and Trauma-Informed Perspectives, Critical Cultural Competence, and a graduate certificate in Aging and Longevity Studies, and help interested students earn these credentials during their social work program.
  • We have clinical and instructional faculty who are skilled practitioners at micro and macro levels and who provide excellent mentorship to students.
  • We are home to two research and training centers with exciting projects across Iowa and the U.S., and which offer learning opportunities for students: the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice and the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation.
  • We also host Wild Bill’s a learning lab and community space in Iowa City where students can build their skills in social work, community advocacy, and leadership, and create multimedia projects to advance understanding of social justice issues. 
Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs

The Iowa experience

Our faculty are nationally recognized for their research and impact in fields like aging, child and family well-being, behavioral and mental health, poverty, neighborhood and community development, and interpersonal violence.

Mission and history

The University of Iowa School of Social Work has been "paving the way" in social work education in the state of Iowa since 1913. 

Accreditation

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories. 

The University of Iowa BA with a major in Social Work program has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1974. The University of Iowa MSW Program has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1951. The most recent re-affirmation by the Commission on Accreditation for both programs occurred in 2018.

Social work competencies

CSWE’s accreditation standards are based on a competency-based education framework focused on student learning outcomes. The nine Social Work Competencies are listed below.

  • Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
  • Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
  • Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
  • Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
  • Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
  • Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
  • Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
  • Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
  • Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

More details on the competencies are available on the CSWE website.

Assessment of student learning outcomes

The University of Iowa School of Social Work's Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes can be found below: