Five University of Kansas Master of Social Work graduates in regalia pose for a group photo at MSW graduation

University of Kansas School of Social Welfare

Educating, training and supporting qualified, compassionate social workers.

Be a Jayhawk Social Worker

Explore our academic programs and learn get ready to apply for an undergraduate or graduate degree in social work.
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Master of Social Work (MSW)

Our master's program prepares graduates for advanced social work practice in clinical or macro concentrations. Students can pursue their degree full-time or part-time, both on campus and online.

Four social work graduate students talk and work on laptop computers

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

Majoring in social work at KU prepares students for entry-level social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. KU offers the undergraduate BSW program in Lawrence and the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park.

Three KU social work students walk down a hallway in Green Hall

Doctoral Programs

The online Doctor of Social Work (DSW) is a practice doctorate focused on teaching, leadership and translational science. The Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) is an in-person program focused on research, scholarship and education.

Fraser Hall on the University of Kansas campus

Resources for Current Students

Information and student support
Find student support services within the School.
Current Student Resources

KU Social Welfare Stories

Students walk in front of Green Hall, home of the KU schools of social welfare and law

Partnership provides expanded mental health support for students

KU’s schools of social welfare and law are partnering to provide expanded mental health support for their students. New this academic year, a clinician from KU CAPS is offering counseling services to students in Green Hall.
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A group of graduate students talk in a circle in the new KU School of Social Welfare lobby area on the third floor of Green Hall

Move to Green Hall

The School of Social Welfare moved to Green Hall at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester, leaving its long-time academic home at Twente Hall. The renovated third floor of Green Hall is designed to serve students.
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A KU MSW student in the Integrated Health Scholars Program shares their capstone project research in a poster presentation.

Strengthening the mental health workforce in rural Kansas

The Integrated Health Scholars Program trains KU MSW students to provide mental health services in rural, high-need Kansas communities. The program addresses critical gaps in care – 96 of 105 Kansas counties are in Health Professional Shortage Areas for Mental Health.
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Latest News

Social Welfare students work on a group assignment during their SW410 410 Professional Writing Skills in Social Work class.

Professional writing course helps Social Welfare students enhance evergreen skills

Joe Bush, professional writing consultant and adjunct instructor for the KU School of Social Welfare, is teaching SW 410 this spring. Bush worked with the Bachelor of Social Work curriculum committee to update and modernize the course.
A new exhibit on display in Spencer Research Library

KU Libraries partner with Social Welfare associate professor to launch inaugural David M. Bergeron and Geraldo Sousa Exhibit

In a new exhibition in Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas, historical texts and contemporary artwork sit side by side, inviting intergenerational exploration and new ideas about the universal experience of growing older. An opening reception for “Aging, Art, and Activism: Reimagining Our Aging Futures through Creative Representations and Personal Narratives” will take place March 31.
MSW student Aurea Bailey

MSW Spotlight: Aurea Bailey

Aurea Bailey, who will receive her MSW from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare in May, currently lives in St. Robert, Missouri. Her family had to move there abruptly when her husband was relocated, but the nature of the online MSW program through Jayhawk Global kept options open for Bailey.
Kelsey Hunter, coordinator of the Prevention is Possible academic seminar, leads a class section in spring 2026. Hunter received a 2025 NASPA Innovative Program Award for the seminar course this fall.

Seminar to prevent sexual violence on campus earns national recognition

More than 7,000 KU students have completed the Prevention is Possible Seminar since 2018. The program - a partnership between the KU Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center and the KU School of Social Welfare - earned a 2025 NASPA Innovative Program Award.
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Discoveries That Transform Lives

Research at the KU School of Social Welfare reaches across the state of Kansas and beyond.
Research & Service Research & Service

Serving Our Communities

$2.4M+
estimated monetary value of student social service volunteer hours in Kansas (2023-2024)
145,000+
practicum hours contributed by KU social work students to the state of Kansas in 2023-2024
$3.6M+
sponsored research funding going directly to Kansas partners (2023)

Connect with KU Social Welfare

Connect with the School through continuing education, professional development, community engagement programs and alumni events.
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Upcoming Events

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