University of Kansas School of Social Welfare

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University of Kansas School of Social Welfare

The official page of the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Educating, training and supporting qualified, compassionate social workers.

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare offers the only comprehensive program in social work in Kansas with the professional degrees of:

* Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (Ph.D)
* Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
* Master of Social Work (MSW)
* Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

KU's School of Social Welfare is an excellent place to pursue your interests in professional socia

l work education. It is the oldest school of social welfare in the state and the only one to offer degree preparation from undergraduate through doctoral degrees in social work. Our social work programs at the B.S.W., M.S.W., and Ph.D. levels are consistently rated as excellent by experts and alumni, and, especially, by those who employ our graduates. Whether they enter the arena of professional social work practice (B.S.W. and M.S.W.) or take on the challenging roles of social work researcher/educator (Ph.D.), our graduates report that they are well-equipped to succeed. Social Media Community Guidelines

The University of Kansas encourages interaction from social media users but is not responsible for comments or postings made by visitors to the page. Comments posted by visitors do not in any way reflect the opinions or policies of the university. KU asks that people making comments on university pages show respect for their fellow users by ensuring the discussion remains civil, especially because some networks allow individuals as young as 13 years old to join. Comments are also subject to each social network’s Terms of Use and Code of Conduct. The university reserves the right, but assumes no obligation, to remove comments it deems to be threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, off-topic or duplicative, or that advocate illegal activity, incite violence, or make ad hominem attacks on KU students, employees, or guests. We also may remove messages selling products or promoting commercial, political, or other ventures, or messages that violate intellectual property rights or privacy laws or are otherwise unlawful.

09/02/2026

Social Welfare associate dean for research and professor Juliana Carlson was one of ten faculty members selected to join the Senior Administrative Fellows cohort for the 2026-27 academic year. The signature KU program dates back to 1993.

Through the program, fellows learn more about KU and administrative roles, engage in self-reflection and assessment of their own leadership styles and preferences, and consider possible leadership pathways in academia.

08/31/2026

Welcome to our new Doctor of Social Work (DSW) students!

Fall 2026 DSW entering class stats:

➡️ 13 new students

➡️ Five states

➡️ MSW degrees from seven universities, including six KU MSW graduates

They come to the fully online DSW program with social work experience in areas including school social work, healthcare, private practice therapy, and social work education.

DSW students have at least three years of social work practice experience beyond their Master of Social Work degree. The new KU DSW cohort brings more than 170 years of combined social work practice experience.

New students in the DSW program attended an online orientation this month, before starting their first classes on Saturday morning. We can’t wait to see what you all create as social work leaders!

08/28/2026

Before the fall semester, Social Welfare staff and faculty met with Bachelor of Social Work students to discuss 500 level coursework, as well as other resources at the disposal of Social Welfare students.

We look forward to the academic year with you!

08/26/2026

Eric Rosen’s memory is precise. He can weave together his own history and his career in social work, public service, and the Kansas judicial system. More noticeably, he often talks about serving others, and his motivations are consistent.

His social work education and longstanding interest in mental health have shaped his approach throughout his career. He brought those themes together in his commencement speech at the School of Social Welfare’s 2007 graduation.

“It’s funny because, at the time, I remember thinking the speech wasn’t particularly good. But when I look back at it now, I’m proud of what I said. The issues I talked about then are still with us now. In many ways, I could give essentially the same speech today.”

08/25/2026

The tradition of hosting support dogs at the School of Social Welfare's Back to School Bash was a success (again).

08/24/2026

It's the first day of class for the fall 2026 semester at KU. On Sunday, Social Welfare faculty and staff met with our new Bachelor of Social Work students to introduce them to the program and assist them in meeting their fellow classmates.

We are looking forward to a great semester!

08/23/2026

The semester is finally here!

Thank you to students, faculty and staff who joined us today at the School of Social Welfare's Back to School Bash. We had mingling, trivia, therapy dogs, plants, crafts, letter-writing and an excuse for us to get together and see your faces.

We are so excited for another semester working with you.

08/20/2026

For much of his life, Sean Kirk didn’t have aspirations. He spent the better part of 20 years struggling with substance abuse and addiction, with trips in and out of jail and struggling to navigate the criminal justice system.

“The most I hoped to do was be an auto mechanic someday,” Kirk said. “Coming out of that to now finding myself in a place where I'm about to actually meet those goals is very surreal.”

08/17/2026

The School of Social Welfare is hiring an undergraduate program recruitment coordinator.

This position is responsible for new student recruitment to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program in the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. This position implements and monitors undergraduate recruitment strategy for the School of Social Welfare.

Brief job description:
- 50% Recruitment Events & Outreach
- 30% Recruitment Tactics, Recruitment Strategy and Prospect Management
- 10% Student Ambassador Program Management
- 10% Service and Miscellaneous Duties

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and one year of experience.
Minimum of 3 months of presentation experience as evidenced by coursework, extracurricular activities, or professional presentations.
Strong written communication skills, as evidenced by application materials.

For more info: https://bit.ly/4wEFJSZ

08/13/2026

These Master of Social Work graduates gave insight on their experiences with the School of Social Welfare and how they find meaning in the work.

Address

1535 West 15th Street
Lawrence, KS
66045

Website

http://www.socwel.ku.edu/, https://www.instagram.com/kuschoolofsocialwelfare/

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