About the School

The School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin, the flagship institution of the University of Texas System, offers programs leading to the BSW, MSSW, and Ph.D. degrees.

Enrollment in the School’s undergraduate and graduate programs has increased by 35 percent over the past 10 years to nearly 800 students, and growth is expected to continue over the next two decades. Our distinguished 43-member faculty is one of the most diverse in the university, with a wide range of expertise in many topics including: mental illness, substance abuse, health behavior interventions, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, child welfare, aging, grief and loss, and juvenile justice. See University Experts Guide.

Bachelor’s Program The BSW program combines liberal arts with social work classes to prepare individuals for entry into direct human service  professional positions. Majoring in social work at UT-Austin provides students with many opportunities. BSW students can take advantage of all the university-wide and community activities, and at the same time enjoy the benefits of a small program that provides a great deal of personal attention.

Master’s Program The MSSW program, ranked #7 nationally, offers a foundation curriculum followed by a sequence of courses in one of two areas of concentration: Clinical Social Work or Community and Administrative Leadership. Within these concentrations, students can build their areas of expertise. Internship settings are located in Texas, out-of-state, and abroad. Students may extend the two-year, full-time program up to 3½ years. Students with a BSW from an accredited school complete 42-48 credit hours for the degree. For interested MSSW students, the School of Social Work offers portfolio programs as well as four dual-degree master’s programs in collaboration with The University of Texas School of Law, LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Health Science Center School of Public Health, and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

PhD Program Those who pursue a PhD in social work find opportunities in academia and social and behavioral health sciences research. Students in the School’s PhD program have an opportunity to become involved in ongoing applied research and training projects across a wide range of areas.

Center for Social Work Research & Institutes The School’s own Center for Social Work Research (CSWR) is nationally recognized, with more than $20 million in funded research and 10 institutes that provide expertise in research methodology and/or training related to a specific social work topic or specialization. Through CSWR’s pursuit of interdisciplinary, scientifically rigorous social and behavioral health sciences research, the School of Social Work has created close ties with local and state service organizations and the larger community, thus facilitating student research opportunities. The School of Social Work offers a wealth of opportunities for graduate students to develop their research and teaching skills. Each year, a number of colloquia, conferences, and symposia sponsored by the School offer graduate students forums for the presentation of their work.

Alumni The School’s 6,000 alumni are committed to service in the nonprofit, government, education and business communities, and to the pursuit of social work research, education, and scholarship in Texas, nationally, and internationally.

The BSW and MSSW programs are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the accrediting organization for undergraduate and master’s level professional social work education. Visit the program links for specific information about each program. You may request information and application packets on-line or call (512) 232-7352 or (877) 875-7352.

All phone numbers use Area Code 512.

Resources

• Organizational Chart (PDF)
• An Idea Worth Fulfilling–A complete history of the School of Social Work (1950-1983) (PDF)
• Gender Equity Plan 2009 (PDF)