Our Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) program prepares students for generalist social work practice with diverse populations. Our Master of Social Work (MSW) program is one of the few in the nation that has a sole focus on clinical/medical social work, and it prepares students for practice in health and behavioral health settings. Both programs are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Our Vision Statement
A more socially-just society that fosters the health and well-being of all.
Our Mission Statement
To promote social justice and advance health equity for vulnerable populations through anti-racist and anti-oppressive teaching, research, and service designed to effect change at local, state, national, and global levels.
Our goals for teaching are to:
- promote the teaching and learning of social work through high-impact pedagogy and the use of anti-racist and anti-oppressive methods.
- prepare social work students to promote social and economic justice and advance health equity through interprofessional practice, health advocacy, policy development, and evaluation.
- create learning environments in partnership with faculty, students, staff, and community-partners that are anti-racist and anti-oppressive.
Our goals for research and scholarship are to:
- engage in research that combats racism and oppression among vulnerable populations and in social work education and practice.
- produce and disseminate evidence-based research that advances social justice and health equity.
- center indigenous and marginalized voices in research development, application, and dissemination of results.
Our goals for service are to:
- engage in partnership with organizations and communities at all levels to identify, conceptualize, and develop strategies and resources to promote social justice and advance health equity.
- provide service leadership at all levels by participating in a broad range of activities that demonstrate our commitment to citizenship and our responsibility for social justice and health equity.
Our History
UAB’s Undergraduate Social Work Program was established in 1976 and was fully accredited in 1977. Since its inception, Social Work at UAB has partnered with several departments, such as Political Science and Public Administration, Anthropology, Public Health, and Sociology. In 2011, Social Work became an independent department within the College of Arts and Sciences and has remained committed to evidence-based research, innovative teaching models, and service leadership.
In 2017, the Master of Social Work Program was established, and has a sole focus on clinical/medical social work. It was fully accredited in 2019, and debuted in the U.S. and World Reports ranking in the top 20 percent of social work programs in the nation.
The UAB Department of Social Work remains housed in University Hall, a state-of-the-art facility overlooking the Campus Green.