About the College of Social Work

CSW Mission Statement

Through education, research, and community engagement, the College of Social Work advances the transformation of policies, practice, and interventions to alleviate human suffering, enhance well-being, and promote social justice.

College Community

The University of Utah College of Social Work, established in 1937, is a leader in social work education in the Intermountain West. The College offers students an inclusive and challenging learning environment where students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty, peers, and community partners in analyzing and resolving critical social problems.

Core Competencies & Accreditation

The University of Utah baccalaureate and master’s programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Accreditation represents a framework for ensuring educational institutions meet established performance, integrity, and quality standards. Our BSW and MSW programs adopt a competency-based approach based on the 2022 Educational Policy Accreditation Standards (EPAS) established by CSWE. The competencies required for accreditation are:

1. Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
2. Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
3. Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
4. Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
5. Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
6. Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
7. Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
8. Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
9. Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Anti-Racism Statement

The College of Social Work commits to the long-term work of anti-racism; that is, recognizing and dismantling racism and interrelated oppressions in its curriculum, programs, organizational practices, processes, and outcomes. Anti-racist social work education supports us in doing the important work of reshaping social work practice, programs, and policies for an equitable and inclusive society. It explicitly highlights, critiques, and challenges all forms of racism—individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural—by addressing how racist beliefs and ideologies structure lived experiences, personal and professional relationships, education and employment opportunities, and physical and emotional health. It also examines and challenges how programs and institutions such as education, health care, housing, food access, justice, and social provisioning, among others, support and maintain disadvantages and advantages along racial lines. We engage in the work of anti-racism to prepare social workers who will contribute to building a just, equitable, and peaceful society.

Land Acknowledgement

The University of Utah has both historical and contemporary relationships with Indigenous Peoples. Given that the Salt Lake Valley has always been a gathering place for Indigenous Peoples, we acknowledge that this land, which is named for the Ute Tribe, is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes and is a crossroad for Indigenous Peoples. The University of Utah recognizes the enduring relationships between many Indigenous Peoples and their traditional homelands. We are grateful for the territory upon which we gather today; we respect Utah’s Indigenous Peoples, the original stewards of this land; and we value the sovereign relationships that exist between tribal governments, state governments, and the federal government. Today, approximately 60,000 American Indian and Alaska Native peoples live in Utah. As a state institution, the University of Utah is committed to serving Native communities throughout Utah in partnership with Native Nations and our Urban Indian communities through research, education, and community outreach activities.

Leaders in Social Justice and Behavioral Health

The College of Social Work develops social work leaders to promote social justice and behavioral health in all communities. Health and justice includes sociocultural, economic, sovereign nation, psychological, spiritual, environmental, political, and biological dimensions. To achieve these aims, we provide rigorous education with a focus on people from all backgrounds and vulnerable populations, social justice initiatives, and interdisciplinary collaboration. We collaborate with community partners to develop, implement, optimize, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to practice and policy. Our students study and apply critically-appraised research, theories of practice, behavioral health interventions, models of community practice, innovative research methods, and policy analyses that prepare them to lead locally and globally. Our faculty and research staff engage in a research-to-practice model integrating advances in service delivery informed by translational research. Through federal, state, and foundation grant funding, the College’s research activities produce and disseminate knowledge to improve individual and societal well-being.

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