VCU School of Social Work

Welcome to the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University. As you peruse our Web site, you will see that the VCU School of Social Work is a vibrant learning community, actively engaged in research and in the community, fostering partnerships with a range of stakeholders, deeply committed to social justice, and to being a leader in the university and in the national social work community.

We are among the top schools of social work in the country, as evidenced by the M.S.W. program’s ranking of 14th by U.S. News and World Report. We offer B.S.W., M.S.W. and Ph.D. degree programs on the Richmond VCU campus as well as the M.S.W. at our off-campus site in Alexandria, Va., a short distance from Washington, D.C. Guided by the principles of promoting social and economic justice in a diverse and multicultural society, the faculty in the School of Social Work provide a learning environment that prepares professional social workers as practitioners, scholars and leaders, who promote human well-being and respond to inequities that limit human rights and the quality of life.

The scholarship of our faculty is well known through their authoring of textbooks that are used in social work programs throughout the country, their research in areas such as aging, domestic violence, health, mental illness and mental health, homelessness, substance abuse, at-risk families and employment, and their numerous national and international presentations.

One of the signatures of our school is its engagement with the community. In addition to the community-based scholarship and service of our faculty, the School of Social Work is the home of the Virginia Institute for Social Services Training Activities, the training arm for state social service workers for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and a growing continuing education program for social work practitioners.

Students who pursue their social work education with us are able to take advantage of the expertise of our faculty and the richness of our community activities. Through field placement in a wide array of community settings, including our state and nation’s capital areas, to participation in research projects with faculty, students learn to bring about change through knowledge and action.

Again, welcome! Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the school. I invite you to explore our programs and the opportunities available at VCU’s School of Social Work.

Cordially,
Ann Nichols-Casebolt, Ph.D.
Interim Dean, Professor and Vice President for Research Development, VCU Office of Research