Social Work - Virginia Commonwealth University

Practitioners. Scholars. Community leaders.

At VCU's School of Social Work, we commit to preparing professional social workers who engage our communities, initiate difficult dialogues and confront today's social inequities.

#28

Ranked No. 28 in Best Graduate Schools for Social Work by U.S. News & World Report *

100+

100+ years of educating social work students

Find your program

Bachelor of Social Work

On campus or online
Full time
Transfer agreements with Brightpoint and Reynolds community colleges

Master of Social Work

On campus or online
Full time or part time
Clinical and macro specializations
Advanced standing, dual-degree and certificate options

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work

On campus
Full time
Funded by assistantships, fellowships and other aid

Minor in social welfare

Available to non-social work majors
Completed in 18 credits

Two hands reaching out, with a beating heart in between

Minor in mental health practice

Available to non-social work majors
Completed in 18 credits

Go beyond the classroom with field education

Field placements are an integral part of the B.S.W. and M.S.W. student experience.

What is field education? Field experiences are part of our B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs. Woven into the curriculum, fieldwork enables students to prepare for professional practice through on-site work with one of our 500+ community partners.

What I didn’t expect [from field placements] was the transformative experience that shaped me not only as a social work student but also as a person.”

Alum Ravine Billy (she/her), M.S.W.'22

Go to the field education page to see what our B.S.W. and M.S.W. students do at field sites, check out highlights of the partners who work with us, and more.

Social work student Isabella Kitzmann works with Rachel Walls, licensed clinical social worker

Celebrating our graduates!

Hear from our Spring 2026 Commencement speaker, Daryl Fraser (M.S.W.'07); doctoral student speaker, Reem Shawkat (Ph.D.'26); master's student speaker, Julissa Zavala (M.S.W.'26); and undergraduate student speaker, Autumn Matusiak (B.S.W.'26).

Keep learning with the School of Social Work

Fall 2026

Several continuing education sessions are on tap for clinical social work practitioners in Fall 2026. This is a partial list – check back as we finalize our schedule!

Sept. 18-19 - Clinical Supervision Training, in-person
Oct. 1 - Culturally Adapting the CBITS (Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools), Zoom

Learn more