Our Mission

Vision

Transforming our world, our future, ourselves

Mission

The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work:

  • Prepares courageous leaders to transform social work practice, policy, research, and education in a community-engaged and inclusive environment
  • Develops and advances innovative approaches to understand, prevent, and ameliorate complex social problems
  • Builds collaborative partnerships to promote social justice

In furtherance of its mission, the goals of the School of Social Work are to:

  • Educate professional social workers with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to engage in culturally competent practice with diverse populations and communities, to critically analyze personal, familial and environmental factors affecting practice settings and practice techniques, and to advocate for those who confront barriers to maximizing the achievement of their fullest potential.
  • Engage in scholarly activities that contribute to professional knowledge about complex social problems and innovative approaches to ameliorate those problems.
  • Provide service to local, national, and international communities through the development of participation in collaborations with social agencies, community-based organizations, government, and foundations.

The University of Pittsburgh is accredited by the Middle States Commission of Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 267-284-5000. The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The School of Social Work is also a member of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW).