Portland State University - School of Social Work

WELCOME TO THE PSU SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Founded in 1961 by the Oregon Legislature to serve the state’s social work education needs, Portland State University’s School of Social Work is the only public institution in Oregon awarding undergraduate or graduate degrees in Social Work and Child, Youth, and Family Studies. Every year, we prepare over 1,000 students to meet the state’s workforce needs. More than half of Oregon’s licensed social workers are PSU alumni. Additionally, our nationally recognized research and workforce development centers help shape the future of social work and human services practice and annually generate $10M in research funding. Through both research and education we strive to live by our motto, “Changing lives, changing communities.” Students in our programs represent a number of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, neurodiverse and disabled learners, queer and trans students, students from economically marginalized communities, and veterans. The SSW is dedicated to social change and social justice, and the school has played a key role in making PSU a nationally recognized top performer on social mobility. U.S. News and World Report ranks PSU #36 in the nation on its ability to advance social mobility by enrolling and graduating a significant proportion of economically disadvantaged students. Our undergraduate programs include the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and the Child, Youth, and Family Studies (CYFS) programs. Both BSW and CYFS programs offer classes online and face to face on the Portland campus. The BSW program is the only fully online BSW program in the Pacific Northwest, meeting the needs of second career and adult learners throughout the State of Oregon and providing a pathway to Advanced Standing MSW programs throughout the country. The popular CYFS program prepares students throughout the state for careers in human services, education, criminal justice, and special education. Its critical, theoretical, and liberal arts curriculum also prepares students to succeed in graduate programs — both academic and professional. At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Social Work (MSW) program and a Ph.D Program in Social Work and Social Research. Ranked among the top 12% of Schools of Social Work in the nation by US News World Report, our MSW program is available both on campus and online, with distance sites in Eugene and Bend, Oregon. The MSW program continues to be the only public graduate social work program accredited in Oregon by the Council on Social Work Education. Our Ph.D program educates the next generation of scholars, researchers, teachers, and leaders in social work and related fields. Our doctoral graduates are hired into tenure-track academic positions in universities across the country. Many of them conduct research as principal investigators on major research projects, while others hold leadership roles in diverse communities and social service organizations. Students across our programs have the opportunity to work directly with community agencies through our Field Education Program, where they gain hands-on experience by contributing 268,000 hours of learning, service, and community engagement to the state of Oregon every year. Through the Regional Research Institute (RRI) and the Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services (CCF) the school also hosts large-scale, grant-supported projects, as well as faculty-directed and student-directed studies. RRI conducts innovative research and program evaluations, addressing critical community issues around the world. It has developed a national reputation for the quality of its participatory action work. CCF is also recognized nationally, as a research, training, and consultation center, working across Oregon and beyond. Founded as a partnership between the School of Social Work and Oregon Child Welfare in 1993, CCF services touch on the fields of early childhood, family support, and cross-systems integration for children and youth. Together, RRI and CCF bring in 20% of all funded research at Portland State University, with an average annual budget of $11 million. Portland State University’s School of Social Work meets Oregon’s needs by graduating future social workers and human services practitioners, contributing to the state’s social services, and continuing to advance both research and workforce development at a nationally-recognized standard. OUR MISSION Rooted in justice, relationship, and community collaboration, PSU SSW advances knowledge and creates social change through teaching, research, practice, and advocacy.