UCLA School of Social Welfare: A Legacy of Impact and Innovation

The UCLA School of Social Welfare, a department within UCLA Luskin's School of Public Affairs, has a rich history of preparing social work professionals and advancing knowledge in the field. Established in 1947, the department is committed to enhancing human well-being and promoting social and economic justice for disadvantaged populations. As the oldest and largest department within UCLA Luskin in terms of student enrollment and faculty size, the School of Social Welfare plays a crucial role in training the next generation of practitioners and leaders for the social work profession. It also contributes significantly to the knowledge base for social work policy and practice, both in California and around the world.

Academic Programs Offered

The UCLA Department of Social Welfare offers a range of academic programs designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to address complex social issues. These programs include:

Master of Social Welfare (MSW): A two-year full-time program (or a three-year part-time option for students interested in Child and Family Well-Being) that combines theory, leadership, and research with generalist and specialized practicums of practice.
Ph.D. in Social Welfare: A program focused on educating the next generation of social welfare scholars and leaders.
B.A. in Public Affairs: An undergraduate program that provides students with an in-depth understanding of public service through critical thinking, social science methodology, and experiential learning.
Minor in Public Affairs: A program that teaches students the skills of policy analysis and exposes them to the issues facing today's policymakers.

Master of Social Welfare (MSW) Program: A Detailed Look

The MSW program is designed to prepare students for advanced social work practice. The curriculum integrates theoretical knowledge with practical skills, enabling graduates to effectively address the needs of diverse populations and communities.

Curriculum Structure:

The two-year full-time MSW program consists of coursework and practicum education. Students are required to complete a total of 91 units of course work.

Year 1: Students are assigned an academic adviser to guide them through their program of study. They also participate in a concurrent field placement, spending approximately 550 hours in a practice setting.
Year 2: During the spring quarter of their first year, students select an Area of Concentration (AoC) to focus their second-year studies. The second year also includes a field placement, with students spending approximately 650 hours in their placement. Specific course requirements for each concentration are outlined, and all areas of concentration require eight units of MSW elective course work to meet the minimum unit requirement for the degree.

Areas of Concentration:

Students in the MSW program choose one of three areas of concentration during the spring quarter of their first year:

Child and Family Well-Being: This concentration prepares students to understand the determinants of well-being for children and families. It equips students with the skills to intervene using methods that promote child and family functioning in various areas, such as physical, behavioral, affective, social, and cognitive domains. Graduates of this concentration work in public and private welfare agencies, school systems, mental health settings, and healthcare practices.
Health and Mental Health: This concentration emphasizes expertise in health and mental health across the lifespan. It integrates research, critical thinking, practice, leadership, and policy analysis. The curriculum examines well-being and resilience, as well as disease and disability, drawing from the social determinants of health model. The practice emphasis is on prevention and behavior change through theoretically driven, empirically tested, culturally tailored, and technology-supported interventions. Graduates pursue careers in a wide range of health, mental health, and substance abuse-oriented settings, including private practice.
Social and Economic Justice: This concentration prepares students to promote social justice and equity in various domestic and global social welfare settings. The program uses an integrated model of theory, policy advocacy, research, and advanced generalist practice skills. Students can pursue careers in community development, voluntary/non-profit sector services, criminal and juvenile justice settings, or in policy advocacy and implementation, grassroots organizing, and government agencies.

Practicum Requirements:

The MSW program includes a concurrent field placement in each of the two years. The overall time requirement is approximately 1,200 hours. Time spent in placement may vary according to the academic year calendar, holidays, and guidelines established by the program or placement setting. Field experience in the M.S.W. program earns course credit via enrollment in SW 401A (3 units) in the fall of the first year, SW 401B (3 units) in winter, and SW 401C (3 units) in the spring; and SW 402A (4 units) in the fall of the second year, SW 402B (4 units) in the winter, and SW 402C (4 units) in the spring.

Three-Year Part-Time Option:

As of fall 2021, a three-year part-time program is available as an option for students interested in the Child and Family Well-Being area of concentration. Students in this program take classes in the mornings and work with their practicum agencies to complete their required internship hours over the course of their academic program. As the classes and internships will be scheduled during regular business hours, this is not an evening and weekend program.

Ph.D. in Social Welfare Program: Developing Scholars and Leaders

The Ph.D. in Social Welfare program at UCLA is designed to train research-oriented scholars who will advance the field of social welfare through research and knowledge development. The program aims to prepare graduates for leadership roles in academic, policy, and practice settings.

Curriculum Organization:

The curriculum is organized into three major areas:

Specialization in a substantive area of social welfare: Students choose an area of focus within social welfare.
Integration of social and behavioral science knowledge into social welfare: Students learn to apply knowledge from related disciplines to understand and address social welfare issues.
Research methods: Students develop expertise in research methodologies to conduct rigorous and impactful research.

Core Coursework:

The program has a minimum core of required courses, including:

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A three-quarter sequence of seminars on the craft of social welfare scholarship.
A three-quarter sequence of seminars on the foundations of scientific inquiry.
Two graduate-level courses in statistics.
A three-quarter sequence of research mentorship.
At least three graduate-level courses in the social and behavioral sciences outside the department related to their specialization in social welfare.
A combination of at least four additional courses in advanced research methods and statistics.
Three quarters of research internship and a two-quarter dissertation seminar.

Individualized Curriculum:

Every effort is made to individualize the curriculum around a student’s area of interest and plans for the dissertation. To achieve this goal, a variety of patterns is utilized, including tutorials, small seminar groups, and special courses in the MSW program.

Qualifying Examinations:

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements.

An examination in social welfare policy and practice, reviewing current theory and research. The examination consists of an oral exam with a written submission to provide foundation and context for the exam questions and is administered at the end of the third quarter of the first year.
A major publishable scholarly paper on a social welfare topic, demonstrating the student’s mastery of social science theory and methods of scientific inquiry. The paper will be evaluated by a three-member committee appointed by the Chair of the Doctoral Committee. The paper is due no later than the final review period of the third year of study.

The qualifying examinations are graded on a pass/fail basis for the first section of the examination and pass/revise/fail for the major publishable scholarly paper. Passing both exams is a prerequisite for pursuing the dissertation. Students who fail either section of the examinations are reviewed by the departmental Doctoral Committee, which makes a decision about whether the student is allowed to continue in the program and retake the examination. Advancement to doctoral candidacy follows successful completion of both the written qualifying examination and subsequently the required University Oral Qualifying Examination, which covers the dissertation proposal and related areas.

Program Timeline:

Normative time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters. Time for completion of the degree cannot exceed seven years (21 academic quarters). Students are expected to complete all course requirements, defend their dissertation proposal and be advanced to candidacy within three years (nine quarters). Time for completion of the dissertation varies from two to six quarters after advancement to candidacy. A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study.

Joint Degree Programs

The UCLA Department of Social Welfare also offers joint degree programs in collaboration with other departments and schools within the university. These programs allow students to combine their social welfare studies with other fields, enhancing their expertise and expanding their career options. These programs include:

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M.S.W./J.D.: In conjunction with the UCLA School of Law, this program combines the study of social welfare and law.
M.S.W./M.A. in Asian American Studies: This program allows students to combine their social welfare studies with a focus on Asian American communities.
M.S.W./M.P.H.: In partnership with the Department of Community Health Sciences, this program combines social welfare with public health.
M.S.W./M.P.P.: This program, offered with the Department of Public Policy, combines social welfare with public policy.

Commitment to Diversity and Financial Support

UCLA is committed to increasing diversity in graduate education. The university's graduate population reflects broad intellectual interests and includes students from many cultures and backgrounds. The Luskin School-wide fellowships support our commitment to social justice. The department offers merit-based fellowships to top applicants regardless of citizenship status. All eligible Social Welfare students receive a need-based fellowship award.

Research and Impact

The UCLA Department of Social Welfare's research and teaching guide policy makers and shape practice and programs in areas such as welfare, aging, health care, mental health, children and families, and long-term support. The faculty is actively involved in research that addresses critical social issues and informs evidence-based practices.

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