Social Work, Powered by Purpose
At the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, social justice is more than a buzzword. It is at the heart of everything we do — informing our education, focusing our research, propelling our community partnerships and fueling our commitment to equity.
Looking for a community that shares your passion and your purpose? It’s right here, at GSSW.
Upcoming Virtual Events
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Catalyst Series for Social Justice: Pleasure Activism with adrienne maree brown
Join adrienne maree brown for a keynote presentation on social change and pleasure activism, a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. Drawing on the Black feminist tradition, she challenges us to rethink the ground rules of activism. Her mindset-altering essays are interwoven with conversations and insights from other feminist thinkers, including Audre Lorde, Joan Morgan, Cara Page, Sonya Renee Taylor (another speaker GSSW is proud to present in February 2022) and Alexis Pauline Gumbs.
- 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MT
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Mobilizing Power for Action and Change
Achieving environmental and racial justice requires advocacy, activism and actual policy change at local, state, national and tribal levels. In the U.S., do we have a new window of opportunity to make change happen? How do we get there—urgently, critically and radically? And how do we build consensus among community members, grassroots organizations and legislators? Join us for a conversation with leading advocates, analysts and elected officials and walk away inspired, motivated and with tools for mobilizing power for environmental and racial justice.
- 10:00 a.m.
A Collaborative Community
Our shared purpose to advance equity brings together some of social work’s brightest faculty, students and partners, who work collaboratively and across disciplines to respond to community needs such as homelessness and health care reform. We celebrate bold approaches to problem-solving and embrace the rich diversity of our extended community.
Social Work Degrees of Difference
With master’s degree programs online and on campus in Denver, in western Colorado and in the Four Corners region, the Graduate School of Social Work will prepare you for a career in social work and to create social change in your community — wherever you call home.
Programs
On-Campus MSW Programs
Our top-ranked Master of Social Work (MSW) degree is available on three Colorado campuses — Denver, Durango and Glenwood Springs — through our Denver Campus, Four Corners and Western Colorado programs.
MSW@Denver Online MSW
No matter where you live in the U.S., you can access MSW@Denver — a top-ranked, 100-percent online Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program with a concentration in Mental Health and Trauma.
PhD Program
The demand for social work research, scholarship and education is greater than ever. With a PhD in social work, you’ll be prepared for an academic career as a social justice scholar, educator or policy expert.
An MSW with Options
750+ field education partners
11 Specialized concentrations
6 centers, institutes and laboratories
Power in Partnerships
At the Graduate School of Social Work, we know we’re stronger together. That’s why we’ve committed to being an engaged community partner, working with a broad range of individuals and organizations — locally, nationally and globally — to understand problems, explore possibilities, implement solutions and influence change at individual, organizational and systems levels.
Champions for Social Justice
Can social workers change the world? We believe they already are. At the Graduate School of Social Work, you’re not just learning from and working with some of the profession’s most respected teachers and scholars. You’re part of a community of social justice champions whose work is catalyzing social change —addressing racial, economic, environmental, health and other systems of inequity — throughout Colorado, the Rocky Mountain West and beyond.
An Epicenter for Impact
Our faculty members are courageous, creative thinkers who represent a broad range of backgrounds, research interests and practice areas. Their collaborative, cross-disciplinary scholarship is creating knowledge and establishing science-informed, high-impact practice in areas such as addictions and substance use, public policy, youth development, housing and homelessness, child welfare, human-animal connection, and civic and community engagement.
Virtual Continuing Education
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Leading Beyond White Supremacy
In this workshop, we will investigate how white supremacy has influenced leadership within the field of social work and other helping professions. More specifically, while decentering white supremacy culture, we will explore the forms of leadership integral to navigating and surviving systems of oppression–and reflect upon the question: how do we re-envision and build futures in which we lead outside the confines of white supremacy?
- 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. MT
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Helping Clients Navigate Legal Issues
Have you ever told a client you could not help them with a legal issue because you are not a lawyer? Do you change the subject when a legal question comes up because you don’t know where to start? It is not unusual for non-attorney service providers to feel as overwhelmed by the legal system. In this session, an overview of the civil and criminal legal systems will be provided to help providers better identity legal issues and make connections to other resources for clients. We will discuss the Unauthorized Practice of Law, and what assistance non-attorneys can, and cannot, provide with legal issues. We will also discuss best practices for protecting client privacy when encountering legal matters, including what to do if you get a subpoena.
- 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. MT
Recent GSSW News
