The University of Alabama School of Social Work

What The University of Alabama School of Social Work does

The University of Alabama School of Social Work (UA SSW) is a constituent academic unit of The University of Alabama, established in 1965 and headquartered in Little Hall in Tuscaloosa, with a secondary program site in Washington, D.C. The school prepares scholar-practitioners and researchers in social work through four accredited degree programs — the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), the Master of Social Work (MSW), the Doctor of Social Work (DSW), and the PhD — all accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), with the MSW available in on-campus, Advanced Standing, 60-credit-hour, and primarily online formats, plus coordinated MSW/MPH (with UAB) and MSW/JD (with UA Law) dual-degree pathways.

The school's product surface extends beyond core degrees to include a signature practicum pedagogy covering 300+ agency placements nationally, the Washington D.C. Practicum Education Program (the only such program offered by a social work school outside the DC metro area, operated in partnership with NASW and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since 2014), the Washington D.C. Fly-In policy and advocacy program (launched 2017), a new suite of specialized graduate certificates, international practicum placements in eight countries (Ghana, India, Spain, South Africa, Ireland, Mexico, Australia), a Comprehensive Licensure Preparation Program, and a Career Corner job board. Technology stack is administrative only — notably DocuSign for faculty/staff form workflows — with no proprietary AI or platform technology.

Revenue is generated through tuition for BSW/MSW/DSW/PhD programs (with residency-based and modality-based differentiation between on-campus and online), supplemented by state appropriations, research grants (UA SSW is the 3rd-ranked research unit at the University of Alabama), private donations via the UA Foundation, plus nominal program fees including $799 for the UA ACTivate summer residential program and $400 for the DC Fly-In. The customer base is prospective undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, plus practicum partner agencies (including the government-sector Walter Reed partner); go-to-market is multi-channel with campus tours, virtual info sessions, a student ambassador program, social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn), newsletters, and the SGPI Summer REU pipeline program.

Name

The University of Alabama School of Social Work

Legal name

The University of Alabama School of Social Work

Website

https://socialwork.ua.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The University of Alabama School of Social Work is a CSWE-accredited public academic unit within The University of Alabama that offers BSW, MSW, DSW, and PhD degree programs along with specialized certificates, coordinated dual degrees, and an exclusive Washington DC Practicum, serving prospective undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral social work students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Social Work Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities (EDAHABAD)

Keywords

• Social work education
• Graduate degree programs
• Practicum placement programs
• Social work research
• Doctoral social work

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuscaloosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Programs: Revenue generated from tuition for BSW, MSW, DSW, and PhD programs including both on-campus and distance learning formats. Additional revenue from application fees, program-specific costs, and continuing education offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The University of Alabama School of Social Work is a public academic unit that delivers CSWE-accredited social work education. It offers Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), Master of Social Work (MSW — including Traditional 60-credit, Advanced Standing, and Primarily Online tracks), Doctor of Social Work (DSW), and PhD programs, plus dual-degree MSW/MPH and MSW/JD options, graduate certificates, and experiential learning through Washington D.C. and international practicum placements.

Product overview

The University of Alabama School of Social Work offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs in social work. The core offerings include four degree programs: BSW (Bachelor of Social Work), MSW (Master of Social Work), DSW (Doctor of Social Work), and PhD. The MSW program is available in multiple formats including traditional on-campus, primarily online, Advanced Standing (one-year), and 60-Credit-Hour (two-year) tracks. Two coordinated dual-degree options combine MSW with either a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Juris Doctorate (JD). Supplementary offerings include graduate certificates, practicum education programs with international and Washington D.C. placement options, a DC Fly-In policy advocacy program, a comprehensive licensure preparation program, and a career job board. The portfolio is held together by CSWE accreditation and emphasizes Advanced Generalist Practice across all graduate programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BSW Program CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work undergraduate degree preparing graduates to assist people of all ages in a variety of settings and to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities.
• MSW Program CSWE-accredited Master of Social Work degree with an Advanced Generalist Practice curriculum, available in on-campus or primarily online formats and open to all undergraduate degrees.
• MSW Advanced Standing Program One-year full-time Advanced Standing MSW for students holding a Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE-accredited university, starting summer semester.
• MSW 60-Credit-Hour Program Two-year full-time 60-credit-hour MSW program for students whose bachelor's degree is from a regionally accredited institution but who do not meet Advanced Standing criteria.
• MSW Primarily Online Distance learning/online format for the MSW degree allowing students to earn the degree from anywhere in the country with flexible scheduling.
• DSW Program Doctor of Social Work program preparing practitioners to become leaders within organizational settings, work with the highest degree of independence, and/or pursue faculty appointments in higher education.
• PhD Program PhD program preparing leaders in social work scholarship, research, and teaching, addressing theory, research methods, and critical evaluation of social work policies and practice.
• MSW/MPH Coordinated Degree Coordinated dual degree between The University of Alabama School of Social Work and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health preparing social workers for interdisciplinary practice in public health.
• MSW/JD Coordinated Degree Coordinated dual degree between UA School of Social Work and UA School of Law providing knowledge of legal and social work strategies for forensic social work, justice system, domestic violence, and child protection.
• Graduate Certificates Specialized graduate certificates that build advanced skills and support focused career pathways for MSW students.
• Washington, D.C. Practicum Education Program Unique semester-long practicum in Washington, D.C. for BSW and MSW students — the only such program offered by a school outside the D.C. metro area — leveraging NASW headquarters access for policy courses.
• International Practicum Placement Program International placement opportunities in Ghana, India, Spain, South Africa, Ireland, Mexico, Australia, and other countries for transformative learning experiences in global social work practice.
• Washington, D.C. Fly-In Program Two-day intensive experience in policy research, analysis, and advocacy in Washington, D.C., training students with experts from NASW, CSWE, Child Welfare League of America, and other organizations.
• Comprehensive Licensure Preparation Program Program ensuring graduates understand social work licensure and receive knowledge and support for licensing exam preparation, including orientation workshops and preparatory resources.
• Career Corner Job Board Job board connecting alumni and partners with employment opportunities in social work, regularly updated with positions from various organizations.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership providing MSW DC students access to NASW headquarters in Washington DC for courses including Advanced Social Welfare Policy Analysis. Students meet with Congress members and interact with policy and advocacy organizations.
• Walter Reed National Military Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014BSW DC Program partner since 2014 providing military medical setting for student practicum placements in the DC metro area.
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated MSW/MPH dual degree program between UA School of Social Work and UAB School of Public Health, preparing social workers for interdisciplinary practice in public health programs concerned with the promotion and improvement of health of diverse populations including women, children, and families.
• The University of Alabama School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated MSW/JD dual degree program preparing students with knowledge of legal and social work strategies to improve lives of individuals and groups through understanding forensic social work, justice system, domestic violence, child protection, and human rights.
• The Capstone International CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UA's Capstone International Center to provide students with rewarding international practicum experiences giving them a global perspective of the social work profession.
• Ghana Practicum Partners (Accra/Tema)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational practicum placement opportunities in Ghana providing students with global social work experience.
• India Practicum Partners (Kochi, Kerala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational practicum placement opportunities in India; additional placements in India and Australia are currently in planning stages.
• Spain Practicum Partners (Murcia, Valencia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational practicum placement opportunities in Spain providing students with European social work experience.
• South Africa Practicum Partners (Cape Town)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational practicum placement opportunities in South Africa providing students with African social work experience.
• Ireland Practicum Partners (Dublin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational practicum placement opportunities in Ireland.
• Mexico Practicum Partners (Cuernavaca, Morales)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational practicum placement opportunities in Mexico.
• Australia Practicum Partners (Melbourne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational practicum placement opportunities in Australia; additional placements currently in planning.
• Child Welfare League of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy and advocacy training partner for Washington DC Fly-In program, providing expertise in child welfare policy alongside NASW, CSWE, and other organizations.
• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccrediting body and policy/advocacy training partner for DC Fly-In. Dr. Dione King from UA SSW was elected to CSWE National Nominating Committee as Graduate Program Representative.
• Various Policy and Advocacy OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple policy and advocacy organizations provide training for Washington DC Fly-In program including experts from various fields who train students in policy analysis and advocacy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Columbia University School of Social Work: Ivy League-affiliated MSW program with strong NYC practicum partnerships and policy focus; directly comparable in graduate social work education and CSWE-accredited program structure.
• Boston University School of Social Work: Private research university social work school offering CSWE-accredited BSW, MSW, and PhD programs with on-campus and online options; comparable in program breadth and rankings tier.
• Case Western Reserve University Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences: Private research university social work school offering MSSA and PhD programs; shares the model of integrated social work education with applied practice and research.
• Washington University in St. Louis Brown School of Social Work: Private university social work/public affairs school offering MSW and PhD programs with strong interdisciplinary practice orientation; comparable in degree offerings and policy/advocacy emphasis.
• University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work: One of the largest and highest-ranked social work schools in the U.S., offering on-campus and online MSW programs; directly competes for national online MSW enrollment and shares the multi-format delivery model.
• University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work: Public research university social work school offering CSWE-accredited BSW, MSW, and PhD programs with comparable research funding scale and ranked similarly among public graduate schools.
• University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work: Public research university social work school offering BSW, MSW, and PhD programs with a comparable regional public-university positioning and CSWE-accredited curriculum structure.
• New York University Silver School of Social Work: Urban research university social work school offering BSW, MSW, DSW, and PhD programs; shares the metropolitan practicum network model and serves a similar applicant pool seeking graduate social work credentials.
• University of Michigan School of Social Work: Top-ranked public university MSW/PhD social work school offering BSW, MSW, and PhD programs with similar CSWE accreditation and research orientation; directly comparable in mission and degree portfolio.
• University of Washington School of Social Work: Top-10 public research university social work school offering BASW, MSW, and PhD programs; directly comparable as a high-ranking public university social work school with strong research output.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UA_SocialWork
• Facebookfacebook.com/SocialWorkatUA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-alabama
• Instagraminstagram.com/ua_socialwork/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The University of Alabama School of Social Work