Strategic Plan 2019 & Beyond: Advance Innovative and Quality Education
Summary: Advance Innovative and Quality Education
As a core focus of the 2019 & Beyond Strategic Plan, we committed to reimagining curricula, expanding access to social work education, responding to workforce needs, and maintaining the quality and integrity of our academic programs.
While the KU School of Social Welfare launched new academic degree programs and offered new formats for learning, we expanded access to education while maintaining academic quality.
Featured Updates
Curriculum Innovations
BSW, MSW and Ph.D. curriculum updates are designed to meet current workforce needs. The School developed new courses and made updates based on input from students, alumni and community partners.
Expanded Practicum Education Support
The Practicum Education Office has added associate directors and expanded agency affiliations to support online programs and MSW partnership sites. Additional support includes planning consultations, continuing education events, and licensure exam preparation.
New Academic Home at KU
A newly renovated space on the third floor of Green Hall is designed to meet student needs. The new academic home includes dedicated classrooms, easy access to student support staff and academic advisors, and student-focused meeting spaces.
Featured Updates
Online Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
Launched in fall 2023, the online Doctor of Social Work helps experienced social workers become practitioner-scholars, building skills in leadership, teaching and administration. The first cohort of students completed their degrees in summer and fall 2025.
MSW Partnerships in Kansas
Over the past 10 years, KU partnership-based MSW programs have graduated more than 250 practitioners in communities across Kansas, including Pittsburg, Hays, Garden City and Salina. An MSW partnership program with Kansas State University in Salina launched in summer 2023.
Online Master of Social Work (MSW)
KU's Online MSW program increases access to advanced social work education. Since welcoming a first cohort in summer 2023, the Online MSW program has continued to grow, with more than 150 students enrolled in fall 2026.
Featured Updates
Licensure Exam Support
KU students consistently pass the BSW, MSW and clinical MSW licensing exams at rates above the Kansas and national averages. The Practicum Education Office prepares students for licensure through workshops and access to free exam preparation materials.
Prevention is Possible Seminar
Since the Prevention is Possible Seminar began in 2018, more than 7,000 KU students have completed the course. The School of Social Welfare is the academic home for the seminar; the KU Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center (SAPEC) coordinates class sections;and KU student organizations have committed to offering training to their members.
Study Abroad Programs
Students can explore global social work through two faculty-led, summer study abroad programs: Costa Rica and Italy. Participation in these programs has grown, with undergraduate student participation nearly doubling in 2024.
Progress
- Completed major curriculum redesign for the Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs, and established continuous quality improvement processes to assess and refine the new curricula.
- Accreditation for the BSW and MSW programs was reaffirmed by the Council on Social Work Education in summer 2026. The KU MSW has been continuously accredited since 1947. The KU BSW has been continuously accredited since 1974.
- Launched online Master of Social Work (MSW) and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programs in 2023, making the KU School of Social Welfare the first professional school at the University of Kansas to launch new degree programs through Jayhawk Global.
- Opened an MSW partnership program with K-State Salina, extending graduate social work education and strengthening the workforce in rural Kansas.
- Overall enrollment in the School of Social Welfare is at a 10-year high in fall 2026, with nearly 700 students enrolled in undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs.
- The School of Social Welfare moved to a new academic home in Green Hall on the KU Lawrence campus in January 2025. The School was housed in Twente Hall for 50 years, from 1974 until 2024.
- Expanded flexible scheduling through block, evening, and Saturday course options for working and place-bound students.
- Maintained strong professional preparation through practicum, licensure exam support, teaching development, and academic program coordination.
- The Practicum Education Office supports students in unpaid placements through emergency funds to prevent practicum disruptions, Practicum Student Support Scholarships, and funding to cover professional liability insurance, background screening and onboarding.
- Built new educational partnerships, including the Prevention is Possible seminar with KU’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center.
By the Numbers: Advance Innovative and Quality Education
29%
Online MSW program enrollment grew 29% from fall 2024 to fall 2025. In fall 2025, the 128 students enrolled in the online MSW program lived in 14 states.
50%
KU educates more social workers than any of its accredited peers in Kansas. In FY2024, 50% of MSW graduates in the state of Kansas earned their degrees from KU.
31%
Over 30% of student practicum placements in 2025-2026 were paid with a wage or stipend.
Related Stories
Laura Ramirez named Bachelor of Social Work program director
Ramirez, an associate professor of the practice, joined the School of Social Welfare in 2013. She has served in a variety of roles, contributing to the social work education at KU through teaching, advising, student retention and leadership.
How KU social work students benefit from practicum education
Students gain real-world experience and receive one-to-one mentoring during their social work practicum placement. Current MSW students share what they've learned in practicum.
KU MSW program ranks No. 22 among public schools in U.S. News & World Report
KU has 55 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities — including eight in the top 10 — in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Professional writing course helps Social Welfare students enhance evergreen skills
Joe Bush, professional writing consultant and adjunct instructor for the KU School of Social Welfare, is teaching SW 410 this spring. Bush worked with the Bachelor of Social Work curriculum committee to update and modernize the course.