Education. Action. Impact.
PRACTICE AND RESEARCH FOR SOCIAL GOOD
Facts and Figures
Committed to collaboration, excellence, and impact.
250k
Number of hours spent in internships and practicums each year
500+
Number of available practicum placements, internships, and practicum sites
#8
U.S. News & World Report ranking for Best Grad School Social Work Program
98%
Percentage of students who applied for & received financial assistance
7.8k+
SP2 alumni network
News
Student Life
03/04
Blending empathy & analytics: A Q&A with MSSP+DA student Nature Hu
In this Q&A, MSSP+DA student Nature Hu reflects on what brought her to social policy work, her favorite SP2 course, and where she hopes to make a difference next.
News
Faculty & Research
02/20
How markets can help society adapt to climate change
When carefully designed and supported by thoughtful public policy, markets can play a meaningful role in helping communities effectively and efficiently manage the risks of climate change, according to a new article coauthored by Dr. R. Jisung Park.
News
Faculty & Research
02/16
Alice Xu receives Best Dissertation Award from American Political Science Association
Dr. Alice Xu, assistant professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), has received the 2025 Mancur Olson Best Dissertation Award by the American Political Science Association (APSA).
Explore Our Academic Programs
The world needs leaders equipped with tools to make a difference.
For over 110 years, SP2 has prepared students to confront complex social challenges and lead meaningful, lasting change.
Student Voices
Perspectives from our student community.
Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership (NPL)
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Master of Science in Social Policy (MSSP)
Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW)
Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare (PhD)
GIVING
Support SP2
When you give to SP2, you ensure our faculty, students, and alumni have the resources they need to be driving forces for positive change in child welfare, homelessness, mental health, public health policy, and more.
Cultivating Community
Advancing the Social Good
Our intrinsic commitment to nondiscrimination, an array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, social well-being, and the social good is at the core of everything we do.
Research Areas
We’re conducting groundbreaking, transdisciplinary research that explores the root causes of social challenges – and works to produce innovative, effective solutions.
Alumni Leaders
Naimat Chopra, MSSP+DA ’22
Ms. Naimat Chopra has a decade of extensive experience collaborating with prominent international organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, GIZ, OECD, and UNDP. Her expertise lies in providing strategic knowledge leadership, designing effective business strategies, and executing on-the-ground assignments across Asia and Africa.
Student Stories
Sandhya Rani Jha, MPP, MDiv
Sandhya Jha is a PhD student at the School of Social Policy and Practice and a Presidential Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Their areas of interest include the impact of grassroots social movements on public policy and engaging the intersection of race and class in developing models of deep democracy and governance.