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
Faculty & Research
12/11
SP2’s Dr. Desmond Patton named to AASWSW Class of 2026
Dr. Desmond Upton Patton has been selected to join the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare’s Class of 2026 Fellows.
News
Student Life
12/11
SP2 student among two from Penn chosen as Marshall Scholars
School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) student Adeliade Lyall is among two Penn students chosen as 2026 Marshall Scholars.
News
Faculty & Research
12/10
Breaking down misconceptions on unconditional cash programs
As part of the Politics of Well-Being series, associate professors Amy Castro and Ioana Marinescu shared findings from their research on guaranteed income and universal basic income.
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.