Our students join us from around the world, bringing with them a host of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences, and embodying SP2’s commitment to using their knowledge and skills to build community and to advance the social good. During their time here they engage in innovative research and meaningful fieldwork, striving every day to make lasting change and a meaningful impact in Philadelphia and beyond.

“A central imperative for social work, policy, and practice is the fundamental need to think conscientiously about the individuals, groups, and communities these disciplines will affect most. We are resolute in our intention to educate students of social policy and practice to embrace difference and build community in all its dimensions, and to create cutting-edge scholarship that enables our field to more effectively promote social good.”

– Sara S. Bachman, PhD, Dean

Program Curriculums

Our focus on social good demands a multifaceted approach to recognizing and celebrating the many identities, experiences, histories, and aspirations that animate our local and global community. This commitment permeates all five of our rigorous degree programs (MSW, MSSP, NPL, PhD, and DSW), helping bind these programs to SP2’s overarching mission: producing the best social service providers, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders in the world.

Visiting Scholars

Since 1908, the School has served as a temporary home for hundreds of Visiting Scholars joining us from around the world. This tradition of welcoming the best and brightest from abroad continues today, and many international scholars regard SP2 as their research home while in the United States.

Events

04/03

NPL Lunch & Learn — Data Storytelling for Fundraising & Advocacy

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Events

04/10

Slow Burn.sf.4.10.2025

Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World

A conversation with Dr. R. Jisung Park, author of Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World and Kat Rosqueta, WG’01.   From lower test scores to higher crime rates, what are the costs […]

News

Headshot of Dr. Jacqueline Corcoran next to book cover for

Storytelling and social work intersect in book edited by SP2’s Dr. Jacqueline Corcoran

Seeking a fresh approach to prepare social work students for their careers, SP2 Professor Jacqueline Corcoran came up with a concept at the intersection of storytelling and social work for her recent edited collection, “What Do Social Workers Do All Day? Real-Life Cases for Generalist Practice.”


Contact Us

Joretha N. Bourjolly, MSW, PhD

Associate Dean for Community Cultivation & Engagement

215 898 8444

jerri@upenn.edu