PHILADELPHIA

A dynamic, world-class city rich with opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

The School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a dynamic city ripe with opportunity for students pursuing careers in social work and social policy. 

Philly is a big place grappling with big challenges. It’s home to nonprofits, hospitals, and social service agencies doing innovative work, and SP2 is an important part of this ecosystem. Our students are everywhere—honing their skills and doing their part to promote fairness against social problems of all kinds here in the city and beyond.

Building with fountain and park

Faculty News

Faculty Making a Difference

Our world-renowned faculty are dedicated to making a difference in our own backyard, from conducting innovative research on how to better serve the city’s homeless population to how policy can be re-envisioned to protect Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ youth.

Student Stories

Students Impacting Philly

Our students are making big changes here in Philadelphia—from working one-on-one with domestic violence survivors to conducting innovative research on how social systems impact the health of marginalized community members.

Student in red t-shirts standing outside

Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy

This SP2 initiative empowers students and faculty to help state and local governments collaborate and responsibly leverage data to improve lives in Philadelphia and beyond.

Tracking COVID Relief Funding

The Center for High Impact Philanthropy has established a regional COVID response dashboard to help funders in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey plan beyond initial relief efforts.

Living in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is the sixth largest city in the United States, but is often described as a “city of neighborhoods.” Students are encouraged to make the most of their time while living and studying here.

Philadelphia skyline
SP2 student and a young girl jump rope outside

Practicum Education

Our students build important skills and professional connections at hospitals, community centers, hospice agencies, and more – here in Philadelphia and beyond. Take a look at some of the agencies where our students are connecting theory with practice while making real-world impact.

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 […]

Events

04/12

MSW Licensure Seminar

Reflections from a Stumped Test-Taker

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.”