WHY SP2?
The passionate pursuit of social innovation, social impact, and social good.
Excellence & Rigor
SP2 brings together top-ranked social work degrees with innovative policy and leadership programs that dig deep into social innovation, big data, and other trends reshaping social policy and practice. Our faculty are highly respected practitioners conducting groundbreaking research in areas like homelessness and restorative entrepreneurship. They are equal parts scholar, teacher, and mentor, and are dedicated to working for fairness and impact.
Transdisciplinary Collaboration
When it comes to charting a course that’s truly your own, nothing compares to the University of Pennsylvania. Our Ivy League ecosystem encompasses 12 different professional schools. That means unique dual degrees, certificate programs and specializations, and interdisciplinary collaborations within and outside of Penn.
Practicum Education
Bringing classroom knowledge out into the real world is a key part of SP2 experience, and there’s no better place to do it than our home base of Philadelphia. Our students grapple with a range of real-world challenges in nonprofits, hospitals, and social service agencies doing important, innovative work through practicums, internships, and research collaborations.
A Welcoming Community at Our Core
Throughout its history, SP2 has been committed to understanding and embracing differences. As a school, we are dedicated to combatting discrimination in our educational programs; interactions with colleagues, students, and external partners; and school culture.
Events
11/10
Speaker Series with The Rev. Charles (Chaz) Lattimore Howard, PhD
Our November speaker is The Rev. Dr. Charles(Chaz) L. Howard who serves as the University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity and Community at the University of Pennsylvania, his […]
Events
11/12
Ethical Storytelling: Avoiding Savior Narratives
Nonprofits use stories to raise money and share their mission. But sometimes, stories can accidentally send the wrong message, making the nonprofit or donor look like the “hero” instead of […]
News
Faculty & Research
11/04
A road map to reduce firearm harms by 2040
Three Penn faculty members, including SP2’s Dr. Desmond Patton, are among more than 40 experts to author a report addressing the persistent challenge of gun violence and proposing solutions stemming from a JAMA Summit convened last spring.