WHY SP2?
The passionate pursuit of social innovation, impact, and justice.
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 justice 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.
Field 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 field placements, practicums, internships, and research collaborations.
Inclusion at Our Core
Throughout its history, SP2 has been committed to understanding and embracing diversity in its countless forms. As a school, we are dedicated to the principles of anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectionality, inclusion, diversity, and social justice in our educational programs; interactions with colleagues, students, and external partners; and school culture.
Harnessing Policy and Practice for Social Justice
Commitment to social justice is what drives our faculty and fuels our programs. It yields exciting research collaborations and puts us in the places – and alongside the people – where we’re needed most. We don’t claim to have all the answers. But we’ll never stop asking tough questions, engaging with our students and our community, and finding new ways to bring our education, research, and passion to bear on society’s toughest challenges.
Events
04/28
NPL Student-Led Nonprofit Leadership Retreat
NPL students will enjoy a spring day at the Morris Arboretum! Lunch will be provided. After soaking up the natural wonders of the arboretum, participants will head over to Triple […]
Events
04/29
AI: Turning Things Towards Social Good in an Era of Fast-paced Change- Virtual Workshop
Matt Williams, born and raised in Philadelphia, is dedicated to working on data-based projects and enterprises. He serves as the Chief Technical Officer of Technical Difficulties AI. Matt and Keith […]
News
Faculty & Research
04/23
Exploring sustainable development & the human impact of natural disasters
What factors allow people to prepare for and recover from natural disasters? Dr. Chenyi Ma, a research assistant professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), conducts interdisciplinary research that investigates the role of inequality in disasters’ impact and points to policy solutions.