Welcome to UCLA Luskin Social Welfare! Over 100 years following the profession’s founding, social workers remain critically important to enhancing the well-being of our society and promoting social justice. This mission is increasingly important in a global and social context that is increasingly divisive, and threats to the human and democratic rights of groups and individuals are increasingly under threat. Our faculty, staff, students, and alums remain committed to our mission of pursuing social and economic justice, improving health and mental health across the lifespan, and advancing child and family well-being.
Established in 1947, the Department of Social Welfare offers the Master of Social Welfare (MSW) and Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare (PhD) degrees. The graduate programs are ranked No. 8 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. We are joined by the Urban Planning and Public Policy departments in the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, named for Meyer and Renee Luskin and led by Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris. The School also houses an outstanding undergraduate major in Public Affairs and numerous research centers.
As I join the faculty in the role of chair this year, I am excited to listen and learn more about UCLA Luskin Social Welfare and the students, staff, and faculty that make up this community. I look forward to rejoining the Department of Social Welfare as an alumnus of the PhD program. I am inspired by the passion and dedication of the campus community, and I am optimistic about how I can help support the ongoing mission to create a more just society by fostering intellectual curiosity and dialogue as we work to address the most pressing issues in our world.
Under the direction of the previous chair, Dr. Laura Abrams, our faculty, students, and staff implemented a measurable action plan to address racism and anti-Blackness. In 2023, we celebrated our 75th anniversary and received a $3 million grant from the state of California to expand our MSW program to better meet the needs of the behavioral health workforce. The faculty has grown, with many talented and committed new members, and we completed our self-study and site visit for our CSWE accreditation. While our 5-year strategic plan has achieved most of our goals, I look forward to working with all of you to create a vision for the future.
The MSW program, which offers both a two-year and three-year option, has three Areas of Concentration: 1) child and family well-being; 2) health and mental health across the life span; and 3) social and economic justice. We also offer training programs in school social work, public child welfare, public behavioral health, gerontology, and nonprofit management, and we are working on a certificate in Latinx studies. Our MSW graduates continue to be recruited for leadership positions at all levels of practice.
Our doctoral program in social welfare prepares students to become leading social work scholars through generous one-on-one mentorship with faculty, coursework, teaching, and extensive research training. PhD students participate in core courses in the social welfare department, interdisciplinary training across the UCLA campus, and research projects culminating in scholarly and public-facing publications and presentations with real-world impact. Our PhD graduates routinely accept positions as assistant professors and post-doctoral trainees at major research universities in the U.S. and across the globe.
Please join us in learning more about the profession, social welfare at UCLA, and our vibrant network of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.
Poco D. Kernsmith
Professor and Department Chair
