Mission + Vision
Mission and Vision
For more than a century, Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work has been an active, passionate, and prominent force driving social change and championing social and economic justice for all members of society – a spirited pursuit rooted in our Jesuit values.
Our student-centered, practice-informed approach to learning prepares and emboldens the next generation of social workers to be purpose-driven professionals, earnest partners, and transformative leaders.
Our faculty’s innovative, human-centered research into pressing areas of societal need – racial justice, climate change, immigration, and mental health among them – informs micro, mezzo, and macro practice approaches, builds system-level sustainability, and continues to redefine success in the profession.
And our work alongside community partners – in Chicago, across the U.S., and around the globe – elevates individual lives, strengthens families, and creates healthier communities.
We are agents of change, committed and loyal contributors to uplifting lives and fueling a more just, equitable world.
By the Numbers
1st
And only bilingual MSW program in the U.S.
#2
Ranked Jesuit MSW program
1:12
Faculty-to-student ratio in MSW program
1:24
Faculty-to-student ratio in BSW program
Mission and Identity Statement
Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work provides transformative education for practice-informed social work. The School advances rich and diverse knowledge grounded in empowering work with clients and organizations from a participatory, person-in-environment perspective. We promote social justice through macro, meso, and micro practice. “Transformative education” reflects our commitment to engaging students to be effective change agents for social justice in a global context. “Practice-informed social work” refers to a strengths-based, client-centered focus in working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and environmental systems.
Respect for Diversity
Guided by the NASW Code of Ethics and the mission of the University, the School of Social Work is committed to the recognition and respect for differences in racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds and in class, gender, age, physical and mental ability, religion, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. We value ethnically sensitive and culturally responsive social work education and practice. We will uphold the ethical standards set forth by the profession and the Jesuit ideals of the university.
Students, faculty, and staff have a shared responsibility for championing social and economic justice for all members of society. This includes a commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in order to eliminate personal and institutional discrimination and ensure access to needed resources and opportunities for all persons, especially those who are disadvantaged or disenfranchised. Power, oppression, and privilege are examined, and students, faculty, and staff are expected to be respectful of the opinions of others while at the same time striving to attain the ideals of social justice.
The School of Social Work expects that students, faculty, and staff will demonstrate comparable respect for the diversity of their classmates, faculty, and clients, and commit to addressing issues of marginalization, oppression, prejudice, and discrimination.
What Matters to Us
Racial Justice
We’re explicitly anti-racist and anti-oppression. We don’t shy away from tough conversations about the role of institutional racism in our communities and we offer coursework that directly examines privilege, oppression and diversity in social work.
Climate Change
To advance social justice, we must fight for environmental justice — access to clean air and water, safe homes, healthy food. Faculty research centers around how marginalized communities — often the first and most seriously impacted — have organized and responded to the effects of climate change.
Immigration
As the numbers of displaced people rise globally, we’re training advocates ready to work with immigrant populations. We offer a subspecialization in migrant studies, fieldwork opportunities working with immigrant populations, U.S./Mexico border and Mexico City immersion seminars and Spanish for Social Workers courses.
Health and Mental Health
We're on the front lines of reducing health disparities — for children, for substance use disorder treatment, and for access to holistic health solutions. Many fieldwork sites offer experience in healthcare settings and we partner extensively with Loyola’s Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health.
More Details
Our student-centered, practice-informed approach to learning prepares and emboldens the next generation of social workers to be purpose-driven professionals, earnest partners, and transformative leaders.
Our faculty’s innovative, human-centered research into pressing areas of societal need – racial justice, climate change, immigration, and mental health among them – informs micro, mezzo, and macro practice approaches, builds system-level sustainability, and continues to redefine success in the profession.
And our work alongside community partners – in Chicago, across the U.S., and around the globe – elevates individual lives, strengthens families, and creates healthier communities.
We are agents of change, committed and loyal contributors to uplifting lives and fueling a more just, equitable world.
Mission and Identity Statement
Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work provides transformative education for practice-informed social work. The School advances rich and diverse knowledge grounded in empowering work with clients and organizations from a participatory, person-in-environment perspective. We promote social justice through macro, meso, and micro practice. “Transformative education” reflects our commitment to engaging students to be effective change agents for social justice in a global context. “Practice-informed social work” refers to a strengths-based, client-centered focus in working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and environmental systems.
Respect for Diversity
Guided by the NASW Code of Ethics and the mission of the University, the School of Social Work is committed to the recognition and respect for differences in racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds and in class, gender, age, physical and mental ability, religion, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. We value ethnically sensitive and culturally responsive social work education and practice. We will uphold the ethical standards set forth by the profession and the Jesuit ideals of the university.
Students, faculty, and staff have a shared responsibility for championing social and economic justice for all members of society. This includes a commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in order to eliminate personal and institutional discrimination and ensure access to needed resources and opportunities for all persons, especially those who are disadvantaged or disenfranchised. Power, oppression, and privilege are examined, and students, faculty, and staff are expected to be respectful of the opinions of others while at the same time striving to attain the ideals of social justice.
The School of Social Work expects that students, faculty, and staff will demonstrate comparable respect for the diversity of their classmates, faculty, and clients, and commit to addressing issues of marginalization, oppression, prejudice, and discrimination.