USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Type	Private
Established	1920
Parent institution	University of Southern California
Dean	Sarah Gehlert
Academic staff	114
Postgraduates	3215
Doctoral students	38
Location	Los Angeles , California , United States
Website	dworakpeck.usc.edu

The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, was founded in 1920 as USC's School of Social Work.^[1][2] The school's only location is in Los Angeles, California.^[3]

According to school officials, the facility entertains 114 faculty teaching an estimated 3,500 enrolled students, making the Dworak-Peck School the largest school for social work in the world.^[3] This means roughly 1 of every 20 graduate-level social workers in the country graduated from the school.^{[4][dubious – discuss]} It also has the oldest MSW and PhD of Social Work programs in the West.^[5]

The school was renamed the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work in 2016, after USC alumnus Suzanne Dworak-Peck donated $60 million to the school. It is the largest donation ever to a school of social work.^[6][7]

The program was ranked #25 by the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking,^[8] and offers a Doctor of Social Work degree, as well as a Master of Social Work degree.^[9][10][11]

Notable alumni

• Laura Chick, California Inspector General^[12]
• Doria Ragland, Yoga instructor, social worker, and mother of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
• Ira Wohl, Academy Award winner for his 1979 film, Best Boy
• Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles since 2022, Member of the House of Representatives from California's 37th congressional district from 2011-2022

California Social Work Hall of Distinction

Main category: California Social Work Hall of Distinction members

The California Social Work Hall of Distinction was established in 2002 to honor those involved in bringing about the betterment of society and to ensure that the contributions of social work leaders, innovators and pioneers would be recognized and preserved for the future.^[13] It is located in the Montgomery Ross Fisher building on USC campus.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. "Our Mission". University of California School of Social Work. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
2. "History". About USC. USC Web Services. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
3. "Social Work | Academics | USC". academics.usc.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
4. USC's School of Social Work Receives $60 Million
5. About the School. USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
6. USC's school of social work receives $60 million, the largest donation to a school of its kind
7. USC's School of Social Work to be Renamed After Alumna Who Made $60M Donation
8. "Best Schools for Social Work". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
9. "Doctor of Social Work (DSW) | USC's Online MSW". Retrieved 2018-07-31.
10. "Online Master of Social Work | USC's Online MSW". Retrieved 2018-07-31.
11. "Best Graduate Schools". U.S. News. Archived from the original on 2017-03-14.
12. "Laura Chick biography, Inspector General". Archived from the original on 2009-11-25. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
13. California Social Work Hall of Distinction; official webpage; accessed July 2022

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