The goal of all SSA coursework and fieldwork is to frame individual distress in a larger social context. To be an effective social worker—a real force of positive change in people's lives—you must be able to recognize and understand the diverse and intersecting causes of distress: psychological, biological, familial, political, economic and social. This broader understanding will inform the clinical methods you use to help people overcome their own unique challenges, prevent problems from occurring in the first place, and find new hope.

The SSA master's program begins with a first-year core curriculum that introduces you to the chief methods of social intervention (direct practice, policy and research), the diversity of human experience, and the fundamentals of human behavior and development. You are then asked to choose between two academic concentrations:

• Clinical Concentration – Learn the major prevention and treatment approaches of direct clinical practice and engage with real clients through clinical fieldwork in hundreds of agencies and organizations across Chicago.
• Social Administration Concentration– Take advanced coursework in the economics, politics, organization, and delivery of social welfare services and participate in administrative fieldwork at government agencies and community development organizations.