At the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, social justice is more than a buzzword. It is at the heart of everything we do — informing our education, focusing our research, propelling our community partnerships and fueling our commitment to equity.
Looking for a community that shares your passion and your purpose? It’s right here, at GSSW.
Artistic Practices and Social Work with Lia García
Join transgender activist Lia García for a free half day of conversation about artistic practice, social work and queer expression. Attendees can choose to attend one or both of the workshops, but are encouraged to stay for the entirety of the event.
Subversive Meaning Making: Research, Magic & Authentic Self
In this intimate, embodied research experience, Associate Professor Ramona Beltrán will lead us through her journey through the obstacles and triumphs of designing and implementing community-centered social work research. In the feminist spirit of disrupting mainstream research norms, we will engage multiple forms of storytelling and witnessing to explore community experiences of healing, reclamation, and hope.
Discovery and Humanity in the Classroom: Reflections from a Clinical Professor Michael Talamantes
Clinical Professor Michael Talamantes will discuss concepts important for successful teaching & learning experiences in the classroom. Discovery of self, identity, motivations & goals are foundational, as is the importance of being open to new discovery from each student and/or from each class that you teach. Elements of humanity such as vulnerability, awareness, accountability and acceptance will also be discussed as he shares his faculty journey from teaching over 100 classes over the years.
Join us for a special celebratory event marking the 10th Anniversary of the Western Colorado MSW Program at the Graduate School of Social Work. This milestone calls for a joyous occasion — an opportunity to elevate alumni impact stories, showcase program success and show gratitude for ongoing community partnerships.
Refusing to Abandon Our Humanity and Each Other with Kelly Hayes
Kelly Hayes, co-author of the best selling book Let This Radicalize You, will talk about the work of social justice in the context of catastrophe and collapse.
What does it mean to refuse to abandon one another in a culture that increasingly normalizes human disposability?
How can we build movements grounded in solidarity and reciprocal care?
How can we build relationships that will help us survive and heal during the trying times ahead?
Join us for a transformative weekend of trauma training, designed to provide mental health clinicians with essential tools and insights for culturally-informed trauma treatment. This intensive, 10-hour workshop, led by Dr. Rohini Gupta, a seasoned clinical psychologist and trauma expert, will cover a wide range of critical topics in the field of trauma therapy.
At GSSW, the faculty, staff and students take their commitment to social justice seriously. There is a palpable sense of agency among students to not merely be recipients of education but to take their roles as burgeoning changemakers in the social realm seriously.
Jessica King, PhD Graduate
A Collaborative Community
Our shared purpose to advance equity brings together some of social work’s brightest faculty, students and partners, who work collaboratively and across disciplines to respond to community needs such as homelessness and health care reform. We celebrate bold approaches to problem-solving and embrace the rich diversity of our extended community.
With master’s degree programs online and on campus in Denver, in western Colorado and in the Four Corners region, the Graduate School of Social Work will prepare you for a career in social work and to create social change in your community — wherever you call home.
Programs
On-Campus MSW Programs
Our top-ranked Master of Social Work (MSW) degree is available on three Colorado campuses — Denver, Durango and Glenwood Springs — through our Denver Campus, Four Corners and Western Colorado programs.
No matter where you live in the U.S., you can access MSW@Denver — a top-ranked, 100-percent online Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program with a Mental Health and Trauma pathway.
The demand for social work research, scholarship and education is greater than ever. With a PhD in social work, you’ll be prepared for an academic career as a social justice scholar, educator or policy expert.
At the Graduate School of Social Work, we know we’re stronger together. That’s why we’ve committed to being an engaged community partner, working with a broad range of individuals and organizations — locally, nationally and globally — to understand problems, explore possibilities, implement solutions and influence change at individual, organizational and systems levels.
Can social workers change the world? We believe they already are. At the Graduate School of Social Work, you’re not just learning from and working with some of the profession’s most respected teachers and scholars. You’re part of a community of social justice champions whose work is catalyzing social change —addressing racial, economic, environmental, health and other systems of inequity — throughout Colorado, the Rocky Mountain West and beyond.
An Epicenter for Impact
Our faculty members are courageous, creative thinkers who represent a broad range of backgrounds, research interests and practice areas. Their collaborative, cross-disciplinary scholarship is creating knowledge and establishing science-informed, high-impact practice in areas such as addictions and substance use, public policy, youth development, housing and homelessness, child welfare, human-animal connection, and civic and community engagement.