Overview

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University is a world-renowned leader in social work and nonprofit management education.  The Social Work program is ranked #9 by U.S. News and World Report. For 100 years, the Mandel School has been committed to advancing social work, promoting social justice, shaping public policy and standards of practice, and preparing leaders who change the world. We offer Master’s program in Social Work (MSSA) and Master’s program in Nonprofit Management (MNO). Full and partial-tuition scholarships are available. 

The Master’s Program in Social Work (MSSA) offers concentrations in: Community Practice for Social Change; Direct Practice; Aging, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA); Children, Youth and Families; Health; Mental Health with Children; and Mental Health with Adults. Certificates and tracks are available in Management and Leadership; Global Health; Gerontology; Nonprofit Management; Chemical Dependency, and School Social Work. Advanced Standing students can complete the MSSA Degree in as short as 12 months.  On-campus, Intensive Weekend, and Online options are available.  Learn more about our scholarship and program opportunities, contact us at 216-368-1655, mandelschool@case.edu, or visit http://msass.case.edu/.

Key Faculty

Click here to learn more about our world renowned faculty. 

Research & Labs

Learn more about our Research Centers and Faculty lead research at the Mandel School.

Tuition & Scholarship Information

The Mandel School provides over $4 million in scholarships to students each year!  Click here to learn more.

Recognition & Awards

• Ranked No. 8 in Scholarly Productivity by Academic Analytics, LLC
  
• Ranked No. 9 in the nation Graduate School of Social Work by U.S. News & World Report: March, 2012.
• Ranked No. 8 Best Graduate Social Work Program, 2014 by BestMSWPrograms.com
• Ranked No. 3 among members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

School History

Consistently ranked among the nation’s foremost graduate schools of social work, the Mandel School has always understood the history and dynamics of social work and nonprofit management.

Our Founding and First Dean

On December 4, 1915, The Western Reserve University Trustee Executive Committee voted to establish the School of Applied Social Sciences – as the Mandel School was called then – and to appoint James E. Cutler as its first Dean. By this action, they established the first university-affiliated school of social work in the United States.

Our First Classes and Graduation

Classes began September 19, 1916, with a total enrollment in both semesters of 48. The first five students graduated in 1918. The first Master’s degree students graduated in 1919, which was also the year our MSSA master’s degree program in social work was accredited. The first graduates included Margaret H. Johnson, MSSA 1919, who would later serve as the Mandel School’s first woman Dean. Today, the dean of the school is Grover “Cleve” Gilmore, PhD, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Dean in Applied Social Sciences.

Majors/Fields of Study Accepted: Anthropology/Archaeology, Computer and Information Sciences & Technology, Criminal Justice/Criminology, Economics, Education, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Government, History, Humanities, Interdisciplinary, International and Cultural Affairs, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology/Behavioral Science, Public Affairs and Policy, Social Sciences, Social Work, Sociology, Theology/Religion, Urban/Regional Planning, Women and Gender Studies