Jane Addams College of Social Work builds on the legacy of its namesake, the Illinois-born social reformer, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and pioneer of American social work.  Jane Addams founded Hull House 1889, which became an internationally famous settlement house that fomented the development of the social work profession through its programs to enhance health, literacy, workplace safety, education, justice for children, outreach to oppressed immigrant groups, and social investigations. Hull House is now a part of the University of Illinois at Chicago, which is centered near the heart of Chicago. The College continues to carry out the mission of Jane Addams and the Hull House movement, adapting it to contemporary needs and the realities of today's urban settings. Its commitment to social, racial, and economic justice is reflected in the racial and cultural diversity of the faculty, staff, and student body, curriculum of the degree programs, community service projects, and research and evaluation projects and initiatives. 

Jane Addams College of Social Work master's and bachelor's programs are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Its Master of Social Work program is one of the ten largest programs in the United States and the largest in the Big Ten region. Our graduates are prepared to work as practitioners, caseworkers, administrators, policy advocates, and community organizers in a variety of settings and with diverse populations, including children and families in agency, school and community settings, persons with severe and persistent mental illness, individuals with acute and chronic health problems, including HIV/AIDS, persons who abuse alcohol and drugs, and individuals involved in the criminal justice system as well as their families and children. College graduates comprise the majority of new social workers entering the profession in the Chicago area each year, and its graduates are found in social work practice throughout the United States and the world. Consistent with the Hull House tradition, the doctoral program prepares scholars to focus on research and practice that promotes social and economic justice. 

As one of the fourteen colleges of the University of Illinois at Chicago and one of its highly acclaimed professional schools, the College benefits from and contributes to a well-developed base of resources to support academic programs, research, training and technical assistance activities. The University of Illinois at Chicago is the largest institution of higher learning in the Chicago, Illinois, metropolitan area and one of the top seventy research universities in the United States. It is a publicly-funded institution with a significant public service mission along with cutting edge academic programs. The University includes several prestigious research centers and training institutes, a world class library, and state-of-the-art computer facilities. 

The mission of Jane Addams College of Social Work is to educate professional social workers, develop knowledge, and provide leadership in the development and implementation of policies and services on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, racial and ethnic minorities, and other at-risk urban populations. 

The College will fulfill this mission by: 

• Providing excellent academic programs which prepare competent and effective social work professionals who are committed to practice that includes services to the poor and oppressed and who work to alleviate poverty, oppression, and discrimination.
• Increasing the the cultural and racial diversity of the student body, faculty, and staff and infusing a multicultural perspective throughout the College. 
• Conducting organized programs of research that advance knowledge about pressing urban social conditions and human needs and effective social policies, programs, and services. 
• Working in partnership with individuals, communities, and organizations to promote social and economic justice and improve the quality and effectiveness of social programs and services. 
• Developing a sound financial resource base which includes State of Illinois funding consistent with student enrollment and graduate program requirements, and flexible funding to support new initiatives, faculty development, and student financial assistance. 
• Providing a work and study environment that is intellectually stimulating and physically attractive and supports the achievement of personal development and organizational goals.