A Social Work program was established at Florida International University in 1972, when the University began offering academic programs. The School of Social Work offers undergraduate and graduate studies leading to the Bachelors (BSSW) and Masters (MSW) degrees in social work and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Welfare.

The BSSW was one of the first degrees offered by the University. The BSSW program has been accredited since July 1974 by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The MSW degree has been offered since August 1981 and received full accreditation status in April 1986 from CSWE. The School is located on the Modesto Maidique Campus.

The School of Social Work offers programs of professional study, which prepare graduates to work effectively in complex human service organizations. These organizations may be located in governmental and voluntary settings within the community, or in regional, state, and national systems. Emphasis is placed on achieving a comprehensive, developmental, and community oriented understanding of the problems, issues, alternatives, and needs of an urban society faced with rapidly changing social, political, economic and cultural conditions.

Paul H. Stuart is Professor and Director of the School of Social Work. Social Work faculty members are recruited from prominent universities throughout the country and bring excellence and diversity to teaching and research in the School. Faculty members are involved in a wide range of community projects. These include but are not limited to projects involving the FIU-Department of Children and Families Professional Development Program, the Community Based Intervention Research Group (C-BIRG), and The Center for Research on U.S. Latino AIDS / HIV and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA). The School is a unit of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, offering many opportunities for interdisciplinary and inter-professional collaboration.

The social work profession is concerned with preventing and ameliorating social problems and enhancing the quality of human life. Professional practice focuses on the transactions between people and their environments that affect their ability to accomplish life tasks, alleviate distress, and realize individual and collective aspirations. Central to the profession is the belief in the dignity and worth of each person. It requires a high degree of knowledge, skill, dedication, and scientific understanding of society and human behavior, social work practice skills, and identification with the values of the profession. FIUs School of Social Work aims to prepare students for a career in this rewarding profession.