History

Jessica Peixotto1904 Jessica Peixotto appointed lecturer in the department of economics, where she begins teaching courses in social welfare.

1918 UC Berkeley establishes the first graduate-level social work curriculum. Peixotto is appointed as the campus' first woman professor.

Haviland Hall in 19241924 Haviland Hall is one of a collection of buildings by campus architect John Galen Howard that transformed the Berkeley campus.

1927 UC Berkeley establishes a one-year graduate program leading to a certificate in Social Services.

1939 Department of Social Welfare established; Harry Cassidy serves as inaugural chair.

1940 Two-year Masters program established; certificate in Social Service changed to certificate in Social Welfare.

1942 Undergraduate program in Social Welfare established.

1943 University of California Regents authorize the UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare.

1944 UC Berkeley President Robert Sproul announces establishment of the School of Social Welfare; Masters of Social Welfare (MSW) degree awarded in casework, medical social work, psychiatric social work and public welfare administration.

1944 Harry M. Cassidy appointed the First Dean of the School of Social Welfare.

Milton Chernin1946 MSW concentrations initiated: child welfare (delinquency, prevention and control) and family welfare.

1947 Milton Chernin appointed Dean of the School Of Social Welfare.

1955 School Social Work program established for MSW students.

1960 Doctoral program, leading to the Doctorate of Social Welfare (DSW) degree, established.

1964 MSW concentration initiated: community organization and administration; Free Speech movement launches on the UC Berkeley campus.

1968 MSW concentration initiated: aging.

1969 MSW concentration initiated: mental health.

Harry Specht1977 Harry Specht appointed Dean of the School of Social Welfare

1986 MSW concentration initiated: health.

1987 The Bay Area Social Services Consortium (BASSC), an agency-university-foundation partnership currently housed under Berkeley Social Welfare’s Mack Center on Nonprofit and Public Sector Management in the Human Services, established.

1988 School of Social Welfare replaces DSW degree with PhD degree.

1990 The California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC), a statewide partnership of schools and departments of social work and practitioners hosted by Berkeley Social Welfare, established.

1990 The Child Welfare Research Center, now known as the California Child Welfare Indicators Project (CCWIP) – a collaboration between Berkeley Social Welfare and the federal government – established.

1996 The Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services established at the School of Social Welfare.

1997 James Midgley appointed Dean of the School of Social Welfare.

2007 Lorraine T. Midanik appointed Dean of the School of Social Welfare

2009 The Mack Center on Nonprofit and Public Sector Management in the Human Services and the Mack Center on Mental Health and Social Conflict (now a Subdivision of Risk-Resilience Research) established at the School of Social Welfare.

2012 Jeffrey L. Edleson appointed Dean of the School of Social Welfare.

2012 The Center for Prevention Research in Social Welfare is established.

2013 The School of Social Welfare opens two new community spaces: the Nathan Grove, named after former field education consultant Edward Nathan (MSW '52), and the Haviland Commons.

2014 Digital Health Equity and Access Lab (dHEAL) established at the School of Social Welfare in affiliation with UCSF and San Francisco General Hospital’s Latino Mental Health Research Program.

2014 Risk-Resilience Research lab established.

2017 The Guizhou Berkeley Big Data Innovation Research Center (GBIC) established at the School of Social Welfare.

2017 The Latinx Center of Excellence established at the School of Social Welfare thanks to a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

2017 The Sexual Health and Reproductive Equity program (SHARE) established at the School of Social Welfare.

2019 Linda Burton appointed Dean of Berkeley Social Welfare