A Message from Interim Dean Ronnie Glassman, MA, DSW, LCSW

Dear Students:

We welcome you to Wurzweiler School of Social Work and to Yeshiva University. We look forward to our joint venture, and we thank you for choosing us. Our graduates have gone on to become extraordinary practitioners and leaders in many programs nationally and internationally.

Through our curriculum, our stellar faculty, and your field work experience, you will learn social work skills. As a Wurzweiler student you will have a chance to help others, to make a difference, to meet the needs of vulnerable people, and to make social change.

All professions have a body of knowledge, a code of ethics, and a unique skill set. Through the knowledge and values considered in your classes you will transform your desire to help into professional skill at your field placements. You will develop the conscious use of self – the ability to use yourself purposefully as an instrument of help and change.

You are mandated to approach clients’ humanity, to support their dignity and worth, and to engage clients nonjudgmentally. Clients will privilege you with their truths -- realities they may never have told to anyone else. Through field supervision, you will have opportunities to help individuals and families, to facilitate and plan groups, and to support community development.

And then on another note, you will all contribute to each other’s learning through the class and field work experience. You are all part of the shared journey.

Social work education requires you to challenge yourself, to be honest and trustworthy as you endeavor to meet the needs of your clients. This unique learning experience is transformational. On behalf of our faculty and staff, we are privileged to be part of your journey.

Wishing you all the best,

Ronnie Glassman

Ronnie Glassman, MA, DSW, LCSW
Clinical Professor
Interim Dean

Welcome to the Wurzweiler School of Social Work

Founded as part of Yeshiva University in 1957, the Wurzweiler School of Social Work is proud to be part of a university system that has ranked No. 1 in New York and No. 2 in the nation for students in advanced degree programs.1 Built on YU's mission to teach a uniquely dual curriculum that emphasizes knowledge enlightened by values, Wurzweiler places similar focus on teaching the practical and clinical elements of social work while ceaselessly affirming the importance of ethics, tolerance and cultural receptivity in the profession.

Teaching Future Social Workers to Serve Global Communities

Yeshiva University has continuously evolved to reach a broader and more diverse student population while still serving its primary institutional mission, the University and its individual colleges have remained rooted in the Jewish cultural traditions to serve others and provide for the needs of local and global communities. As an extension of that endeavor, the leaders at Wurzweiler have created a deeply personal program that leverages centuries-old traditions alongside a contemporary curriculum to train 21st century social work practitioners and equip them to transform the world.

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A Brief History of Yeshiva University & the Wurzweiler School of Social Work

1886: Yeshiva Eitz Chaim (later to become Yeshiva University) is founded
1897: The Rabbi Isaac Elchana Theological Seminary (RIETS) is formally chartered by the State of New York
1915: RIETS merges with Etz Chaim to become the Rabbinical College of America
1928: The Rabbinical College of America becomes Yeshiva College
1936: Yeshiva establishes its first graduate program
1957: The School of Social Work is established
1962: The School of Social Work is renamed the Wurzweiler School of Social Work
1970: Yeshiva University becomes a secular university to comply with government aid laws
1984: Wurzweiler’s curriculum is revised and updated to better meet emerging needs and prepare students to leverage new technologies in social work
1993: The Silvia and Irwin Leiferman Center for Professional Training in the Care of the Elderly is established at Wurzweiler
2015: U.S. News & World Report ranks Yeshiva University No. 1 in New York and No. 2 Nationally for graduates in advanced degrees, while Forbes ranks the University among the Top 50 for Return on Investment2
2019: Forbes ranks the University amoung the Top 100 for Best Value Colleges.3
Take An Evolutionary Journey With Us
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Master Core Competencies

Instructors will assess your annual performance in each of nine different competencies to help you identify what should be your key areas of concentration.

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Train in Ethics

Explore social philosophy, emphasizing respect, tolerance and the ethical treatment of others, and learn to support the emotional needs of future clients.

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Engage in 1:1 Study

Your assigned faculty advisor will work with you one on one to better guide your studies, mentor your career development and help you define your professional identity.

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Let Your Student Journey Begin


It’s time to write your own history and uncover your opportunity to build social change and equity. Take a closer look at the online MSW program from Wurzweiler: You may discover the path that fulfills your purpose.

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March 13, 2023
Historically, most research and training regarding education has focused on the academic achievement of students. This focus became especially narrowed due to the emphasis on standardized testing and achievement in American schools over the last few decades.

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