On July 1st, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) announced the creation of its newest college, the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. This program encompasses two schools, the Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.  These two FAU schools naturally pair well together because of their shared vision for effecting social change, driven by their considerable overlap in curriculum and research areas, as well as their impact objectives.

The Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work, houses the largest undergraduate social work program in the state, as well as their highly-regarded master’s program and has the first Doctor of Social Work degree program in Florida.

• SocialWorkDegree.org ranked the Sandler School of Social Work BSW program third in the state based on their BSW alumni’s monthly earnings just 12 months after graduation. The ranking includes only CSWE-accredited programs and is calculated using monthly salaries deducting student debt payments, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education, to derive median net incomes of our early-career BSW graduates.  “In addition to our high job placement rate, world-class faculty and newly renovated facilities, we are thrilled to have this ranking as yet another reason why future social work students should put the Sandler School of Social Work at the top of their list for a high-value educational experience,” said Heather Thompson, Ph.D., interim director of the Sandler School.

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, houses the 3rd largest undergraduate major (Criminal Justice) offered at FAU and has a growing master’s degree program in criminology and criminal justice.

Together, this new college has upwards of 350 community partnerships from Vero Beach to Miami, offering their students boundless opportunities to forge their career path right here in the tri-county area.

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Florida Atlantic University:  Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast and is ranked as a top public university by U.S. News and World Report.

College of Social Work & Criminal Justice,:  At our core, we are change-makers driven to transform and empower individuals, families and communities by advocating for justice, mobilizing resiliency and promoting equality across our one human race. This is the mission that propels us forward as we inspire and prepare tomorrow’s social work and criminal justice leaders, scholars, practitioners and policymakers to effect positive change in the world.  The immense faculty expertise and strong community partnerships within our two schools – the Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice – produce graduates who are prepared to make a difference.  Our alumni enter the fields of social work and criminal justice fully trained to analyze, implement and evaluate criminal justice and social welfare policies and practices; address discriminatory systems and processes; provide direct services to vulnerable populations; restore justice and promote equal access to care.