The School of Social Work was established at the University of Minnesota in 1917, the first graduate social work program among the land-grant universities in the United States. Located in a state known historically for its progressive innovations in human services and social reform, it has always emphasized social service and social justice in shaping its teaching, community service and research goals.

Building on the University of Minnesota's and College of Education and Human Development's land-grant mission of education, research, and service, the mission of the School of Social work is threefold:

1. to educate ethical competent social work practitioners and scholars in direct practice, community practice, teaching, theory development, policy development and evaluation;
2. to promote scholarship and research to expand social work knowledge, and to provide professional outreach locally, nationally and globally.
3. As the oldest public school of social work in the United states, the University of Minnesota School of Social Work promotes this mission through a tradition of scholarship, leadership, and commitment to the public good, social justice, and the empowerment of oppressed peoples.