Through teaching, research, and service, the school educates its graduates for productive careers in diverse professional arenas, contributes to the knowledge base guiding social welfare practice and policy decisions, and offers expertise and energy to local, state, and national concerns. The school's initiatives build on the traditional heritage of social work, and are guided by a commitment to social services, including the development of caring communities. Recognizing that communities function as political, social, and familial entities, the school's efforts emphasize, but are not limited to, health care, mental health, and the special concerns of children, families, women, and the aged. In all of its capacities, the school recognizes and values achieving mutuality among diverse community groups, and promotes models of service delivery empowering the poor and disadvantaged and ensuring the social care of all community members. The therapeutic recreation program, within the recreation and leisure services administration program, prepares students to work with a variety of persons with illnesses and disabilities.
Therapeutic recreation includes a variety of disorders.
The program is accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association and leads to national certification by the National Therapeutic Recreation Certifying Board. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers a specialization in health systems planning and aging policy as part of the master of science in planning degree. Through a specialty sequence of four courses, the student is prepared to assume positions in federal or state policy making or local and regional planning for health and social services. The specialization deals with identifying health care needs and the provision of appropriate, accessible, effective and efficient health services for the general population with an emphasis on the elderly.