The Syracuse University School of Social Work began in 1945 as a one-semester program, offered through the adult education division of SU under the direction of the University of Buffalo. In 1956, in response to the need for a full-fledged social work program in Syracuse, the School of Social Work was established as a graduate program at Syracuse University. The school began offering bachelor's degrees in 1974. In July 2001, the School of Social Work became part of the College of Human Services and Health Professions, a newly-founded college intended to increase cross-professional education and research in health and human services while supporting the professional identities and strengths of its individual academic programs.

The School of Social Work has been recognized nationally for community organization and activism, clinical training in family systems, gerontology, and concentrations in health and occupational social work. In the 1990s, the school was one of a select number of social work programs funded by the U.S. Children's Bureau as part of an effort to re-professionalize public child welfare workers through social work education.

Hundreds of social workers have been educated at the School of Social Work. Many of them have remained in upstate New York, creating a strong alumni network in local human service settings.

The School of Social Work continues a strong tradition of research-active faculty offering excellent instruction in order to educate social workers who are committed to the values and ethics of professional social work practice.

The School of Social Work at Syracuse University: A Retrospective provides a more detailed history of the school, including photographs.