Exterior of Mandel School

About

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University was founded in 1915 as the first competency-based curriculum in the nation for a school of social work approved by the Council on Social Work Education.

Today, the Mandel School is among the most respected schools for social work leadership and nonprofit management in America.

We offer on-campus and online master’s degree programs in social work, a master of nonprofit management degree, a PhD in social welfare, and multiple dual-degree programs with other top-ranked schools from across Case Western Reserve.

Our research shapes public policy, informing social change and transforming lives.

Our students are talented, compassionate and diverse Change Leaders  who are taught a rigorous, groundbreaking curriculum that will prepare them to lead social change.

Our alumni are leaders in the profession, changing the world each and every day.

Learn More About Us

Wondering more about the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences? Here are a few quick resources to get you started.

Two students talking at a table
Students and faculty talking in front of fireplace
Aerial view of CWRU campus
Group of students on graduation day
The Mandel brothers

About Our Name

We are the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Who are Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel?

Morton Mandel launched the Mandel Foundation with his brothers, Jack and Joseph, after the trio experienced extraordinary business success with the automotive parts company they created in 1940, Premier Industrial Corporation. 

The brothers began donating to charities in the late 1940s, and as their business grew, so did their giving. In 1988, the Mandel Foundation made a naming gift for what was then the School of Applied Social Sciences. The Foundation continues to support the school and its vision of training leaders in social change.

To learn more about the Mandel brothers and their civic and philanthropic activities in Cleveland, nationally, and in Israel, watch the video, Our Cup Runneth Over.

“The hallmark of our philanthropy is our commitment to invest in people with the values, ability and passion to change the world.”