The Board of Trustees of the State University of New York established the School of Social Welfare in December of 1963. Impetus for creation of the School came as a result of two reports, the Moreland Commission Report in January of 1963 and the New York State Committee Report on Medical Education in June of 1963. Both reports concluded that the State of New York faced critical shortage of social workers. As one means of alleviating this shortage, a new School of Social Welfare was proposed situated on the campus of the State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA).

In 1964, Dr. Richardson L. Rice was appointed the school's first dean and began efforts to establish a two-year master's program in social welfare. The first class of twenty-seven students entered the master's program in the fall of 1965 and graduated on June 11, 1967. The Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) granted accreditation for the master's program in 1969.

1968 saw the founding of the associated Institute of Gerontology. The study of aging would later develop into a major research and teaching emphasis of the School of Social Welfare. From 1981 to 1997, in recognition of the support received from Rhoda and Stan Ringel, the Institute was called the Ringel Institute of Gerontology.

In 1970, the University Senate approved the bachelor's degree program in Social Welfare and initial consideration was given to a proposal for a Ph. D. program. The undergraduate course offerings began in the 1970-1971 school year, and the Schools' master's program was reaccredited. A broadening of the curriculum also occurred with the addition of required courses in geriatrics, social policy analysis, and program development. Social policy analysis became a formal area of concentration and the School added a new concentration in Social Welfare Administration to the curriculum.

The early 1970s saw a rising chorus of demands for SUNYA to become active in working for social change. The School of Social Welfare responded to this demand by continuing its pursuit of minority students and faculty, and creating a number of programs that focused on social problems. A Social Service Study Unit was created to refer student volunteers to local agencies. A Neighborhood Services Unit (renamed the Neighborhood Outreach Unit in 1973) was also created to provide assistance to inner city residents. Stationed in Arbor Hill, this unit functioned as a clinical teaching facility, providing counseling to married couples and aid to senior citizens. Together these two programs constituted the Community Service Program, designed to involve enrolled students in volunteer social work.

Despite the decline in federal support and the precarious nature of state finances during the early 1970s, the School launched a number of new initiatives. In the fall of 1972, a full undergraduate major was offered leading to a B.S. degree. By the spring of 1973 the undergraduate degree program was accredited. The School introduced field instruction in 1973-1974 with courses offered in state and private agencies where staff and personnel supervised and instructed enrolled students. The 1972-1973 school year saw the newly created Institute of Gerontology collaborate with the State Office for the Aging in research projects.

In the face of continued fiscal strain, the School launched new programs in continuing education during 1974-1975. These included an extended study management program and a comprehensive education program for child welfare workers. Both concentrated on problems associated with child abuse and were designed to allow part-time study toward a professional degree. By 1976 these programs enrolled 750 county and state agency personnel. The relationships established between the School and outside community agencies and institutions helped the School obtain $1.3 million dollars in grants.

The State of New York, as well as the various regional agencies, sought to use the School's expertise to solve pressing social problems. In 1976, the State requested services to aid with the Temporary State Commission on Child Welfare. The State wanted to develop a new legal service manual for child welfare workers, overhaul state laws concerning child welfare and institute new training programs for social workers. The School contributed to these goals by creating the Continuing Education Project, later renamed the Continuing Education Program (CEP), during 1975-1976 to extend educational opportunities to state and local social service agencies and by sponsoring numerous educational conferences.

The creation of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy in 1981-1982 and the incorporation of the School of Social Welfare into the College signaled renewed growth for the School. The first evidence of this development was the establishment of an accelerated bachelor's/master's degree program offering a shortened program (12 months instead of 18). The school also implemented program changes to meet the needs of part-time students. The SUNY Board of Trustees approved the long-planned Ph. D. in Social Welfare in 1982, and the program accepted its first doctoral candidates in 1984.

The creation of Rockefeller College provided impetus for the School of Social Welfare to pool its resources with other schools in the College. By the mid-1980s the School cooperated in a number of endeavors with the Schools of Criminal Justice, Public Administration, and Public Policy. Plans were also made to create a graduate program incorporating Health Policy and Management.

Currently, the School of Social Welfare offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees with B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the national accrediting body. There continues to be a strong emphasis on community engagement at the local level, and research and field work opportunities are now global in scope with international programs in Ireland, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Peru, and other countries.

In line with community engagement, the School maintains a commitment to investigation of the evolving human needs of the 21st century. To achieve this goal the School offers a broad spectrum of research opportunities through various research centers and institutes, including the Center for Excellence in Aging Services and Community Wellness, the Center for Human Services Research, the Center for Innovation in Mental Health Research, the Institute of Gerontology, the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, and the New York State Social Work Education Consortium.