Doctor of Social Work

The Doctor of Social Work or PhD in Social Work or PhD in Social Policy and Social Work is a higher academic degree for social workers who wish to further their careers. The PhD candidate gains experience at doctoral level in education, training in advanced practice, teaching, supervision, research and/or policy analysis and development. The Doctor of Social Work degree or DSW is usually advanced clinical practice or research with emphasis on some specialized fields. The DSW degree also allows current practitioners to gain specific knowledge or receive more specialized training in an area of practice. The curricula of the courses differ from country to country and from university to university. It can be a professional degree where the PhD candidate is interested in being a more qualified social worker or a research degree (probably the most common) in which s/he is probably more interested in research settings in social work practice, education, research and development. The degree typically leads to academic teaching and research or to more leadership roles in practice and policy developments at a local or international level.


Universities that provide PhD programs in social work

    University of California, Berkeley
    Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
    University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
    University of Michigan
    University of Pennsylvania
    Columbia University
    New York University
    University of Connecticut
    Fordham University, the Jesuit University of New York
    University of Pittsburgh
    University of Iowa
    Barry University
    University of Houston
    University of Maryland
    University of Missouri
    University of South Carolina
    University of Illinois
    University of Texas
    University of Kansas
    University of Utah
    Capella University
    University of Denver
    University of Tennessee
    University of Alabama
    Indiana University