Curriculum Overview

The DSW program is 42 hours and includes our Core Plus sequence. Courses in this sequence focus on advanced social work theory, practice, and program evaluation.  After completing the core curriculum, students will select one of four concentrations:  Administrative Leadership, Clinical Social Work, Social Work Education, or Military Behavioral Health.

The first summer orients students to the rigor and expectations of doctoral work and sets the stage for the core foundation courses applicable to all advanced social work practice.  In the second year (third year for part-time students), students choose their concentration which allows a greater degree of specificity related to the professional practice.  The concentration year (year two for full-time students and year three for part-time students)  starts in the summer semester with the first course in the concentration, a colloquium, designed to orient students to the scholarship products that are essential to successfully completing the program. The final year of the DSW allows students to apply their knowledge and demonstrate skills through the assignments and expected outcomes of the courses. In contrast to the core foundation year, the concentration year outcome products are expected to be disseminated as scholarly products.

Year 1

Summer I Virtual Residency

SW 852: Intro to Doctoral StudiesSW 853: Contemporary Social Work Concepts
Fall 1Spring 1
SW 855: Supervision, Ethics & Professional Practice SW 860: Program Evaluation Methods
SW 856: The Science of Social WorkSW 864: Advanced Policy for Social Work Practice
SW 859: Statistics for Social WorkersSW 865: Foundational Theory

Year 2

Summer II Virtual Residency

SW 893: Justice Informed Social Work PracticeSW 892: Colloquium I
Fall 2Spring 2
Concentration Course 1Concentration Course 3
Concentration Course 2SW 894: Colloquium II