Lori Messinger, Dean
Sherry Cummings, Associate Dean
J. Camille Hall, Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion
William Nugent, Associate Dean for Research
Kate Chaffin, Director, MSSW Program (Online Program)
Mary Held, Director, MSSW Program (Nashville Campus)
Rebecca Jackson, Director of Field and International Initiatives
Lisa Reyes Mason, Director, PhD Program
Robert Mindrup, Interim Director, BSSW Program
David Patterson, Director, DSW Program
Ragan Schriver, Director, MSSW Program (Knoxville Campus)
http://www.csw.utk.edu/
Professors
Bowie, S., PhD – Pennsylvania
Cummings, S., PhD – Georgia
Dupper, D., PhD – Florida State
Hall, J., PhD – Massachusetts
Mason, M., PhD – Oregon
Messinger, L., PhD – North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
Nugent, W., PhD – Florida State
Patterson, D., PhD – Utah
Theriot, M., PhD – California (Berkeley)
Wodarski, J., PhD – Washington (St. Louis)
Associate Professors
Choi, S. PhD – Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
Conway, A., PhD – Michigan
Cronley, C., PhD – Tennessee
Forrest-Bank, S., PhD – Denver
Held, M., PhD – Texas (Austin)
Mason, L., PhD – Washington (St. Louis)
Staudt, M., PhD – Washington (St. Louis)
Assistant Professors
Abrams, T., PhD – Illinois
Bamwine, P., PhD – Pennsylvania
Joseph, A., PhD – Pennsylvania
Martin-West, S., PhD – Kansas
McGarity, S., PhD – Georgia
Thomas, E., PhD – Utah
Clinical Associate Professors
Strand, E., PhD – Tennessee
Thompson, P., PhD – Utah
Clinical Assistant Professors
Herron, F., DSW – Tennessee
Mindrup, R., PhD – Missouri
Research Faculty
Green, P., PhD – Tennessee
Associate Professors of Practice
Chaffin, K., MSSW – Tennessee
Childers, A., MSW – Massachusetts
Crane Mallory, K., MSSW – Tennessee
Denton, K., MSW – Virginia
Schriver, R. PsyD – Washington (St. Louis)
Veit, K., MSSW – Tennessee
Assistant Professors of Practice
Benus, H., MSW – Maryland
Cermak, S., MSW – Pennsylvania
Foster, C., MSSW – Maryland
Hannaway, N., MSSW – Texas (Austin)
Hickman, C., MSSW – Tennessee
Jackson, R., MSSW – Tennessee
Mallory, A., MSSW – Indiana
Manifold, S., MSSW – Tennessee
Martin, K., PhD – Tennessee
Steckel, S., MSSW – Tennessee
Weatherstone, S., MSSW – Tennessee
Emeriti Faculty
Combs-Orme, T., PhD – Washington (St. Louis)
Orme, J., PhD – Washington (St. Louis)
NOTE: Graduate students majoring in fields other than social work are admitted to certain social work courses with the approval of the College of Social Work and the student’s major professor.
The College of Social Work began as the Nashville School of Social Work, founded in 1942 under the auspices of Vanderbilt University, Scarritt College, and George Peabody College. It joined the University of Tennessee in 1951. By 1974 the three branches, located in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, offered the two-year master’s program. The doctoral program was inaugurated in 1983. In 1985 the Bachelor of Science in Social Work program was added, and the School achieved college status. In 2012, the college began offering the Doctor of Social Work degree, with an emphasis in Clinical Practice and Leadership.
The University of Tennessee College of Social Work offers the full continuum of social work education degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels.
Social work is a helping profession that focuses on providing skilled intervention in the prevention and amelioration of individual and societal problems. It is the purpose of the college to provide an education that fosters growth in both individual and career development.
Graduate Programs
The two-year program (thesis or non-thesis option) leading to the Master of Science in Social Work is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and is offered on the Knoxville and Nashville campuses and through the Online MSSW program. The foundation curriculum of the PhD program is available only in Knoxville. The post-MSW/MSSW Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) is an online program that requires an annual week of on-campus residency each summer devoted to intensive study and skills practice.
Graduate Certificate Programs
The College of Social Work offers four graduate certificate programs and one licensure program in addition to the MSSW degree. The majority of courses for a certificate program may be used to count toward both the MSSW and the certificate if they fulfill requirements of both programs. However, all certificates do require 3 credit hours (1 course) over and above that which is required for the MSSW program. With proper planning, full-time students can complete their MSSW and certificate in a two-year period and advanced standing students can complete both in a one-year period. The completion of a certificate is formally noted on the student’s transcript and indicates to prospective employers that, in addition to training within a particular discipline and degree program, additional formal training has been obtained.
The Gerontology Graduate Certificate prepares graduate students to work with and on behalf of the rapidly growing older population. The gerontology certificate gives students the opportunity to combine courses focusing on critical aging issues with direct aging-related experiences. The Veterinary Social Work Graduate Certificate Program offers a comprehensive foundation in veterinary social work topics focusing on the knowledge and skills needed to integrate animals into social work practice in ethically sound ways and in keeping with the values of the social work profession. The Graduate Certificate in Trauma Treatment provides students with the coursework and practical experience needed to provide trauma-specific interventions and trauma-informed programming and policy development. The Tennessee State School Social Work Licensure Program is available to currently enrolled bachelor’s level and master’s level social work students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as well as persons who already hold a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in social work from an accredited social work program. This licensure program in school social work equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to practice in school settings throughout the State of Tennessee.
Information is available from the College of Social Work, Henson Hall, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-3333.
Financial Aid
Students may apply directly to the university’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for assistance such as the National Direct Student Loan or the Work-Study Program.
Information regarding scholarships administered by the college is made available after admission. Financial aid is available to qualified students in the form of fellowships, scholarships, and teaching and research assistantships. Graduate assistantships and other forms of assistance are awarded on the basis of merit and interest to applicants who are accepted into the PhD program.
