Social Work Major, DSW

The College of Social Work DSW program is designed for MSSW/MSW graduates with significant clinical social work practice experience interested in earning a doctoral degree in social work in clinical practice and leadership.

Mission

The DSW program in the College of Social Work at The University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) fosters diverse groups of forward-looking MSW/MSSW practitioners interested in advancing their clinical practice, scholarship and leadership. Doctor of Social Work (DSW) practitioner-scholars are committed to generating a more inclusive, equitable and just society through dynamic leadership in their fields of practice that improves the social services and health of all persons in their communities. Upon completing this program, DSW graduates are able to draw on a range of inclusive empirical, theoretical and emerging client-centered sources of knowledge to bring about anti-oppressive, anti-racist and anti-stigmatizing innovations in social work.

Goals

The program will train students to understand and critically apply knowledge from neurobehavioral science and research-informed advanced clinical practice to address the socio-emotional and physical health of the community, with particular focus on including under-resourced groups.
The program will mentor students to demonstrate the evidence-based practice process through designing and executing a research project, with particular consideration of conducting anti-oppressive research.
The program will instill in students the ability to translate research evidence into anti-oppressive advanced clinical and leadership practice settings.

The DSW is a professional practice degree to enhance community-level resources. The degree is not intended to prepare students for academic careers as researchers. Instead, it is designed to prepare MSW/MSSW practitioners, experienced at the master’s level in social work, for advanced clinical practice, teaching, advanced practice leadership and translational research. Geared towards working professionals in the community, the DSW is an intensive accelerated program that enables students to satisfy all degree requirements in three years, without career disruption.

Campus Code

Distance Education

Admissions Standards/Procedures

Submit online application to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Meet requirements for admission to the Graduate School.
Hold a Master’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Applicants from international programs will be reviewed on an individual basis.
Have three years of post-MSSW/MSW clinical practice experience.
Have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for previous graduate work.
Have TOEFL scores of at least 550 on the paper test or 80 on the internet-based test or a 6.5 overall band score on the IELTS, if native language is not English.
Demonstrable information technology skills.

Academic Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
Any grade below a “B” in a required course is grounds for dismissal from the DSW program.
All requirements must be completed within five years.

Credit Hours Required

48 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Additional Requirements

Students must complete residency requirements for the Doctor of Social Work, defined as six consecutive semesters with a minimum of 6-credit hours of enrollment per semester.
Students must successfully complete all coursework in years 1 and 2 to be eligible to advance to candidacy. This includes maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Students must also successfully defend their DSW research project to advance to candidacy. The DSW research project defense occurs during summer semester of the second year (semester 6), and serves as the qualifying exam for the DSW program.
In case of failure of the qualifying examination, the student may request a retake of the exam.
The result of the second qualifying examination is final.
The DSW comprehensive exam in the last semester of the program is composed of a portfolio assignment. The exam assesses student learning and growth over the whole program and integrates the three concentration domains (clinical practice, leadership and research).

Non-Course Requirements

Special Requirements and Policies
- Each student must hold personal professional liability insurance.
- Students must adhere to ethical and professional standards.
- Students will attend an annual week of on campus residency each summer devoted to intensive study and skills practice.

Undergraduates

Graduate Students