Doctor of Social Work (DSW) in Clinical Practice and Leadership

The University of Tennessee College of Social Work offers a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) in Clinical Practice and Leadership that prepares graduates for advanced clinical practice and leadership. Geared toward working professionals, the DSW is an intensive accelerated program that enables students to satisfy all degree requirements in three years, without career disruption.

Rationale

The post-MSW/MSSW Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) in clinical practice program is for individuals interested in advancing their clinical knowledge and becoming leaders in clinical practice.  Advanced practitioners in social work are research-literate, reflective and professional leaders in their field. They are able to draw on a range of empirical, theoretical and professional sources of knowledge and take the lead on social work policy and practice innovations.

The DSW differs from other social work doctorates in that it is a professional practice degree, designed to prepare students for advanced clinical practice and advanced practice leadership.  Geared toward working professionals, the DSW is an intensive accelerated program that enables students to satisfy all degree requirements in three years, without career disruption. 

The curriculum focuses on advanced clinical practice, clinical research and advanced practice leadership.  At the completion of the DSW program, graduates will be able to:

• Integrate social work social and behavioral science with other disciplines as the basis for the highest level of evidence-based social work practice.
• Demonstrate professionalism, advocacy, ethical principles, and scientific integrity in advanced social work practice.
• Provide collaborative leadership in the development of social work evidence-based practice models and standards of care for diverse populations.
• Generate client, system and outcomes research and analyze other evidence to guide improvements in practice.
• Utilize information systems/technology to support and improve social work care and social and health care systems.

Graduates will:

• be able to draw on a range of empirical, theoretical, and professional sources of knowledge, enabling them to assume leadership roles in the development of practice models and standards of care for diverse populations.
• generate client, system, and outcomes research to guide
  improvements in practice.
• be prepared in an evidence-based practice curriculum rich in state of the art interventions and leadership skills.
  

Courses will be taught online through synchronous and asynchronous models

Real-time or synchronous courses will make extensive use of interactive video and instructional media. Asynchronous features of the course will facilitate the use of online learning resources to enable information sharing outside predetermined time constraints.

Students will spend one week each summer on the UT Knoxville campus engaged in intensive knowledge and skills development.

Program Director:
Dr. David Patterson
dpatter2@utk.edu

Program Secretary:
John Bailey
jbaile14@utk.edu

Contact the Doctoral Program

Doctoral Program
The University of Tennessee
College of Social Work
313 Henson Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-3333
(865) 974-6481
jbaile14@utk.edu