Social Work Joint MSW/PhD

The Joint MSWPh.D. program prepares students to make significant contributions to social work education and the knowledge base of the profession.The goals and objectives of both the MSW and Ph.D. programs reflect the department’s concerns with urban social problems, social and economic equity and well-being, cultural diversity, and the empowerment of individuals, families, organizations, and communities to effect change.However, the joint MSWPhD program extends preparation for practice in the MSW program into training for research in the PhD program.As a result of rigorous PhD coursework and supervised PhD research, our doctoral graduates have gone on to succeed as independent scholars, policy analysts, and research scientists.The joint MSWPhD program offers two tracks — an advanced curriculum for students who hold a BSW earned within the past five years from a CSWE-accredited program and a foundation track for those who do not.Objectives of the curriculum include:Providing opportunities for advanced scholarship and research in social work, including partnerships with the wider communityPreparing scholars who demonstrate knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of the profession and who are able to serve as future leaders in social work academic and research settingsPreparing scholars competent in the development and advancement of knowledge in these disciplines, with particular emphasis on social work intervention as broadly definedOutcomes and competencies expected of doctoral graduates include:Knowledge of theories underlying intervention approaches used in the student’s disciplineAbility to critically analyze theories and knowledge development related to a specific content areaUnderstanding of how knowledge currently is and has historically been developed, disseminated and applied in each discipline and in relation to specific content areasFamiliarity with relevant policies, their rationale and their implications for practice