The Doctor of Social Work (DSW) is a professional doctorate in social work, it is the highest academic award available in the field of social work, and most offer advanced training in a professional area of practice including but not limited to; nonprofit organization, leadership development, and social justice. The DSW is distinct from the more traditional PhD, which is a more research-oriented degree for social workers who wish primarily to further their careers in academia or research settings.[1] Although different schools vary in the extent to which they emphasize each, both DSW and PhD candidates in the field of social work gain experience in education, advanced practice, teaching, supervision, research, policy analysis, administration and/or program development. As with other doctorates, a holder of a DSW is referred to using the formal title of 'doctor'.[2]
Although the first doctoral degrees that were offered in the field of social work were that of PhD's, in the late 1940s the Doctor of Social Work program emerged, with some of the earliest DSW degrees having been offered at University of Pennsylvania and Smith College. Some institutions that originally offered PhD programs in Social Work later converted to the DSW professional doctorate degree due to growing and improving trends in social work and in academia.
By the 1960s and 1970s, doctoral degrees for social work increased significantly. By the early 1970s, many universities began only offering the DSW professional doctorate, surpassing that of the PhD degree in social work that was originally offered at many competing institutions.
Over the years, great confusion lay between the PhD and the DSW with many holders of the DSW entering research based positions within higher education. Seeing that the DSW is a professional practice based doctorate, many institutions slowly began to remove the DSW from their curriculum in an effort to promote research education within the discipline.
With many social workers and allied health professionals pursuing clinical practice based doctoral degrees in other disciplines including education, nursing, psychology, physical therapy and nutrition, the discussion to promote the DSW degree was slowly placed at the forefront.
Understanding that not all practice based doctorates should be solely focused on advanced clinical practice, the DSW was emerged as an advanced practice professional doctorate.
Having been an advanced practice doctoral degree, the Doctor of Social Work is an important development in community based social services encompassing components in education, social justice, social welfare and policy development/analysis.
Holders of this degree are expected to work in a variety of fields and arenas in social service agencies, health and mental health care institutions, higher education and academia, and community service organizations.
Time frame
The typical time frame for completion of a Doctor of Social Work is 2 to 4 years after earning a master's degree.
↑ "Social Work Doctoral Programs". SocialWorkLicensure.org. Retrieved November 10, 2018. There are two types of social work doctorate: the DSW and the PhD. However, both confer the title of 'doctor' upon completing a course of approved study, research and defended in a viva voce. The Doctor of Social Work or DSW has traditionally been considered a terminal and practice doctorate, as opposed to a research degree, however all DSW requires a submission of a thesis around 50-60,000 words in length, which is around 40% required of a PhD. The remaining 40% is assessed in a similar way to taught programmes. It's the newer degree, but it's actually far from new. The first DSW programs came into being in the 1940s – when today's retirees were mere children. There is a difference between DSW and PhD programs… sometimes. The title of the degree may have as much to do with its history as its current requirements. Each degree has had times in history when it was favored. If a school offers both degrees, one can expect the PhD to be the research-heavy one.
Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, when the first doctorates were awarded at the University of Bologna and the University of Paris.
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.
A doctorate or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism licentia docendi.
The Doctor of Education is a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for academic, research, administrative, clinical, or professional positions in educational, civil, private organizations, or public institutions. Considerable differences exist in structure, content and aims between regions.
The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a master's degree in the field of social work. It is a professional degree with specializations compared to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). MSW promotes macro-, mezzo- and micro-aspects of professional social work practice, whereas the BSW focuses more on direct social work practices in community, hospitals and other fields of social services. In some countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong SAR, some MSW degrees are considered equivalent to BSW qualifications as a qualifying degree.
A licentiate is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin America, and Syria.
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) or (DrBA) is a terminal degree in business administration. The DBA is classified as a research doctorate or professional doctorate depending on the granting university and country where the degree was awarded. Academically, the DBA is awarded based on advanced study, examinations, project work, and advanced research in the field of business administration.
The Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A.) is a terminal applied-research doctoral degree in the field of public administration (a part of public service). The D.P.A. requires significant coursework beyond the masters level and a dissertation that contributes to theory or practice. Upon successful completion, the title of "Doctor" is awarded and the post-nominal letters of D.P.A. or DPA can be used.
A terminal degree is the highest-level university degree that can be achieved and awarded in an academic discipline or professional field. In other cases, it is a degree that is awarded because a doctoral-level degree is not available or appropriate. The two main types of terminal degrees are academic or professional.
The Doctor of Professional Studies is a doctoral degree for experienced professionals who wish to undertake a program that is applied in nature and of practical value to their career. The DProf is based on applied research of real world problems. The DProf has been available to graduate students in the United Kingdom since the 1980s. The first Doctor of Professional Studies program was started in 1972 at Pace University. As another form of research doctorate and a doctoral level academic qualification, the DProf is equivalent to the PhD in terms of academic level and rigour, with the difference between the two lying in the type of research conducted and consequently in the type of knowledge generated.
The Doctor of Health Administration (D.H.A.) is a doctoral degree focused with the development of theoretical knowledge in health administration and on the applied application of the said knowledge in the field of health administration. The D.H.A. requires significant coursework beyond the master's level and often requires a dissertation or capstone project that contributes to knowledge or practice.
The University of Georgia Graduate School coordinates the graduate programs of all schools and colleges at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. Established in 1910, the University of Georgia Graduate School administers and confers all professional, master's and doctoral degrees. The departments under which instruction and research take place are housed in the other schools and colleges at the university.
The Doctor of Management is an applied research doctorate with a degree focus in management, leadership, and organizational topics."
Professional social workers are generally considered those who hold a professional degree in social work. In a number of countries and jurisdictions, registration or licensure of people working as social workers is required and there are mandated qualifications. In other places, the professional association sets academic and experiential requirements for admission to membership.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, one of the 13 schools and colleges within the University of Pittsburgh, is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its offices are in the world-famous Cathedral of Learning, a forty-story, Gothic style edifice that is the signature building of the university.
A Doctor of Philosophy is a terminal degree, that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the degree is most often abbreviated PhD, pronounced as three separate letters.
PhD in management is one of the highest academic degrees awarded in the study of management science. The degree was designed for those seeking academic research and teaching careers as faculty or professors in the study of management at business schools worldwide.
A Doctor of Law is a doctorate in legal studies.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
