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Doctor of

Social Work (DSW)

Primarily Online

Program Overview

Prepare yourself for advanced social work practice and leadership through this primarily online Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree program. In as little as three years of study, you can equip yourself for specialized practice, public and nonprofit agency management or teaching future social workers.

Primarily Online Program Format

45 Credit Hours

$480 Tuition Per Hour

Leading Change, Advancing Social Work Practice

This highly selective DSW program is cohort based and allows you the benefit of enhanced collaboration and networking with peers. The program offers an advanced clinical practice focus area and an organizational leadership focus area so you can tailor your coursework to your professional goals.

In addition to completing online coursework, students are required to participate in residency programs on the UA campus, which last four to five days each summer. Students will also need to have a work or volunteer practice location where they can apply the concepts they are learning in a social work setting.

Application DeadlineMarch 1
Orientation RequiredYes
Other Program SpecificsRequired campus visits and access to a social work placement (work or volunteer)
Scholarships and Grants AvailableDiscover a range of scholarships and grants to support your educational journey

Curriculum

The DSW program can be completed in three years and consists of 45 credit hours of coursework. Students will choose a focus area in advanced clinical practice or organizational leadership. The advanced clinical practice focus area includes coursework in advanced practice theory and techniques, research methods and clinical supervision and practice. The organizational leadership focus area curriculum hones your leadership and management skills for organizational and community settings.

Please note that courses are subject to change. You can learn more about the DSW Program by visiting the UA Graduate Catalog.

DSW Core Courses (27 hours)
  • SW 700 Advanced Theories in Oppression and Disparities
  • SW 701 Research for Clinical and Community Practice I
  • SW 702 Research for Clinical and Community Practice II
  • SW 705 Advanced Advocacy and Policy Practice
  • SW 706 Teaching Social Work Practice
  • SW 750 Introduction to Capstone Project (1 hour)
  • SW 751 Capstone Preparation – Project Proposal (2 hours)
  • SW 799 Capstone Project (up to 9 hours)
Advanced Clinical Practice Focus Area (18 hours)
  • SW 703 Neuroscience in Clinical Practice
  • SW 720 Clinical Supervision and Ethics
  • SW 721 Cognitive Behavioral Theory
  • SW 722 Assessment and Diagnosis in Evidence-Based Clinical Practice
  • SW 723 Complementary and Alternative Therapies
  • SW 724 Social Work and Emotional Trauma
Organizational Leadership Focus Area (18 hours)
  • SW 704 Organizational Leadership Theory and Practice
  • SW 730 Leadership and Organizational Change
  • SW 731 Leadership in Human Service Development
  • SW 732 Ethics in Community and Organizational Leadership
  • SW 733 Human Service Finance and Budgeting
  • SW 734 Human Resource Management in the Healthcare, Public, and Nonprofit Sectors

Admission

Applications are accepted for fall admission with an April 1 deadline. Review of applications begin October 1 with decisions decided on a rolling basis.  All applicants will receive a final decision by mid to late March.

Admission to the DSW program is competitive and meeting admissions criteria does not guarantee acceptance. Please review the DSW Application Checklist for complete instruction for applying to the DSW program. Applicants must have the following qualifications:

  1. An MSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  2. 3 years of post-MSW experience
  3. Hold a paid, or voluntary, social work placement where you can apply assignments and your capstone project for the DSW
  4. Academic transcripts from all institutions attended
  5. Three letters of recommendation, two must be from professional sources
  6. Curriculum vitae or resume
  7. Statement of Purpose, which should address the following items. It should be no more than 5 pages, APA formatted. You are required to cite literature supporting your statement of purpose.
    1. A summary of your social work experience and area of social work interest or specialization.
    2. A summary of why you are interested in pursuing the DSW degree, including a description of how you believe the degree will impact your career as well as your area of practice. Be sure to indicate if you are interested in the advanced clinical track or the organizational leadership track and why that track is the best fit for your career goals.
    3. Describe a specific challenge or issue in clinical, organizational, and/or community-based social work practice that you would like to address as part of the DSW curriculum. This issue should reflect critical thoughts about social work practice and reflect an interest in practice change.

The GRE or MAT is not required for admission into DSW Program. Applicants may be asked to have a phone interview with a member of the DSW program committee. Students do not need a SW license, unless their social work placement during the time of DSW enrollment requires a license.

Program Orientation
Prior to the start of the program all students are required to attend a two-day, on-campus orientation in Tuscaloosa, AL. This unique opportunity allows students to meet faculty and network with other DSW students. Students who do not attend orientation may be administratively withdrawn from the program.
Campus Visit Requirements
To support, educate, and engage DSW students, students are required to come to Tuscaloosa, AL during the summer term for four days in year 1 and five days in year 2. Residency Weeks will take place during the first two weeks of June. Attendance of these on-campus components of the program are mandatory for graduation. Residency Weeks will be structured with educational workshops to support student learning and to prepare students to complete the Comprehensive Paper and Capstone Project during the second and third year. Time will also be allotted for students to meet with faculty on-campus in a face-to-face format.
Practice Location
The majority of courses require students to apply the concepts they’ve learned to a social work setting. Students must be working or volunteering in a professional setting that will allow the student the ability to apply coursework for the duration of the program.
Technology
Courses are offered online. Coursework is completed during the first two years of the program and includes a minimum of four to six sessions per semester that are delivered synchronously. These live sessions are generally scheduled during a weekday evening, lasting one to one and a half hours via a web-based platform. Students are required to have access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection.

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Program Information

Katie Montgomery
Admissions Representative
800-467-0227
katelynn.bama@ua.edu

Admissions Information

UA Online
800-467-0227
online@ua.edu

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