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.
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 track and an organizational leadership track 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.
The DSW program can be completed in three years and consists of 45 credit hours of coursework. Students will choose a concentration in advanced clinical practice or organizational leadership. The advanced clinical practice track includes coursework in advanced practice theory and techniques, research methods and clinical supervision and practice. The organizational leadership track 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.
The application deadline for fall is March 1. Students must meet the following minimum requirements prior to starting the DSW program:
It is also recommended that prospective students review the Application Checklist.
Prior to the start of the program all students are required to attend a one-day, on-campus orientation. 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 Students who do not attend orientation may be administratively withdrawn from the program.
Students are required to come to UA’s main campus in Tuscaloosa four to five days each summer — in years one and two for residencies and in year three to present their capstone project.
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.
Courses are offered online. Students are required to have access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection.