Doctor of Social Work, (DSW)

The Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree is designed to further the education and enhance the practice and research skills of practicing social workers. The mission of University of Memphis’ DSW program will be:

The mission of the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program is to prepare practitioner-scholars who can generate new social work knowledge and respond to increasingly complex practice environments. The DSW program seeks to enhance the professional skills of practicing social workers and prepare them for supervision, teaching, management, and data-driven decision-making.

Admission Requirements

A Master of Social Work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Submission of GRE scores.
A Professional Goal Statement. See program website for specific requirements.
A Professional Resume.
Three letters of reference.
Two years of post-MSW practice experience

Program Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of forty-two (48) hours.

Required Courses:

Dissertation

Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 hours of dissertation.

SWRK 9000 - Dissertation

Retention Requirements

Students in the DSW program must comply with all retention standards of the Graduate School at the University of Memphis.
All students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00. Should the student’s cumulative GPA fall below that mark, a period of one semester will be allowed to correct the deficiency. Students failing to improve their GPA to an acceptable level in that time will be dismissed from the program.
No more than 6 hours of “C-,” “C” or “C+” will be applied toward meeting degree requirements. No grade of a D+ or lower will count toward the degree.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of all required coursework with no more than 6 hours of C grades.
Completion of a dissertation.