university of kansas phd social work

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Social Work

The School of Social Welfare offers a BSW, as well as a MSW, a MSW/JD, and PhD in Social Work, which develops the capacity for caring, to help people in need.  The undergraduate program prepares graduates for generalist social work practice with an emphasis on public social services, which looks at the interface between systems - individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.  School of Social Welfare website

Sample of Related Skills

• Advocate for human rights and social and economic justice  
• Utilize critical thinking when addressing social problems 
• Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being 
• Consider the cultural and other contexts in which practice occurs 
• Engage and assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities 
• Intervene and evaluate individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities  
• Participate in research-informed practice-informed research  

Popular Career Paths

Children or Family Services:  Involves helping parents and guardians identify services to improve the quality of life for children and families.  Can include adoptions, foster care, family preservation, and specialty children services as well as many others.

Health:  Involves working as a part of a medical team to help patients cope with chronic or terminal illness and injury.  Settings include hospitals, home health agencies, hospice programs, school-based clinics, physician offices, rehabilitation hospitals, addiction recovery programs, and nursing care facilities.

Education and School Social Work:  Involves helping to identify, assess,and address the social and emotional difficulties of children that interfere with their attendance,adjustment, and achievement in school.

Public Welfare:  Includes providing services, support and advocacy for poor and disadvantaged individuals, including helping with housing, vocational training and job placement, case management, crisis intervention and development of interpersonal and life skills.

Clinical:  Includes inpatient and outpatient mental health services, including assessment and treatment planning, counseling and referral services.

Gerontology:  Involves providing services and coordinating programs for older adults (healthy or ill) and their families.

Community Development:  Involves working with labor unions and grassroots organizations, developing projects and serving as community liaisons with public economic development departments, and working with community reinvestment programs. 

Jobs to Consider

• Adoption Counselor
• Assessment Coordinator
• Case Manager
• Clinical Resource Specialist
• Clinical Social Worker
• Community Resources Coordinator
• Counselor/Therapist
• Early Childhood Specialist
• Employee Assistance Program Coordinator
• Family Resource Specialist
• Foster Parent
• Geriatric Care Specialist
• Independent Living Coordinator
• Residential Counselor
• Outpatient Therapist
• Outreach Advocate
• Prevention Specialist
• Probation Officer
• Public Health Educator
• Recreation Manager
• Rehabilitation Counselor/Specialist
• School Social Worker
• Substance Abuse Counselor
• Victim Advocate
• Youth Employment Coordinator
• Youth Services Coordinator  

Places to Seek Employment

• Adoption Agencies/Foster Home Organizations
• Advocacy Organizations
• Assisted Living Centers
• Community Mental Health Centers
• Early Intervention / Head Start Programs
• Employment Assistance Programs
• Family Service Agencies
• Federal Government Agencies
• Group Homes
• Home Health Agencies
• Homeless Shelters
• Nursing Homes
• Public and Private Schools
• Public Health Programs
• Public Interest Groups
• Recreation Programs
• Rehabilitation Centers
• Residential and Outpatient Treatment Centers
• Senior Centers
• State/Local Government Agencies
• Victim Services Organizations

Explore More Career Resources

Government & Non-Profit Resources  - more from career.ku.edu 

Internships-USA  - internship listings related to social service, human rights, and women's rights 

Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services  - career paths and job listings with SRS 

Kansas Works  - a centralized database of jobs in Kansas (including state government and private firms). 

KU Center for Community Outreach  - local volunteer opportunities in a variety of areas, including poverty, seniors and youth 

National Association of Social Workers JobLink  - full-time, part-time, fellowship and internship opportunities in social welfare 

Non-Profit Connect  - local non-profit job and internship opportunities as well as non-profit career resources 

Social and Welfare Services in Lawrence, KS  - local social services agencies and organizations in the Lawrence area as well as links to each organization's website 

Social Service.com  - social work, social service, counseling, mental health, and case management jobs  

Social Work Job Bank  - full-time job opportunities in social work 

Social Work - Go Government  - explore potential careers and internships in social work with the federal government 

Explore the Social Work Profession  - occupational profiles and other general career information by the National Association of Social Workers

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Online Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

Program overview: online doctor of social work.

The KU School of Social Welfare Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program is centered on developing leadership and administrative skills while translating the research base of the profession to help agencies understand and implement best practices found in the social work and social science literature. Additionally, many courses are devoted to the theory and practice of teaching, preparing graduates to conduct their own classes, contribute to curricular development, and serve as skilled mentors and advisors to students.

100% online

Apply by Feb. 1

About KU’s online DSW

• Program overview
• Curriculum and degree plan
• Tuition and fees
• Admission requirements
• How to apply

What careers are possible with an online Doctor of Social Work?

DSW graduates are expert practitioner-scholars who teach, supervise, and mentor; assume leadership roles in social work practice settings; and generate and disseminate social work practice knowledge. Employers seek candidates with the DSW for career advancement in agencies, government, and higher education.

Overall employment of social workers nationwide is projected to grow 9% from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations; and employment of social workers in the field of health care, mental health, and substance misuse is projected to move into administrative positions within these settings. Even though many DSW graduates choose nonacademic administrative and private clinical practice positions, 12-15% accept tenure- or nontenure-track faculty positions at CSWE-accredited programs as a first destination, which are also growth employment areas in the U.S.

Ready to learn more?

Doctor of social work careers, how flexible is online learning at ku.

KU’s online degree programs are designed with your busy schedule in mind and offer the flexibility to study wherever — and often whenever — is most convenient for you. Our online courses are taught by the same highly regarded faculty and expert instructors, and consist of the same rigorous curriculum and instruction as our on-campus programs.

KU Resources

• KU course catalog
• KU grading and grades
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Why get an online DSW degree from KU?

The online DSW coursework allows social workers to advance their practice to the leadership or management level. While earning your DSW from KU, you will build a framework of leadership best practices, develop a deep understanding of research implementation, and take away critical learning theories.

The KU School of Social Welfare’s DSW program focuses on collaborative learning and fosters leaders in anti-oppressive social work in agency and community contexts, experts in translational and implementation science, and world-class teachers and mentors. The salaries expected of DSW graduates are highly competitive and higher than what may be expected with only an MSW. Finally, the DSW is designed to be flexible enough to complete while employed, so students do not have to forego a salary to complete the program.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

The School of Social Welfare strives to be a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the university and in our community. We want to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff feel safe, heard, and valued. Our DSW program emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion as a central component of course content. Visit the School of Social Welfare's DEI page  for more details about the school’s Strategic Priority 1: DEI.

Vision of justice, mission of change

To supplement the student experience, we ask all incoming students during orientation to consider their vision of justice — big or small. We hope students use their vision to help structure ideas for their coursework. By using them throughout all aspects of the program, by graduation the student will have a body of work that can create change and move us all closer to a more just society.

Take the next step

Program details, learn more about this online program.

Get more info on admission, deadlines, tuition and financial aid, career paths, and more when you fill out the form below. We’ll be in touch to answer any questions and help you get started.

FAQ: Online Doctor of Social Work

The PhD focuses on developing conceptual and methodological skills necessary for a career in conducting scholarly research and teaching in higher education.

The DSW, however, is practice-centered and emphasizes the mastery of evidence-based academic literature in a particular area of social work practice and policy, and the demonstration of knowledge, skills, and values in the implementation of those practices in community or agency practice settings. KU’s DSW emphasizes leadership skills and implementing knowledge for the betterment of clients, organizations, and communities.

Additionally, a significant percentage of the courses are devoted to the theory and practice of teaching, preparing graduates to conduct their own classes, contribute to curricular development, and act as skilled mentors and advisors to students.

Applications open Oct. 1.

Deadline to apply is Feb. 1.

KU’s Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program produces expert practitioner-scholars who teach, supervise, and mentor, and assume leadership roles in social work practice settings. Because the DSW indicates preparedness for career advancement, candidates with this degree are sought by employers in agencies, government, and higher education.

The full-time program can be completed in two years, which requires nine credit hours each fall and spring semester, plus additional capstone seminars during the summer and winter breaks. If you attend part-time, you can choose between a three- or four-year schedule.

Yes, the DSW is 100% online. The online format is blended, combining online coursework with live online classes taking place biweekly on Saturdays.

GTA/GRA positions and scholarships are not currently available to DSW students. The DSW is designed to be flexible enough to complete while employed so students do not have to forego a salary to complete the program.

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Applying to the University of Kansas

Lifelong pursuits start here. Find a KU graduate program to match your mission, then familiarize yourself with individual needs and next steps.

Begin your application

How to apply, explore ku's graduate programs.

Explore the graduate programs offered at KU. Pay attention to program application requirements and deadlines.

Review requirements

Determine your admission edibility by reviewing the minimum admission requirements below.

Submit your application

Complete and submit your application for admission. Pay the application fee and provide any information or documentation required by the program to ensure your application is reviewed for admission.

Check your status

Once your application is submitted and the application fee paid, your application will be reviewed by the program you applied to. Application review timelines vary by program. After a program recommendation is made, Graduate Admissions will review your application and notify you of a decision.

KU’s minimum admission requirements

Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements for admission to any graduate program at KU:

• Proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with substantially equivalent bachelor's degree requirements
• Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers

Program-specific admission requirements

Each graduate program at KU determines what additional materials or criteria are required for admission. These may include, but are not limited to:

• A resume or curriculum vitae
• Writing samples
• A personal statement
• Exam test scores
• Minimum GPA
• Letters of recommendation

Contact your program of interest for questions you have about program-specific requirements.

Application requirements

Transcripts.

At application for admission you may attach scanned official transcripts to your application. Some departments may require official transcripts at the time of application. Check your program’s admissions requirements.

After enrollment you must submit official, final transcripts for any degrees earned before your second semester of graduate enrollment at KU or you will not be permitted to enroll for your second semester.

Transcripts from US institutions must include degree conferral and may be sent:

• Via mail: Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to

Graduate Admissions University of Kansas 1502 Iowa St. Lawrence, KS 66045

• Electronically : If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service (such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse), you may have transcripts sent to [email protected] .

Transcripts from international institutions must include:

• Completion of coursework required for degree
• Degree earned and the date degree was conferred. If this is not on the transcript, you must submit a degree certificate or diploma.
• Official stamp or seal from the school
• CSSD (formerly CHESICC) verification report (in English) for degrees earned in China

Transcripts may be sent:

• Via email: Your institution may email your transcript to [email protected] . The transcript must come directly to Graduate Admissions from an institutional email address, such as the registrar’s email address, to be considered official.

A series of questions on your application will determine if you are a domestic or international applicant.

If your application answers indicate you are a US resident, then it  will determine if you residency is in-state or out-of-state as defined by the University Registrar .

US permanent residents or those with permanent residency pending will need to provide a scanned copy of proof of residency such as a permanent residency card or the I-797.

You will be considered an international applicant if:

•    You are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and live outside the U.S. •    You are an international student at another U.S. institution, and you are currently in F-1 status (including OPT) or J-1 status (including Academic Training) •    You are currently on an H1B visa •    You are currently on a dependent visa — e.g., F-2, J-2, or H-4

Visit International Support Services for more information on visas as that office is responsible for managing the visa process.

If you are admitted to an in-person or hybrid graduate program, you will be required to submit proof of finances . Proof of finances are not required to be considered for admission.

Additional Application Requirements

Your application fee will vary depending on your status.

• Domestic degree-seeking: $65
• International degree-seeking: $85
• Certificate-seeking: $30
• Non-degree-seeking: $30

Applicants may be eligible for an application fee waiver. To be considered for a fee waiver, most applicants must submit a  fee waiver request . This process is specific to programs listed on this page , which contains links to program information. Note, only certain programs offer sponsorship for application fees. To determine if a program reviews applications for fee waivers, contact the program directly.

Additionally:

• For MBA or other master's Business programs, reach out to the Business School for details on requesting an application fee waiver. Both Master's in Accounting and Business Ph.D. applicants should use the fee waiver request form above.
• Applicants who provide documentation in the graduate application of the following will not be charged an application fee and will not receive a prompt for payment: past participation in a federally funded TRIO program ; attendance at Haskell Indian Nations University: and current domestic undergraduate students who are receiving the US Federal Pell Grant .
• Certain programs sponsor the application fee for all applicants, and applicants to those programs won't receive a prompt for payment.
• If interested in a KU Medical Center program, contact the respective graduate or certificate program for information on requesting an application fee waiver.

Before submitting a fee waiver request , you must first start a graduate admission application and select the program you're applying to - fee waiver requests without a program will be denied. Although not required, you are encouraged to complete your admission application before submitting your fee waiver request. Your application fee is non-refundable, so do not pay the application fee when you submit your admission application if you plan to submit a fee waiver request. Fee waiver requests should be submitted well before the program application deadline to allow time for review.

After submitting a fee waiver request , applicants will be notified when a decision has been made on the fee waiver request. If a fee waiver is approved, it will be added to the application, and you will not be asked to submit an application fee. If your fee waiver is denied, you will need to pay your application fee before your application is reviewed for admission.

Some programs require tests such as the GRE or the GMAT. Refer to your program of interest to confirm test requirements. GRE test scores should be sent by ETS to KU's institution code of 6871.

Some applicants need to provide scores related to the University’s proof of English proficiency requirement. Details can be found here .

Programs may require you to provide references or letters of recommendation as part of your application. If so, the application will prompt you to provide names and contact information for each reference. It is VERY important that you double check that your references’ names and emails are correct. A failure to correctly fill out the recommendation section may cause significant issues and delay the review of your application .

Recommendation requests may be submitted through the application before the application is fully submitted . , or at the time of submission. Your references will receive instructions on how to complete their recommendation. Recommendations received on your behalf prior to application submission will link to your application when it is submitted.

If you are not prompted to provide references on your application, that could mean your program doesn’t accept online recommendation submissions or doesn’t require them. Refer to your program of interest to confirm reference and letter of recommendation requirements.

English proficiency requirements

Check your application status

Students with specific statuses.

International graduate applicants will be asked to provide additional information and materials for processing immigration documents.  Learn more about what you’ll need to apply to a graduate program.

Application fee: $30

If a student does not intend to work for an advanced degree or certificate, they are considered a non-degree-seeking student. Non-degree-seeking students may apply within a specific department, a program, a professional school, or the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. If a non-degree-seeking student later applies and is accepted as a degree-seeking student, the total credits transferred may not exceed nine hours.

Requirements

To gain admission to a graduate program, non-degree-seeking applicants must

• Meet the English proficiency requirements for admission
• Provide evidence of a completed bachelor's degree, conferred by a regionally-accredited university or a foreign university with substantially equivalent degree requirements. A bachelor's degree may not be accepted if it was not evaluated in units that identify the academic content (e.g., if the work was graded on a P/F or S/U basis).

Application Fee: $30

The University of Kansas offers a variety of certificate programs for both current graduate students and non-KU students; however, some certificate programs require enrollment in a degree-seeking program.  Current KU degree-seeking students should contact their department about the application process. Non-KU students will need to apply for admission.

The Permit to Re-enroll is only intended for individuals who have enrolled in their graduate program in the past year. The permit to re-enroll form is not available to a student who: 

• was dismissed from a program at KU
• was voluntarily discontinued (formally withdrew) from a graduate program
• completed the graduate degree program
• most recently enrolled as a non-degree-seeking graduate student

Students will not be considered for readmission if they are currently on a leave of absence, if they have not been enrolled in the past year, or have earned a degree from the graduate degree program (See the  Permit to Re-Enroll policy page for more information.)

Before completing the form, students should verify with their graduate program that they are eligible to re-enroll. 

Dismissed students and those who withdrew from their program must submit a full application .

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Graduate Studies

KU’s Office of Graduate Studies fosters an exceptionally healthy and inclusive graduate learning community by enacting administrative practices that lift students, faculty, and staff to the highest standards for graduate education.

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The Office of Graduate Studies hosts research competitions and partners with other campus units to provide professional development workshops for graduate students.

2024-25 Academic Catalog

School of social welfare.

Graduation requirements and regulations for every academic program are provided in this catalog; however, this catalog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract. Degree and program requirements and course descriptions are subject to change.

In most cases, you will use the catalog of the year you entered KU (see your advisor for details). Other years’ catalogs »

The School of Social Welfare

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is the oldest school of social welfare in the state and the only one to offer degree preparation from undergraduate through doctoral degrees. 

• Bachelor of Social Work
• Master of Social Work
• Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work
• Doctor of Social Work

Social work education began at KU in 1937. The Master of Social Work program, established in Lawrence and at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City in 1946, has been continuously accredited since 1948. The Bachelor of Social Work degree has been awarded since 1971. In 1974, the B.S.W. program became one of the first in the nation to receive accredited status. The  Council on Social Work Education , the accrediting body for social work education, most recently reaccredited the B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs in 2018. 

Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principles & Values

Vision statement.

All individuals, families, & communities utilize their power to achieve justice, equity, & well-being.

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, rooted in the Strengths Perspective, aims to transform lives and social contexts and promote social, economic, and environmental justice in Kansas, the nation and the world.  We do so by educating students to practice with integrity and competence; advancing the science and knowledge base of social work through scholarship and research; and participating in community-engaged service.

Guiding Principles and Values

The work of the KU School of Social Welfare is guided and driven by a set of principles and values that inform our teaching, research endeavors, and service to community at various levels.  These include:  

Relationship Building: We engage in relationship building that fosters creativity, collaboration, and mutual learning. Relationship building is essential across practice, scholarship, education and service.  We take a strengths approach as we serve our local, state, national, and global communities.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:  We embrace the inherent worth of all people. By taking the position of cultural humility and applying the lens of intersectionality, we seek to develop and promote modes of anti-oppressive social work and dismantle structures of exclusion.

Practice with Integrity:  We demonstrate our integrity and trustworthiness as scholars, educators, practitioners, and community members by promoting social work values, ethical practice, and the process of critical reflection.

Multisystem Competency: We recognize that social, economic, and environmental injustices are the root causes of inequities and multiple strategies are necessary to address these. Our work integrates micro/macro social work and builds collaboration across systems and disciplines to create multi-level change.

Critical Perspective: We engage in deliberate and continuing examination of social conditions and solutions. We use critical inquiry to analyze and challenge existing structures and systems in order to advance the field and promote social, economic, and environmental justice.

Empirically Informed Social Work: We rigorously advance empirical research that impacts the social work knowledge base. By translating and applying evidence, we continually transform practice and policy across multiple systems.

Our Promise

With each relationship, we vow to be a true partner by providing a diverse, equitable and safe environment that encourages forward thinking and creates inclusive experiences that drive social change.

As a School within a comprehensive, premier research university we strive to:

• Offer innovative programming that recruits, graduates and supports uniquely qualified and compassionate social workers,
• Drive discoveries that transform lives, and
• Embrace our responsibility to promote social, economic, and environmental justice in Kansas, the nation and the world.
• To prepare B.S.W., M.S.W., D.S.W., and Ph.D. students to practice with integrity and attain multi-level competency while working to promote well-being and build community.
• To conduct, disseminate, and translate theoretical and empirically informed scholarship and research that impacts the social work knowledge base and transforms practice and policy. 
• To promote social, economic, and environmental justice through service at local, state, national, and international levels.

The Programs

Students have the opportunity to prepare for professional careers in social work at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.  Curriculums are carefully designed to bring students from the introductory level through advanced study in clinical social work practice or social work macro practice.  Doctoral programs prepare students to become leaders in social work practice and policy through research, teaching, and scholarship.  All programs are structured to support the guiding principles and values of the School.

The B.S.W. Program prepares students for generalist practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities at the entry-level and prepares students for advanced graduate work in social work, as well as for degree programs in other disciplines. Our M.S.W. degree prepares graduates for clinical or macro social work practice.  At the B.S.W and M.S.W. levels, classroom work is one half of professional preparation; practicum placements are the other half.  Placements in social service agencies offer students the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom. Students spend time in practicum settings throughout Kansas and the country.

The online Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.) Program gives current social workers the opportunity to further advance their skills in leadership, pedagogy, and the implementation of scientific knowledge in practice settings.

Our KU School of Social Welfare Doctoral Program (Ph.D.) graduates develop the knowledge and skills to drive discovery and advance the field of social work. The Ph.D. program offers a rigorous curriculum, real-world research experience, and individualized mentoring by world-renowned scholars.

The Profession

The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values.  These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective:

• Social justice
• Dignity and worth of the person
• Importance of human relationships

NASW Code of Ethics

As a guide to professional conduct, the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers represents the fundamental values of the profession and offers a set of values, principles and standards to guide decision-making and everyday professional conduct of social workers. It is relevant to all social workers and social work students regardless of their specific functions or settings.

View the entire Code of Ethics or request a copy.

Student Handbook

The  student handbook  contains full descriptions of policies and other details for degree programs and field practicum.

The School’s mission is supported through a variety of faculty members, including tenure-track fac ulty, professors of the practice, and part-time lecturers and field practicum instructors. Tenure track faculty teach and conduct research.  The faculty’s scholarly interests, as reflected in teaching, research, and publications, span a wide range of social justices issues, including health, mental health, child welfare, criminal justice, gerontology, LGBTQ+ populations, gender equity, poverty reduction and asset building, and macro social work including community practice and social work administration.  

School of Social Welfare faculty members hold doctoral degrees in social work, social welfare, and other fields. Professors of the Practice are   faculty who possess expertise in the field of social work and provide students with progressive professional instruction based on extensive experience in the profession.   In addition, outstanding social work practitioners   serve   as   part-time   classroom   lecturers ,   and   300   social   work practitioners serve as practicum instructors.  

Faculty members serve the public interest and the profession of social work as consultants and board members in professional and citizens’ organizations.

Research Office

The School supports research and scholarship designed to impact social service delivery and policy at the local, national and international levels. Grounded in the Strengths Perspective and with strong ties to the Grand Challenges for Social Work, we design and conduct applied research and scholarship that advances the science and knowledge base of social work through collaboration, curriculum, scholarship and research.  Learn more at  https://socwel.ku.edu/research .

Undergraduate Programs

The undergraduate program prepares graduates for generalist social work practice. The program defines generalist practice as maintaining focus on practice and advocacy based on ethical principles, scientific inquiry, and best practices at the interface between and among systems (i.e., individual, family, groups, organizations, and communities).  The program is offered on both the Lawrence and Edwards campuses.

University Honors Program

The school encourages qualified undergraduates to participate in the University Honors Program .

Graduate Programs

The Master of Social Work program , established in Lawrence and at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City in 1946, has been continuously accredited since 1947. KU’s MSW program is consistently ranked among U.S. national public universities.

The Ph.D. P rogram admitted its first students in 1981. It prepares students to be leaders of the profession through advanced research, scholarship, and teaching.

The online D.S.W. Program  is a practice doctorate that is focused on preparing strong social work leaders, excellent instructors and teachers, and experts in Implementation Science. The first cohort started the in Fall, 2023.

Financial Aid

To be eligible for financial aid, applicants should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1, even before receiving information about acceptance. FAFSA materials can be obtained from all college or university financial aid offices or submitted online . The School of Social Welfare uses the FAFSA need determination level in making awards. For more information regarding financial aid visit the KU Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship .

For Ph.D. students , financial assistance includes.  Students may also have opportunities to apply for teaching and research assistantships in substantive areas such as adult and children’s mental health, substance use, aging, child welfare, social policy, LGBTQ populations, gender-based violence, or other areas of faculty grants and interests.

Scholarships and Awards

The School of Social Welfare has several sources of financial assistance available to students who meet the various criteria. Awards are made on an annual basis and are applied directly towards tuition and fees in most instances. All students interested in applying are required to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid by March 1. All recipients are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Students must renew their applications each year they wish to be considered.

University Regulations

For information about university regulations for undergraduate and graduate programs, see Regulations or visit the University of Kansas Policy Library  for University Senate Rules and Regulations.

For information about school regulations refer to the student handbook .

Graduation with Distinction and Honor Roll (Dean's List)

Undergraduate , graduation with distinction.

The top 10 percent of the graduates of the B.S.W. program each year receive degrees with distinction.

Honor Roll (Dean's List)

Students who have been accepted into the B.S.W. program, enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours during the semester, and earned a semester grade-point average in the top 20 percent of their class or a 4.0 qualify for the School of Social Welfare B.S.W. Dean’s List.

The M.S.W. program n either award s degree s with distinction nor honor roll designations.  Aligning with our professional values, the School  views each of our professional graduate students as bringing unique strengths that are based on a combination of skills that cannot be captured by any one individual metric.

Once a student is admitted to the School of Social Welfare, an academic adviser will be assigned to assist students in the enrollment process and with other academic program requirements. Students at the undergraduate level consult with their advisor before enrollment each semester and have the advising hold removed.  Graduate students should consult with their advisor for any questions regarding enrollment, plans of study, or degree requirements.  A member of the School’s faculty is also assigned to students as a professional/career adviser.  Current students can view their advisers in Jayhawk GPS (undergraduate) or the myKU P ortal .

Transfer of Credit/Credit Waiver

Bsw program.

The CredTran tool is a transfer course equivalency system from which KU has accepted transfer courses in the past. If your school or course is not listed, your evaluation will be completed when you are admitted to KU.

Transfer of credit allows specific course work from other accredited colleges or universities to count toward the B.S.W. degree. Decisions to accept prior credits are made by KU during the admission process. Exceptions must be petitioned through the B.S.W. Director. Petitions must be accompanied by a catalog description and a syllabus of the course and submitted at the time of application. Community college equivalents to KU courses are available from the school or through community college counselors. A maximum of 75 credit hours from a community college may be transferred toward the B.S.W. degree.

MSW Program

Students who request transfer from other programs accredited by the Council of Social Work Education and are not covered by an existing partnership agreement, must first go through the admission process and provide transcripts, a syllabus for each course for which credit is being requested, descriptions of field practicum content, written evaluations of field practicum performance, and the number of practicum clock hours. Course syllabi must include readings, assignments, and weekly topics covered in that class. Students requesting credit waivers must include these materials by the application deadline. Waiver credit will not be offered for courses taken prior to admission for students accepted in the Advanced Standing Program. Courses submitted for waiver credit won't be considered if a student earned a grade of less than a B.

Credits for continuing education institutes and workshops or programs conducted by nonaccredited or nondegree-granting organizations are not accepted.  Additionally, courses taken in another M.S.W. program as a non-degree seeking student will not receive waiver credit. Students may not receive waiver credit for advanced level coursework taken prior to completion of generalist level coursework in another M.S.W. program.

Students may request to enroll as non-degree seeking students .  However, enrollment is contingent upon admission as a non-degree seeking student and classroom availability after all current degree seeking students are enrolled. Up to nine hours of credit as a non-degree seeking stude nt can be applied toward the M.S.W. degree should a non-degree seeking student later apply to admission into the M.S.W. program (within a 5 - year time window ) .  Any such credit will be given only for coursework in which the student earned a B or greater.  Students interested in enrolling as non-degree should contact Graduate Admissions.

DSW Program  

No graduate credit may be transferred toward a doctoral degree, but departments may take relevant prior graduate work into consideration when setting up programs of study. Students who request such consideration must first go through the admission process and provide transcripts and a syllabus for each course for which credit is requested . Course syllabi must include readings, assignments, and weekly topics covered in that class. Students requesting credit waivers must include these materials by February 15th. Courses submitted for waiver credit won't be considered if a student earned a grade of less than a B.  No more than six (6) credit hours in the DSW Program can be waived, as per rules established by the Office of Graduate Studies.  

Prior Work Experience

In accordance with national curriculum policy, prior employment and life experience may not be credited toward classroom course work or practicum requirements for undergraduate or graduate programs.

Leave of Absence and Withdrawal

Refer to the student handbook for specific information

Guidelines for Conduct

Employment opportunities.

Some employment opportunities for social workers include:

• Practice in health care systems and settings.
• Child protection, foster care, and adoption services.
• Service in community centers, juvenile courts, and residential treatment centers.
• Women’s counseling and shelter facilities.
• Family services, substance use treatment, health care, and unemployment services.
• Community services for people with mental health challenges.
• Services for the elderly in home care, nursing homes, and senior centers.
• Community practice and social change.
• Services for persons in community corrections programs and their families.
• Leadership in human service organizations and policy settings.

University Career Center

The  University Career Center , Summerfield Hall, provides career counseling and services for all KU students, including students in the School of Social Welfare.  

This course essentially provides an introduction to the profession of social work and the institution within which it operates: the social welfare system. This course is not a skills-based course; rather, its purpose is to make clear the influences and constraints that shape the profession--historical, social, cultural, political, and legal--and give it its uniqueness. This knowledge is essential to the education of the generalist social work practitioner, which is the central mission of the School.

This course explores human sexuality from a social justice-informed lens and situated within social work values and ethics. The broad range of concepts related to human sexuality are taught within a social ecological framework, understanding that all aspects of human development, behavior, and attitudes are situated within the various contexts in which we are situated. Students will gain knowledge in sexual development and sexual identity development across the life course; sexual health practices; cultural values and expectations regarding sexuality; LGBTQIA+ identities and contexts; and gender-based violence. Additionally, students will critically examine their own attitudes, beliefs, values, practices, cultural expectations, and biases related to human sexuality. Using a range of learning modalities, students are expected to confront and challenge their own experiences and attitudes through a social work and social justice lens; however, the course is open to all majors.

This course is designed to assist students with developing skills for managing the transition to a university setting, and its associated social and emotional challenges. Students will learn techniques designed to enhance mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. This course is designed to empower students by providing a range of experiences and techniques that will give students new insights and choices about their own behaviors, as well as skills that will help them in their interactions with others. Skills will be practiced through hands-on experience in the classroom, as well as weekly goal-setting to investigate the impact of developing these skills on our personal wellbeing. Prerequisite: Corequisite: MATH 2 , MATH 101 or LA&S 108 .

Individual and supervised readings in selected areas of social welfare. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and approval by BSW Program Director.

This skills-focused course is designed to assist students with developing and practicing concrete interviewing strategies in preparation for field placements. These strategies will be revisited in the context of engagement and assessment during senior year fall semester courses. Students will learn interviewing strategies used in common social work practice approaches, such as motivational interviewing, solution-focused interviewing, and non-directive listening skills. This course is designed to provide students with baseline interviewing skills and provide them with practice before working with clients in their practicums. We will practice cultivating these skills through hands-on experience in the classroom. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. MATH 101 or LA&S 108 ; Grade of B or better in SW 220 ; SW 530 ; SW 540 ; SW 555 .

This course builds on BSW students’ education on social welfare policy, cultivating a deep understanding of policy advocacy as a core dimension of social work practice. In this course, students learn policy-informed practice skills for effective advocacy in policy change strategies, grounded in core social work topics. These policy-informed practice skills include grassroots policy advocacy, such as developing policy agendas, social media campaigns, community organizing with constituents, and direct policy advocacy including giving testimony in legislative contexts, using policy briefs and other communication aids, and drafting new legislation. Emphasis on using social work values and ethics to work collaboratively with individuals and organizations will be central to the course. The course underscores social welfare policy as the foundation for social work practice and prepares students for policy advocacy as part of their effective and ethical social work practice. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Grade of B or better in SW 220 ; Successful completion of SW 530 , SW 534 , and SW 555 .

Social work professionals need to understand human behavior at multiple social, economic, and environmental system levels, including individual, family, group, organization, community, national, and international. Therefore, this introductory human behavior theory for multi-level social work course provides Bachelor’s level students with basic concepts, theories, and empirical findings about human behavior across multiple system levels, taking into account biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and built and natural environmental aspects of human behavior and experience. This course, one of the first undergraduate social work courses taken at the junior level, serves as a foundation for generalist social work practice. In keeping with the mission of the University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare, this course provides theoretical perspectives as relevant to an approach to social work practice that advances personal and collective strengths and resources, embraces the inherent worth of all people, promotes empowerment and justice, and reflects critical and creative thinking. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Grade of B or better in SW 220 .

This generalist policy analysis and advocacy course provides students with essential policy knowledge and policy practice skills, at the conclusion of their BSW education or as the foundation for their advanced MSW studies. The course examines existing social policies through the lens of social work values—particularly our profession’s commitment to social, economic, racial, and environmental justice—and equips students to engage in policy change in pursuit of societal equity and human well-being. In this course, students learn policy analysis knowledge and skills, with an emphasis on understanding how social welfare policy design, funding, and implementation affect people’s lives and influence the delivery of social work services. Policies designed to reduce poverty, address racial inequities, improve health, and increase social justice serve as exemplars for developing conceptual abilities in this course. Through critical examination of policies in the major domains of social work practice (physical and mental health, children and families, aging, housing, economic security), students prepare for policy-informed practice and for effective engagement in policy change strategies. Continuing students’ preparation for professional practice, the course emphasizes social welfare policy as the foundation for social work practice and positions policy analysis and intervention as integral to effective and ethical social work. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Grade of B or better in SW 220 .

This Social Work Research course introduces bachelor's level social work students to use ethical, culturally informed, and anti-racist approaches in conducting research and building the social work knowledge base. It presents the basic concepts of research methods and processes to address social work problems. It helps students learn to apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments and to engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. Overall, this course is oriented toward helping beginning level generalist practitioners review and critique empirical research to determine best practices to address various client needs in practice settings. Students will be able to use the knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes acquired in this course to understand and assess client needs, define interventions and evaluate social work practice interventions. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of Quantitative Literacy (Math & Statistics) requirement. Grade of B or better in SW 220 .

This course provides students with a foundational knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion within multi-level social work practice. Students will examine theoretical, conceptual, and policy-based knowledge of systems of oppression, both historical and contemporary, and the ways in which power and privilege are manifested within them. Through ongoing and critical self-reflection, students will examine their own social identities (e.g. race/ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, age, social class, ability status, religion, national origin, etc.), as well as their beliefs, values, and ethics through a justice and equity framework. Critical self-reflection is an essential skill to develop toward ethical and effective social work practice. This course will help prepare social work students to understand and resist systematic and interpersonal dynamics related to oppression and advocate for justice within a myriad contexts and across a range of policies and practices that inform social work practice. As a social work diversity course, this course takes an explicitly anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-colonialist, and anti-oppressive stance. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. MATH 101 or LA&S 108 ; Grade of B or better in SW 220 .

This course provides the opportunity for Study Abroad in developed and developing countries such as Costa Rica and Italy.

Decolonizing social work has many dimensions that include identifying destructive beliefs and practices and reclaiming pre-contact beliefs and practices. This class works to challenge the social welfare system to integrate decolonization practices. This course introduces theories and concepts of colonization and decolonization, centering on Indigenous people in America. Emphasis will be on students' examination of the frameworks, policies, and concept-based knowledge in which colonization and decolonization develops, expands, and impacts these populations. Social work values and ethics will be used to unpack colonization historically and contemporarily particularly with social work practice. In addition, students will analyze efforts to examine decolonization in the field of social work and apply that to their development of multi-level practice skills. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Grade of B or better in SW 220 . Successful completion of SW 530 , SW 534 and SW 555 .

Alcohol and other drug (AOD) related problems are endemic throughout the global population, and social workers encounter them in a wide variety of contexts and human service settings. Clients experiencing substance misuse challenge service providers to acquire knowledge/skill, use creativity, and coordinate with multi-disciplinary professionals across the treatment continuum. This course is designed for students to demonstrate integration of policy, research and practice perspectives at the individual, community and larger societal contextual levels of understanding. The expected result is for students to know how to actively and appropriately serve this population as a generalist social work practitioner. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. MATH 101 or LA&S 108 . Grade of B or better in SW 220 . Successful completion of SW 530 , SW 534 and SW 555 .

This course provides a foundational context that introduces the impact of historic and intergenerational transmission of trauma to Indigenous and Black American populations. These populations have unique experiences directly related to surviving colonialism with the boundaries of the U.S. The course builds on BSW students’ education in social work research, policy, oppression, equity, social justice, trauma, and behavioral health. Students will examine the literature related to the effects of historical and intergenerational trauma, which can result in cumulative emotional and mental health wounds that carry across generations. Students will understand and be aware of the many factors surrounding intergenerational trauma and examine inherited behaviors and the enduring consequences – culturally, emotionally, and spiritually. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Grade of B or better in SW 220 . Successful completion of SW 530 , SW 534 and SW 555 .

Social work encompasses practice across and among geographic/nation-state borders. This course's purpose is twofold. First, it will provide students with a review of social work from a global context, including the topics of social and economic development, the capability approach based on the writing of Sen and Nussbaum, and the values of the International Federation of Social Work. Second, it will seek to understand the trends of immigration along with the unique experiences of people who migrate across borders to the US. Students will learn about social workers' past and present opportunities to engage in social work globally and with immigrant populations, including examining the pitfall of "saviorism" and acting as agents of social control, as well as the possibility of supporting community and individual directed change, advocacy, and support. Prerequisite: MATH 101 or LA&S 108 ; Grade of B or better in SW 220 ; SW 530 ; SW 540 ; SW 555 .

Practicum learning occurs outside the classroom in a social service setting, mentored by a social work practitioner. Students gain insight into individual and family, community, and research and policy practices. Students complete 416 clock hours of practicum during the fall and spring semesters. Students attend practicum 16 hours per week for approximately 15 weeks per semester. Practicum sites include nonprofits, behavioral health centers, child welfare offices, residential settings, schools, medical settings, and others. Students are awarded credit at the end of each semester that they successfully pass. Students may not progress to the second semester if they do not pass the first semester. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework. Concurrent enrollment is required in SW 610 and SW 612 .

This course builds on SW 510 to prepare students for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Focusing on the beginning phases of the helping process, specifically engagement and assessment, students will deepen their knowledge and strengthen their skills to build rapport with individuals and families, connect with and leverage group dynamics, navigate and influence organizational cultures, and assess the strengths and needs of communities. In addition, students will learn how generalist skills can help to address population needs across levels of practice. This course will ask students to apply evidence- and theory-driven approaches for engagement and assessment, and students will critically consider how to support goal development, intervention planning, and collaborative assessment in diverse contexts. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework. Concurrent enrollment in SW 601 .

In the second course of the multilevel generalist practice sequence, students will gain competencies for the middle and ending phases of the helping process. They will build skills to intervene and critically evaluate interventions to improve outcomes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students will also examine cross-system and cross-level intervention strategies and the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively across practice domains. In addition to exposure to a range of generalist practice intervention approaches, students will develop competencies for client-centered evaluation and termination, empowering group interventions, organizational transformation, and base building for community change. Concurrent enrollment in SW 601 . Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. SW 610 .

This course lays a human rights-centered foundation for students' social work education, elevating the pursuit of social, economic, and environmental justice as a core dimension of social work practice. The course familiarizes students with the global human rights framework, exposes them to key human rights challenges in the current landscape, and engages them in countering these challenges and promoting opportunities for human rights. Students critically examine the state of human rights in the United States and also expand their lens to consider social work as a global enterprise, where lessons are to be learned and contributions made in diverse transnational contexts. While emphasizing human well-being as a core aim of the profession, the course emphasizes the importance of restoring and protecting the natural world, as an end in itself and an essential precondition for human thriving. Students develop human rights literacy, learning the history of human rights governance, the mechanisms for protecting individual and group rights--and the limitations of these tools. They demonstrate empathy with those experiencing threats to their human rights, drawing on their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They take responsibility to act as global community members committed to the dignity and worth of every person. Equipped with this complement of knowledge, skills, and values, students are prepared for generalist practice from a human rights-based perspective. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

This course focuses on the values and ethical dimensions of contemporary professional social welfare policy and practice while integrating insights from theory and research. Students fully digest and relevantly apply the professional social work Code of Ethics. In addition, they clarify and solidify their professional identities as beginning social workers. SW 623 represents the culmination of the School's professional socialization process. Because this class focuses on the process of developing and clarifying a strong sense of the social work profession and the professional self, it relies heavily on student participation, interaction, reflection, and discussion. This course is offered in the final semester of the BSW program culminating the field of social work study. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. SW 610 . Concurrent enrollment in SW 601 and SW 612 .

This course will introduce undergraduate students to the child welfare service system that aims to promote safety, permanency and well-being of children and their families. Students will learn about the history of the U.S. child welfare system, seminal policies that have shaped this system during the 20th and 21st centuries, and historical and current day tensions that influence child welfare services. The course examines the full continuum of services within the child welfare system, including prevention, in-home family supports and family preservation, foster care, kinship care, independent living, adoption, and post-adoption. Students will also learn about personal, familial, and environmental factors that place families at risk for involvement with the child welfare system, including critical analysis of racial inequities that characterize child welfare services and outcomes. The course emphasizes the need for multi-level and multi-system perspectives as necessary for working collaboratively and confidently with the many different individuals, organizations, and systems that intersect with child welfare. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

This course is designed to meet the needs of undergraduate-level social work students. The focus is on generalist social work practice pertaining to sexuality and gender with a primary focus on working with people with marginalized sexualities and genders (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual, etc.). Utilizing a social justice and equity framework, students examine their own identities, experiences, and larger systems of oppression to engage in effective and ethical generalist practice with people who have marginalized sexualities and genders. As a mini-course, this class integrates history, policy, and practice and is centered within social work tenets, ethics, and values. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

The course will seek to understand historical and contemporary abolition movements. A major focus being on prison industrial complex abolition drawing on the writing of Mariame Kaba, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Angela Davis. Topics will include the history of policing, surveillance, and prisons in the United States, transformational justice, and restorative practices. Students will be invited to interrogate the framing of the criminal justice system, ask questions about future of abolition, and investigate what abolition offers as a political organizing strategy. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

This course is designed to assist students with developing assessment and intervention skills for responding to suicide and self-harm across the life course. We will examine the etiology, function, and presentation of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, with particular emphasis on the development of these behaviors in childhood and adolescence and their progression into adulthood. Students will learn techniques for responding to suicide and self-harm, including the use of generalist social work practice skills (e.g., crisis intervention, advocacy, brokering, behavior management), developing effective treatment plans, and providing psychoeducation to individuals impacted by suicide and self-harm. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

This course will introduce undergraduate students to grant writing and program development for human service programs in private not-for-profit agencies. The course focuses on community-engaged techniques for developing programs and grant proposals that are responsive to the needs and strengths of communities. Students will learn the basics of identifying funding opportunities that are well-matched to their program and not-for-profit agency. The course also covers strategies for developing and writing funding proposals. Students will learn the key components of a proposal, including letter of inquiry, project abstracts, problem statements, program descriptions, evaluation, project timeline, dissemination plans, budget, and budget narrative. Beyond program development and grant writing techniques, students will examine how the social work values of social, economic, racial, and environmental justice can be integrated into programs and proposals. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

This course examines the work of dismantling white supremacy, predicated on the professional social work value of social justice with the accompanying ethical principle "social workers will challenge injustice" to which all social workers should aspire. White supremacy, defined here as an ideology of white superiority and entitlement that is embedded in political, economic, and cultural systems across a broad array of institutions and social settings. The study of the systemic and institutional forms of white supremacy will be the major focus of the course. Topics will include the history of the concept of white supremacy, what it is and isn't, manifestations such as disproportionality and disparities in child welfare, incarceration, poverty, and other social work focused social problems. Additionally, students will examine the conceptualization of white supremacy at the organizational level and seek to identify the role social workers have in dismantling it within their multi-system practice. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

This course introduces BSW students to the field of financial capability in social work practice. Utilizing a social justice framework, it includes content about poverty, personal household finance, and financial access within the context of social work practice. Discussion focusses on economic and financial concepts as related to individuals and families across the life cycle, and communities, particularly vulnerable and oppressed populations and communities experiencing poverty and near-poverty. Research, practice, social policy, and policy change efforts related to these areas are also examined. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

Gender-based violence (GBV), which includes domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, and child marriage, is recognized by the United Nations and the World Health Organization as a global social and health problem with pervasive costs. Using an intersectional approach, this mini-course will provide an overview of the significance and impact of GBV as relevant to social work professional code to address social injustice. Additional topics will include the socioecological framework applied to GBV prevention, the relationship between GBV and gender and social norms, protective and risk factors based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, efforts to engage men in prevention, trauma informed responses to survivors, and the role of policy. Students will also gain clarity about the conceptual and practical implications of the difference between prevention of and response to GBV, and the different ways social workers can engage in change work. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Successful completion of SW 500 level coursework.

Practicum learning occurs outside the classroom in a social service setting, mentored by a social work practitioner. Students gain insight into individual and family, community, and research and policy practices. Students complete 416 clock hours of practicum during the fall and spring semesters. Students attend practicum 16 hours per week for approximately 15 weeks per semester. Practicum sites include nonprofits, behavioral health centers, child welfare offices, residential settings, schools, medical settings, and others. Students are awarded credit at the end of each semester that they successfully pass. Students may not progress to the second semester if they do not pass the first semester. Students may not progress to specialist practicum if they do not pass both SW701 semesters. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Open only to generalist-level MSW students. Concurrent enrollment is required in SW 710 and SW 711 .

This generalist course lays a theoretically-informed human rights foundation for graduate social work education, elevating the pursuit of social, racial, economic, and environmental justice as core dimensions of social work practice. The course familiarizes students with a global human rights framework and related critical, systems, empowerment, and strengths perspectives, exposes them to current human rights challenges, and engages them in countering these challenges. This course helps students critically examine the state of human rights across a range of diverse and intersectional populations and issues in the United States and expands their lens to consider social work as a global enterprise where lessons are to be learned and contributions made in transnational contexts. This course is offered to students in their first semester of the generalist MSW curriculum. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare.

This course is the first in a two-course sequence that prepares students for generalist social work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Focusing on the beginning phases of the helping process, students will develop knowledge and skills to build rapport with individuals and families, understand group dynamics, build basic group facilitation skills, navigate and influence organizational cultures, and assess the strengths and needs of communities. In addition, students will learn how generalist skills can help to address population needs across levels of practice. This course will ask students to apply evidence- and theory-driven approaches for engagement and assessment. Students are required to take both courses in this sequence ( SW 710 and SW 711 ) with the same instructor. If this is not possible, students must contact their academic advisor for guidance. Concurrent enrollment in SW 701 is encouraged. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare.

In the second course of the generalist social work sequence, students will gain competencies for the middle and ending phases of the helping process. They will build skills to intervene and critically evaluate interventions to improve outcomes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students will also examine cross-system and cross-level intervention strategies and the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively across practice domains. In addition to exposure to a range of generalist social work intervention approaches, students develop competencies for client- and community-centered evaluation, empowering group interventions, organizational transformation, and community change facilitation. Students are required to take SW 710 before SW 711 with the same instructor. If this is not possible, students must contact their academic advisor for guidance. Concurrent enrollment in SW 701 is encouraged. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare.

This course is designed to prepare advanced standing students for successful entry into the specialization year of the MSW program. The seminar provides the link between students' undergraduate degree from an accredited BSW program and the MSW specialization curricula in clinical or macro social work. Based on the School's mission, vision, and guiding principles, the Advanced Standing Seminar takes a practice-centered approach to preparing students for advanced graduate study in social work. The primary emphasis during this summer seminar is to advance and deepen students' understanding of the School's approach to generalist social work and to review the most salient concepts covered in the generalist curricula of the MSW program. This allows students to learn a common language and understanding of generalist social work thereby supporting their transition into the advanced level specializations. Students are provided with intensive classroom experiences (readings, discussions, exercises, assignments, and other learning activities) to help them adjust to the rigors of graduate education. They also have opportunities to develop working relationships with a cadre of student colleagues who will support their academic growth as they transition into their advanced level studies. Prerequisite: Open only to students admitted to the MSW Advanced Standing Plan of Study.

This generalist course in policy analysis and advocacy provides students with essential social policy knowledge and helps them develop policy practice skills. The course examines existing social policies through the lens of social work values, particularly the profession's commitment to social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. The course focuses on understanding how social policies are designed, funded, and implemented, and how these processes affect people's lives and influence the delivery of social work services. Through critical examination of policies in the major domains of social work practice (physical and mental health, children and families, aging, housing, economic security), students prepare for policy-informed practice and for effective engagement in policy change strategies. Social welfare policy and program analysis skills are central in our work to value diversity, engage in multi-systemic change, end oppression and discrimination, and promote justice. The advocacy dimensions of the course will help students develop competencies (e.g., strategic communication, collaboration and alliance building, information-gathering, and self-reflection) that prepare them for advanced specialization courses in clinical and/or macro social work. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare.

This generalist research course introduces MSW students to fundamental concepts in social work research to support empirically-informed practice. In keeping with the mission of the School, this course emphasizes research knowledge and skills necessary for effective social work practice that advances personal and collective strengths and resources, honors human diversity, promotes empowerment and justice, and reflects critical and creative thinking. By translating and applying evidence, we continually transform practice and policy across multiple systems. This course contributes to the overall generalist preparation of the student for advanced professional practice by providing skills necessary for critical thinking and continual improvement of practice and policy approaches. This course also focuses on strengthening students' capacity for evaluating practice-informed-research and research-informed-practice. Understanding how knowledge is generated, what standards apply, and how translation occurs is critical to professional practice. Thus, students come to appreciate not only the accumulation of and integration of knowledge for use in practice, but also the need to critically examine what they are being taught and the gaps that exist in the current knowledge base and demand future knowledge development. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare.

This course provides students with a foundational knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion within multi-level social work. Students will examine theoretical, conceptual, and policy-based knowledge of systems of oppression, both historical and contemporary, and the ways in which power and privilege are embedded in them. Through ongoing and critical self-reflection, students will examine their own social identities (e.g. race/ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, age, social class, ability status, religion, national origin, etc.), as well as their beliefs, values, and ethics through a justice and equity framework. Critical self-reflection is an essential skill to develop for ethical and effective social work. This course will help prepare social work students to: (1) understand and resist systematic and interpersonal dynamics leading to oppression and (2) advocate for justice within myriad contexts and across a range of institutions and policies that contextualize social work in the contemporary US. In keeping with social work values, this course takes an explicitly anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-colonialist, and anti-oppressive stance. Prerequisite: Student must be admitted to MSW Program.

Students are assigned to social service agencies that provide opportunities for specialist level clinical social work practice. All students work under the supervision of a qualified practicum instructor where they have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice and develop beginning competence in clinical social work practice. This course is generally taken for two semesters. Students are awarded credit at the end of each semester that they successfully pass. Students may not progress to the second semester if they do not pass the first semester. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Open only to specialist-level M.S.W. students. Completion of all generalist course requirements.

Students are assigned to social service agencies that provide opportunities for advanced level clinical social work practice. All students work under the supervision of a qualified practicum instructor where they have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice and develop beginning competence in clinical social work practice. This course is generally taken for three semesters. Students are awarded credit at the end of each semester that they successfully pass. Students may not progress to the subsequent semester if they do not pass the semester. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Completion of all generalist course requirements. Open only to specialist-level M.S.W. students with an approved modified practicum plan.

Students are assigned to social service agencies, government departments, or community initiatives that provide practice opportunities in community practice, advocacy and/or social work administration. All students work under the supervision of a qualified practicum instructor where they have the opportunity to develop beginning competence in macro social work practice. This course is generally taken for two semesters. Students are awarded credit at the end of each semester that they successfully pass. Students may not progress to the second semester if they do not pass the first semester. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Open only to specialist-level M.S.W. students. Completion of all generalist requirements.

Students are assigned to social service agencies, government departments, or community initiatives that provide practice opportunities in community practice, advocacy and/or social work administration. All students work under the supervision of a qualified practicum instructor where they have the opportunity to develop beginning competence in macro social work practice. This course is generally taken for three semesters. Students are awarded credit at the end of each semester that they successfully pass. Students may not progress to the subsequent semester if they do not pass the semester. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Open only to specialist-level M.S.W. students with an approved modified practicum plan. Completion of all generalist requirements.

This course is the first of a two-part advanced clinical reasoning and application sequence focusing on the use of effective helping methods in clinical social work. SW 810 provides students with in-depth, integrative training in conducting and applying comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments to inform intervention selection while incorporating understanding of client readiness and the multi-dimensional impacts of social, systemic, and cultural diversity influences on client experiences. Students will learn how overarching frameworks and theoretical perspectives and principles inform and influence engagement, assessment, and practice approaches, thus strengthening their foundation for clinical reasoning. This specialist practice course will assist in the preparation of students for advanced service provision by offering in-depth training in the selection and application of three (3) specific interventions for use in treatment settings: motivational interviewing, contingency management, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. Students will be expected to engage in self-reflection and peer interaction to develop awareness of clinical processes and decision making at various points in the clinical relationship. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course is the second of a two-part advanced clinical reasoning and application sequence focusing on the use of effective helping methods in clinical social work. SW 811 extends the curricula by providing students with in-depth, integrative training in specific, emerging clinical strategies, including transdiagnostic approaches to clinical interventions. Students will learn how overarching frameworks and theoretical perspectives and principles to inform and influence engagement, assessment, and practice approaches, thus strengthening their foundation for clinical reasoning. Students will be expected to engage in self-reflection and peer interaction to develop awareness of clinical processes and decision making at various points in the clinical relationship. Students are required to take SW 810 before SW 811 . If this is not possible, students should contact their academic advisors for guidance. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

Interdisciplinary Aging Practice is designed to meet the needs of social work students and those from related disciplines such as psychology, sociology, speech and hearing, nursing, medicine, and public health who have an interest in multilevel practice and research with older adults. The course is informed by a social justice-oriented perspective and seeks to foster integrated critical thinking across aging- and life course-related theory, practice, policy, and research with an emphasis on issues of diversity and equity. Students will be required to reflect on their own biases and preconceptions around aging and how aging-related topics impact their lives in professional and personal ways. Students will also gain exposure to and skills in direct practice approaches, such as narrative therapy, life reviews, legacy building, and reminiscence therapy. As interdisciplinary collaboration is necessary to gerontological practice and scholarship, this course applies a cross-discipline learning model to foster in students a critical awareness of their own disciplinary identities and contributions. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

An in-depth examination of social work in school settings. Students demonstrate the capacity to integrate research, policy, direct practice, and human behavior in considering the issues central to this area of practice. Students will also be able to explain how diversity issues manifest themselves at both the policy and direct practice levels. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

In this macro specialization course, advanced social work students learn to design socially just human service and community development programs. Topics include program design and public/private sector resource development for programs to advance social, racial, economic, and environmental justice; meet basic human and social service needs; and enhance community well-being. Students will learn how to design programs from a multi-system perspective for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. In addition, advanced social work students will develop skills in engaging communities to guide program design. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This advanced course builds on students' generalist social policy knowledge, as well as their understanding of policy practice as a key dimension of social workers' professional responsibility. With an emphasis on advanced understanding of policy processes, this course equips students for leadership in policy intervention—as administrators, substantive policy experts, and/or advocates. Through advanced readings, applied policy analyses, class discussions, and critical reflections, this course equips students with policy analysis frameworks which facilitate sophisticated examination of policymaking and policy evaluation in different institutional domains: legislative, agency, regulatory, budgetary, and judicial. Students will complete this course prepared to examine the policy levers through which to address identified problems, compare alternatives for policy reform, and reframe issues to elevate social work values of social, economic, racial, and environmental justice. Prerequisite: Must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare. Completion of all social welfare generalist requirements.

How do social work administrators know if their agencies and organizations are making a positive difference in the lives of clients and communities? This course focuses student learning on how to gather and use information to improve social service agencies, social justice organizations and, by extension, client and community outcomes. Using an agency-based perspective, students learn how to do holistic evaluations to improve well-being at all levels of social work. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course focuses on the tasks, roles, and functions of managers including effective employee supervision and human resource management for the development and retention of a diverse workforce, as well as broader functions required to effectively manage programs. Evidence-based mentoring practices and anti-oppressive supervision relationships will be covered in this course. Students will build skills in tracking timely resource development, budgeting, overseeing up-to-date measures of financial health as well as over-time financial trends, and analyzing budget variances by program area. Within the context of the macro specialization curriculum, students will learn how local, state, and federal policies provide either enabling or constraining resources. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course builds on the content of generalist practice courses and on students' advanced policy analysis and critical thinking. Through examination and application of theories of community and policy change, design of macro interventions, and ethical demonstration of advanced advocacy and community transformation skills, students will equip themselves for advanced macro practice in the domains of policy advocacy, community organizing, coalition-building, and strategic social administration. The course helps students build the advanced analytical, empirical, and relational competencies needed to effectively advocate with different human service constituencies and to envision and pursue community transformation for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Specific competencies assessed include power analyses, effective multi-channel communication, grassroots engagement, collaboration with diverse constituencies, multi-level system reform, and harnessing organizational resources for social transformation. Prerequisite: Completion of all social welfare generalist requirements.

This course provides the opportunity for critical, anti-oppressive, global social work study and exchange, in countries such as Costa Rica and Italy. Offerings vary from year to year. Students interested in this course should consult with their academic advisor for enrollment guidance.

This course examines the wide scope of loss and grief processes that occur over the life span and includes impactful but infrequently discussed losses such as trauma losses, abuse and neglect, as well as losses of social roles, identities, and relationships. We cover major life transitions and more commonly identified losses such as those that occur with divorce or death. The course frames grief and loss in terms of various theoretical, definitional, and process-oriented understandings. We will identify unique experiences of loss and grief at specific life stages. Students will learn varied cultural interpretations of loss, issues of differential diagnosis, and interventions relevant to each stage of life. This course addresses the importance of resiliency and "meaning making" for clients and community members, as well as the role of self-care among service providers attending to grief processes. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This interdisciplinary course examines efforts to stop gender violence around the world, with an emphasis on comparing African and US contexts. It will address topics such as domestic violence, human trafficking, sex workers' rights, rape and consent, war-time violence, and sexual health. We explore how culture shapes gendered patterns of violence and resistance against violence. Students will learn how to use postcolonial theory to interrogate traditions of Western feminism that blames cultural practices for forms of violence found around the world. We will examine alternative transnational movements grounded in legal, medical, and social movements, including human rights, public health, and anti-carceral feminist activism. Readings will combine critical on-the-ground accounts with current social work best-practices for prevention and intervention, including clinical approaches. Assignments will include projects integrating these perspectives into concrete, cultural-sensitive, and intersectional solutions for some of the most pressing problems facing women and girls throughout the world today. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course emphasizes mental health diagnoses commonly encountered in social work practice. The relationship between social work assessment and the diagnostic process will be covered in detail. Information will be presented from the perspective of social work as a professional discipline, emphasizing the continuing and complex interactions between the person and environment (biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and ecological) and multiple influences on mental health, including the incorporation of social justice, critical perspectives, and other social work values/ethics. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) is used as an organizing framework for this course; however, alternative taxonomies, as well the adequacy and appropriateness of the DSM-5-TR in social work practice will be addressed throughout the course. Influential considerations such as social work's ethical directives, the impact of poverty, race, class, heteronormativity, stress, social support, and forms of bias will be highlighted in the course. Full time clinical specialization students should take this course no later than fall of their specialized year. Part-time clinical specialization and all macro specialization students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors for enrollment guidance. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course focuses on enhancing clinical knowledge and skills for social work related to children's mental health. The course will provide an overview of prevalence, definitions, and policies that frame the issue of children's mental health and will explore how child development, trauma, and other social and environmental contexts can impact mental health concerns and treatment for children and adolescents. The course will also cover assessment, common mental health diagnoses for children, and evidence informed services and treatment. Recognizing the role of family and multiple systems in children's lives, the course will emphasize the continuing and complex interactions between the person and environment and the resulting multiple influences on mental health, including the incorporation of social justice and critical perspectives. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course provides a theoretical and practice-centered integration of the current understanding of trauma and trauma treatment approaches across a wide variety of contexts, incorporating ecological, biological, psychological, and systemic influences. Using the developmental life course as a framework for understanding, this course will assist and orient emerging practitioners in work with survivors of trauma across multiple social work settings. The course material will cover trauma symptomatology from a strengths-oriented biopsychosocial perspective, including acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and other disorders that manifest secondary to trauma and/or toxic stress. Co-morbidity of trauma related conditions with other conditions such as substance abuse and self-harming behaviors will also be covered. With a focus on the critical perspective and commitment to social justice, students will contextualize individual's experiences of trauma within the lens of historical and contemporary oppression and intergenerational trauma. In terms of interventions, the course covers specific evidence informed advanced clinical practices, as well as principles of trauma-informed care, building on people's strength, resilience, hope and resistance. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course helps students develop engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation skills for responding to suicide and self-harm across the life course. We will examine the etiology, function, and presentation of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, with particular emphasis on the development of these behaviors in childhood and adolescence and their progression into adulthood. Students will learn techniques for assessing and treating suicide and self-harm, including employing functional and transdiagnostic assessment methods, and utilizing empirically supported transdiagnostic treatment approaches with an emphasis on cognitive-behavioral interventions. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

Substance misuse is endemic throughout the global population, and social workers encounter it in a wide variety of contexts and human service settings. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a clinical and service system challenge requiring knowledge, skill, creativity, and coordination with multi-disciplinary professionals across the treatment continuum. This course enhances professional social work readiness by providing targeted information regarding a wide range of psychoactive substances, as well as their differential impact on individuals (behavioral, psychological, physical, social, and spiritual) and communities (social, racial, economic, political, and cultural). Based on a fundamental understanding of addiction theories and etiology as well as personalized approaches to recovery, this course explores specific assessment techniques, prevention approaches, and intervention strategies. SUDs most commonly co-occur with health and mental health problems, so knowledge of such conditions is vital and also covered in this course. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course is designed to prepare graduate students with clinical social work skills within the context of diverse views and experiences of Indigenous people in the United States. Students completing this course will be able to apply a variety of social work frameworks of knowledge, policies, and practice methodologies needed to serve Indigenous individuals, families, and communities. Topics will address Indigenous lifeways prior to contact, historical and cultural forces, such as policies that have impacted Indigenous people. Students will learn evidence-based forms of helping as well as Indigenous ways of helping. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course is designed to meet the needs of graduate social work students, as well as those from related disciplines such as psychology; applied behavioral science; public health; and women, gender, and sexuality studies. The focus is on enhancing clinical skills (e.g., diagnostic assessment; individual, group, and family therapy approaches) for practice pertaining to sexuality and gender with a primary focus on working with people with marginalized sexualities and genders (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual, etc.). Utilizing a social justice and equity framework, students examine their own identities, experiences, and larger systems of oppression to engage in effective and ethical practice with people who have marginalized sexualities and genders. The course integrates history, theory, research, policy, and practice and is centered within social work tenets, ethics, and values while also creating space for students to engage across multiple disciplines and enhance transdisciplinary practice skills. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course focuses on enhancing clinical skills (e.g., diagnostic assessment; individual, group, and family therapy skills) and related multi-level skills for practice with people who identify (or are socialized) as women, womyn, womxn, femme, feminine, female, etc. This course is taught through an intentional intersectional lens, which will provide historical and conceptual critiques of dominant and mainstream feminist approaches, while informing students of other possible frameworks toward practice with womxn and femmes, including critical, liberatory, and womxn and femme of Color lenses. Will include examination of practice approaches to problems that womxn and femmes frequently experience. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

Opportunity for scholarly investigation in an area of special interest. Students pursue independent study in an area of social work practice through the guidance of a selected faculty member.

Centering the social context of the United States, this course expands knowledge and skills in supporting members of the Black Diaspora across multi-level social work practice settings. This course is delivered through intersectional Black-centered, Black-affirming, and pro-Black perspectives, and will provide historical and conceptual critiques of colorblind interventions. It will also include examination of evidence-based practice approaches to social issues that members of the Diaspora frequently experience in relation to anti-Blackness and white supremacy in the United States. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This capstone course provides a transitional space to help both clinical and macro specialization students reflect upon their learning throughout their MSW experiences and critically integrate previously learned professional knowledge, skills, and values that prepare them to begin their post-graduate social work careers. Students will clarify and solidify their professional identities as MSW-level social workers, helping them practice and commit to life-long learning strategies that support intentional professional growth and development. Students will incorporate diverse skills and perspectives with attention to navigating complex multi-level systems, engaging ethical ambiguity, and critically analyzing implications for theory, research, policy, and practice. This course makes an explicit ethical commitment to support the pursuit of socially just, anti-oppressive, and empowering multi-level practice through professional development. Students take this course in their final semester of the MSW program. Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Advanced Standing plan of study or completion of social welfare generalist courses.

This course aims to socialize students to academia by assisting them with understanding and navigating the processes of academic institutions and doctoral education and building the skills and strategies for successful completion of their doctorate. It recognizes that becoming and being a social work scholar is a developmental, lifelong learning process. The seminar is focused on supporting students so that they may maximize their doctoral program experience and, ultimately, define, develop, and grow in their role as a social work scholar/researcher. Different doctoral career pathways will be discussed in relation to students’ own goals, identifying opportunities and strategies within doctoral education that may reinforce and strengthen their abilities for achieving individualized goals. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare PhD program.

Building on the first year of the doctoral program and SW 911 - PhD Seminar I, students will continue to discuss the development of their professional identity. The class explores critical topics related to both substantive and professional issues of doctoral education, the education of social workers, research and methodological approaches, transitioning from student to scholar, and social work ethics. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the School of Social Welfare PhD program. Successful completion of SW 911 .

This course is focused on preparing the entering DSW student to understand what is meant by Advanced Social Work Practice, and the social, political, and economic contexts in which social work leadership, translational research and social work education and instruction are embedded. Topics include the structure of higher education in the US, contemporary policy and administrative challenges, issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, and the infrastructure that guides research, including accountability to funders and university standards of the ethics and rigor of knowledge development.  An introduction to common theoretical and conceptual ideas is presented, along with the development of shared definitions of terms used in the arenas of both higher education and organizational leadership. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program.

This course will cover various theories of leadership and management. Students will learn to engage in leadership practices across the social ecology, including leadership of agencies that serve individuals and organizations focused on structural change. Students will develop a style of leadership that is strengths-based, and trauma-informed and which promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. Topics would include theories of leadership & team building (best practices), multi-system competency (macro-micro) community engagement, the use of public discourse & technology (communications), strengths-based practice and trauma informed care (trauma awareness). Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program.

This course is an in-depth introduction to the process of conducting research.  A comprehensive approach is taken to covering the full research design process, considering quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches, and the evaluation of program outcomes. The course also integrates topics related to structural bias, systemic oppression, and strategies for anti-oppressive research, and addresses ethical issues in the conduct and dissemination of research. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program.

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of managing the financial aspects of an organization. Students will develop the skills necessary to understand and develop balance sheets and program budgets that promote equity and inclusion. Students will also develop necessary skills for identifying funding sources and writing grant proposals appropriate for human service provision and anti-oppressive social change efforts. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program.

This course develops students’ knowledge and skills for identifying, assessing, and critiquing the empirical evidence on current interventions and practices in social work. The focus is on conducting multi-dimensional, value-critical inquiry about “best practices” relevant to social work and applying the results of that inquiry toward designing and improving interventions or practices that are multi-level.  The course introduces the foundations of evidence-based practice, systematic review of the literature, critical evaluation of empirical studies, and structured data synthesis to assess the quality of evidence. In addition to covering approaches for rigorous methodological critique, the course emphasizes value-critical frameworks for assessing research in relation to anti-oppressive principles.   Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program.

This course is focused on providing DSW students with a strong theoretical foundation for effectively teaching adult learners in social work courses at all levels of higher education. Topics will include theories of pedagogy/andragogy; educational psychology; classroom and teaching strategies; understanding, assessing, and supporting a diverse array of learning styles; pacing; effective use of classroom time; ethics in teaching and learning; creating positive classroom dynamics; critical pedagogy and anti-oppressive and indigenous teaching models; and tools for evaluating teaching. Specific emphasis will be placed on attending to diversity, equity, and inclusion within classroom settings, and developing skills to facilitate conversations on issues of oppression and privilege. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program.

This seminar provides students with an emphasis on understanding basic expectations and requirements of a Capstone Project, along with potential ethical and pragmatic issues they may face as they conduct a study in a specified area of social work practice.  Students are encouraged to begin outlining how their work might be conceptualized and begin laying the foundation for a final project of inquiry for their DSW Program. A passing grade in Capstone Seminar 1 is required for students to advance to the next class. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful completion of SW 920 , SW 921 , SW 922 , SW 923 , SW 924 and SW 925 .

This course will cover the life course of a program, beginning with employing existing evidence for the development of the program its design. Students will develop the necessary skills to design and develop programs to address particular needs of culturally diverse individuals and communities. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 926 Capstone 1.

This course is focused on reviewing and designing course curricula and materials, as well as understanding the delivery of social work education in the context of the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Education Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Particular attention will be given to issues of diversity and accessibility when designing course curricula. Topics will include developing curricula that incorporate social work knowledge, skills, and values; methods for assessing curricular outcomes; syllabus and assignment construction; topic selection; lesson planning; alignment of individual courses to the overall curriculum; ensuring range of topics in alignment with curriculum; mapping individual goals of courses to overall learning objectives; assurance of well-articulated, high quality course goals mapped to curricular goals; assuring the sequencing of courses so that learning is conceptually built over time; establishment of standards for evaluating curricular achievement; ability to assess classroom climate; continuous quality improvement so that program can be responsive to needed changes; and relationship of the curriculum to the overall institutional mission. Special attention will be paid to promoting the advancement of underrepresented students, the impact of stereotype threat, gender gaps in the academy, structural inclusion issues and their impact on accessibility, and the role course structure can play on student persistence and advancement. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 926 Capstone 1.

This course provides students with the foundation for understanding and applying implementation science principles and practice. Using a critical perspective with a focus on identifying and using effective strategies for translating research into practice, the course introduces key concepts of implementation science and a variety of theories and frameworks for guiding implementation efforts. Students gain knowledge and skills in identifying implementation facilitators and barriers and developing and supporting key implementation strategies. Implementation is examined from an equity lens to consider how implementation processes can promote racial equity and social, economic, and environmental justice.  The course also covers evaluation of implementation, including measures designed to examine implementation processes and outcomes. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 926 Capstone 1.

This seminar provides students with the experience of designing and launching a research study that will be presented as their Capstone project.  Drawing on their theoretical, practice and inquiry course work, students will work intensively on their proposal during this seminar, which is conducted over a two-week period and culminates in the Comprehensive Oral Exam. The purpose of the Comprehensive Oral Exam is to evaluate the student’s development of expertise in an area of practice as reflected in the proposal for their Capstone project. The emphasis will be on working with the instructor and their student colleagues as they prepare a proposal to submit to their Capstone Chair and Committee.  The Comprehensive Oral Exam will be conducted in adherence with University and Graduate Studies policy including, but not limited to: Doctoral Degree Comprehensive Oral Exams, Doctoral Student Oral Exam Committee Composition, Graduate Student Oral Exam Attendance.  A passing grade on the comprehensive oral exam is required to advance to the next level of classes. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 926 Capstone 1 and SW 927 and SW 928 .

This course will cover various aspects of engaging with the community, with a focus of ensuring that organization activities serve the diverse interests and needs of their constituents. The course will cover models of engaging in advocacy that centers the needs and strengths of diverse, equitable and inclusive communities, such as community organizing. Policy practice will be considered as a form of advocacy.  The course will also cover approaches to identifying community strengths and needs. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 930 Capstone 2.

This course will discuss the fundamentals of grantwriting, including identifying appropriate funding sources, capturing the strengths and needs of the constituents served by the program in ways that meet funders’ requirements, and leveraging existing evidence to write a compelling proposal. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 930 Capstone 2.

This course will cover utilizing the multitude of modern media tools to gain public support for social welfare initiative that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Topics will include describing community strengths and needs in ways that compel constructive action and making relevant research and evidence accessible to a popular audience. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 930 Capstone 2.

This course is focused on preparing DSW students with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to advise, mentor, and supervise individuals in higher education or as advanced practitioners. Course content will be framed in the context of reflexivity and anti-oppressive social work practice. Topics will include professional/academic vs. holistic advising; the mentor/mentee relationship and its role in student success; strategic mentoring and established best practices in mentoring; formal vs. informal mentoring processes; conflict resolution in mentoring; learning communities; establishing supervisory plans; goal-setting; peer observations; performance-based mentoring; research behind mentoring; career readiness; engagement; the lifespan of the mentoring relationship; mentor selection; evaluating supervisory relationships; and conflicts of interest in mentoring and supervision. The course will include theoretical models for the mentoring relationship, including a review of mentoring approaches specific to underrepresented minority students, including organizational strategies, faculty strategies, and a review of mentee strategies. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 930 Capstone 2.

This seminar provides students with the experience of submitting and defending their Capstone project.  This final campus will bring students to campus to make final edits on their capstone projects and prepare intellectually for their project defense. Emphasis will be on helping students make any final changes and to anticipate and respond to questions that their Capstone Committee members might raise about their work.  The final projects will be presented, and students will receive feedback to help them to prepare their project for submission and dissemination in scholarly publications such as books, journals, or as manualized interventions. A passing grade in Capstone Seminar 3 is required in order to be awarded the DSW and this class serves as the equivalent of the Final Dissertation Defense. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Students must be admitted to the DSW Program. Successful Completion of SW 930 Capstone 2 and SW 931 , SW 932 , SW 933 and SW 934 .

This course provides the opportunity for Study Abroad in developed and developing countries such as Costa Rica, India, Ireland, Italy, and South Korea.

This course explores the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR), and similar approaches such as youth participatory action research, within social justice-oriented research. Students will examine key theories, principles, and strategies of CBPR; explore advantages and limitations to CBPR and related approaches; and develop skills necessary for implementing and effectively carrying out CBPR projects. Additionally, students will incorporate the knowledge and skills pertaining to CBPR within a social justice-oriented research area of their choosing. The course format reflects the principles and values inherent in CBPR by engaging in an iterative process of co-teaching and co-learning, critical self-reflection and group discussion, and anti-racist and anti-oppressive pedagogy.

This course explores racial equity and social, economic, and environmental justice as it relates to research for practice. These two major components are explored and integrated throughout the semester. First, through a historical equity lens, students will identify the ways in which research has contributed toward oppression and marginalization. They will situate their own research or research ideas in an anti-oppressive framework and critical lens to understand and identify research methods that promote equity and justice both in the research process and potential impacts. Second, students develop an understanding and application of research for practice, including clinical, macro, policy, and other research impacts. They will also learn about and utilize principles and frameworks specific to implementation science–the study of methods of utilizing evidence-based practices and research by those engaged in practice. Students gain knowledge and skills for identifying and using implementation science strategies that support the translation of research into real world practice. Implementation and translating research to practice is examined from an equity lens to consider how to promote racial equity and social, economic, and environmental justice in research for practice.

This course is designed for students who are in the second year of the full-time PhD program and who are preparing to write the Qualifying Paper and begin developing the dissertation proposal in the following academic year. Students will explore key aspects of developing one’s own writing practice, develop and refine strategies and organizational tools for conducting literature reviews, and generate ideas for research proposals, including the dissertation proposal. Students will discuss and critically examine the politics of writing within and beyond the academy. Conversations will focus on the tension between learning how to write for success in academia while interrogating the privileging of scientific writing and peer-reviewed publications. Towards advancing the goals of racial equity and social justice, students will explore anti-oppressive and community-based dissemination strategies and gain knowledge and skills for dissemination in multiple settings, a variety of formats, and creative approaches. Each student will explore the course content around their own area of scholarly interest and develop a writing product that fits their current writing objectives. The course will provide a supportive space for writing and receiving feedback on writing, emphasizing the development of collegial relationships as sources of writing support while developing peer review skills.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to the process of conducting research. Specifically, the course provides students with the requisite background on research methods and designs to provide essential context for other research courses in the program, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method courses. The course focuses on the process of developing, conducting, and evaluating research designs and research methods. Centered in a commitment to anti-oppressive and anti-racist research, course topics include an introduction to research design; ethics and power in research; developing a research question and hypotheses; conducting a literature review; types of quantitative methods; types of qualitative methods; sampling; measurement; validity, reliability, and rigor; critiquing and evaluating research; and community-based and artistic research methods.

This course is the first in a sequence of two courses on qualitative inquiry required for students in the social work Ph.D. program. It provides an overview of knowledge and skills for designing qualitative inquiry. It examines issues in the philosophy of science, paradigms for qualitative inquiry in social work, and a diverse range of methods that flow from these paradigms. It emphasizes principles and procedures for research design, including an introduction to data collection, ethics in qualitative design, and criteria for establishing methodological rigor (i.e., trustworthiness).

This course is designed to provide students with opportunities to examine the underlying conceptual frameworks of social work practice including their history and present manifestations. Students will gain an understanding of metatheoretical concepts (e.g., paradigms, epistemology, ontology, etc.) and will learn to identify and describe theory at multiple levels of abstraction and application. The course will offer a critical perspective on the historical foundations of social work practice and theory, including the ways in which the discipline has resisted or maintained systems of oppression over time. This conceptual grounding is intended to offer students a solid foundational understanding of social work as a distinctive discipline while also offering opportunities for students to examine their own position within the discipline by examining the history and conceptual framing of their own substantive area of focus.

This course, which includes hands on practice using statistical software focuses on quantitative research methodology and related statistics, emphasizing mastery of specific methodological and statistical knowledge and skills that prepare students for multivariate quantitative analyses. The course will address the following topics: the framing of quantitative research questions; the selection of appropriate quantitative research methods and designs; database management; the selection of appropriate univariate and bivariate statistics for data analysis; the principles of analysis; interpretation of findings; and the presentation of results. This course asks students to critically think about the choices researchers make when working with quantitative data that can help to frame concepts from a strengths and anti-oppressive lens.

The purpose of this seminar is to develop doctoral students’ advanced skills in analyzing and critiquing social welfare policies and programs, making recommendations for change, and effectively communicating the results of their work. The seminar’s primary focus is on federal and state social welfare policies and programs in the US, with a secondary focus on the examination of other nation’s social welfare policies. Students in this course learn to analyze and shape policies and programs with the goals of ending oppression and discrimination, and promoting racial, social, gender, and economic justice.

The purpose of this advanced research methods course is to equip professionals to design and carry out research with implications for social work practice and social welfare policy. Building on the experience in SW 978 and SW 981 , this course will focus on more advanced topics in experimental (e.g. multivariate analysis of variance, analy­sis of covariance) and correlational (e.g. linear regression, logistic regression) statistical analyses. The course will provide students with an opportunity to apply knowledge of these techniques in computer analyses of various datasets and in the critical review of the published work of others. Students apply an anti-oppressive lens to actively critique quantitative research approaches, including responsible model selection, analytic choices, and reporting. Prerequisite: Successful completion of SW 981 .

The purpose of this course is to provide foundational knowledge and skills to evaluate, apply, and develop theory in social research. Students will (1) gain an understanding of how the roles and uses of theory are informed by epistemological and ontological traditions, (2) evaluate and critique applications of theory in empirical scholarship (3) apply theoretical frameworks to inform research design and methods, and (4) engage in theory- and/or model-building to advance theoretical innovations.

The purpose of this course is to prepare doctoral students for effective teaching of Social Work courses at all levels of higher education. The course covers three key topic areas: 1) the social, political, economic, and ethical context of teaching in social work and higher education among diverse students, 2) teaching theory and methods, including understanding how adults learn, course design, teaching strategies, classroom management, and evaluation of student outcomes, and 3) reflexivity in teaching, including developing one’s identity and philosophy as an instructor and evaluating one’s own growth as an instructor.

This course is the second in a sequence of two courses on qualitative inquiry required for students in the social work Ph.D. program. It provides in-depth methodological knowledge and skills for implementing qualitative inquiry and writing research reports. It examines implementation issues related to a diverse range of methods that flow from the paradigms addressed in SW 979 . It provides guidance for implementation of research designs for projects developed in SW 979 , including application of methods for data collection, analysis, supporting criteria for methodological rigor (i.e., trustworthiness), and writing up findings and implications. Prerequisite: Successful completion of SW 979 .

Individual research preparatory to defense of dissertation prospectus. (By arrangement with doctoral chair.) Graded on a satisfactory progress/limited progress/no progress basis.

This course provides the opportunity for doctoral students to learn about research or teaching through direct application of research or teaching skills under the mentorship of faculty.

Graded on a satisfactory progress/limited progress/no progress basis.

This course provides the foundational knowledge for Family Support professionals on home visiting and developing relationships with families that are informed by the multiple, intersectional issues that families face. Topics will include: Prenatal Basics, Child Development, and Child Abuse and Neglect. Prerequisite: Must be admitted as undergraduate Social Welfare non-degree seeking (SOCWN) students.

Building on foundational skills, this course will provide extended knowledge in the areas of Breastfeeding, risks of substance use, and confidentiality. Family Support Professionals will gain the knowledge necessary to support families beyond basic needs to essential life skills. Prerequisite: Must be admitted as undergraduate Social Welfare non-degree seeking (SOCWN) students.

This course focuses on skills for supporting Family Support Professionals in the practice of early intervention services. Supervisors will gain knowledge in the areas of cultural diversity, ethics, and professional development. Prerequisite: Must be admitted as undergraduate Social Welfare non-degree seeking (SOCWN) students.

Contact Info

Twente Hall 1545 Lilac Lane Lawrence, KS 66045 785-864-4720 785-864-5277 http://www.socwel.ku.edu/

Michelle Mohr Carney, Dean [email protected]

Jason Matejkowski, Associate Dean, Academic Programs [email protected]

Jody Brook, Associate Dean, Research [email protected]

Juliana Carlson, B.S.W. Program Director [email protected]

Sarah Jen, Ph.D. Program Director [email protected]

Ed Scanlon, D.S.W. Program Director [email protected]

Nancy Jo Kepple, M.S.W. Program Director [email protected]

Georgiana Spear, Coordinator Graduate Admissions [email protected]

Amea Chandler, MSW Advisor & SW Retention Coordinator [email protected]

Tara Combes, MSW & DSW Success Coach [email protected]

Vicki Mignot, MSW Advisor [email protected]

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Social Psychology Program

About the Program

The Social Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Kansas is a research-intensive training program in which students develop skills in research methodology, statistics, and the substantive major content areas in the field. Social psychologists are interested in how individuals are affected by social situations; the faculty at KU have expertise in areas such as stereotyping, prejudice, intergroup relations, prosocial motivation, helping behavior, emotions, cross-cultural perspectives on the self and interpersonal relations, the development of social competence, social dominance, and applications of psychology to law. Most students train toward careers in academe, and some toward industry jobs that tap their research skills. The Ph.D. program includes 3-4 students in each entering class and operates under an apprenticeship model. Continuous involvement in research is expected, and students develop their own contracts outlining work toward the Ph.D. Social psychology has a long and distinguished history at the University of Kansas. In 1946, Roger Barker (Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from APA, 1964) became Chair. In that same year, Fritz Heider (founder of social cognition) joined the Department (Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, 1965). Since then, Kansas has been a world leader in research and training of graduate students. A recent article puts the KU program at the 92nd percentile of effective training programs in the USA for placing new faculty into Ph.D. training programs (Ferguson & Crandall, 2007).

What Sets Us Apart?

A unique feature of our program is that we encourage students to collaborate jointly or separately with multiple faculty researchers. One feature of our program that facilitates such collaboration is a concentration of expertise around four core themes. This concentration of expertise means that interested students not only find multiple course offerings associated with the core themes, but also find it easy to collaborate on research projects with multiple faculty members.

Four Core Themes

Prejudice, stereotyping and intergroup relations.

The KU Social Psychology program has achieved a national reputation for excellence in this area, and various aspects of this theme are central to work of Glenn Adams (Liberation Psychology perspectives), Monica Biernat (stereotyping processes) model), Nyla Branscombe (Social Identity approaches to intergroup relations), Chris Crandall (prejudice) and Ludwin Molina (power and intergroup relations). One tangible manifestation of this theme is the 2004 conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, which we organized and hosted at KU with funding from the American Psychological Association (Scientific Conference Grant), National Science Foundation, and American Psychology and Law Society. In the aftermath of this conference, several members of the KU Social Psychology Program collaborated to edit a book, Commemorating Brown: The social psychology of racism and discrimination , and co-authored the book's conclusion chapter*, which won honorable mention for the Gordon Allport Prize for work on Intergroup Relations from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

*Adams, G., Biernat, M., Branscombe, N. R., Crandall, C. S., & Wrightsman, L. S. (2008). Beyond prejudice: Toward a sociocultural psychology of racism and oppression. In G. Adams, M. Biernat, N. R. Branscombe, C. S. Crandall, & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Commemorating Brown: The social psychology of racism and discrimination (pp. 215-246). Washington, DC: APA Books.

Personal Relationships

This theme is central to the work of Glenn Adams, who studies personal relationship processes as a window into the sociocultural foundations of mind, and Omri Gillath, who uses techniques of cognitive psychology and social neuroscience to study brain mechanisms associated with sex, love, attachment, and prosociality (not necessarily in that order). This theme is also evident in work of Chris Crandall on friendship, attraction and social influence. One tangible manifestation of this theme is the KU Close Relationships Interest Group , an interdisciplinary forum for relationship research in which members of the KU Social Psychology Program play a foundational role. Another tangible manifestation of this theme is the conference, New directions in research on close relationships: Integrating across disciplines and theoretical approaches, that was organized and hosted at KU as the 2009 mini-conference of the International Association for Relationship Research with funding (Scientific Conference Grant) from the American Psychological Association. Fourteen members of the KU Social Psychology Program (10 students and 4 faculty members) presented their research at this conference alongside leading scholars in the area of close relationship from the US and 14 other countries spreading across five continents. The organizers of the conference (Gillath, Adams, and Adrianne Kunkel from the KU Department of Communication Studies) are in the process of editing a book to disseminate ideas inspired by presentations at the conference. These activities have given KU a reputation as an emerging international center of excellence in the interdisciplinary study of personal relationships.

Motivation and Emotion

Early manifestations of this theme include classic work by the late Jack Brehm (on cognitive dissonance, reactance motivation, and intensity of emotions) and Professor Emeritus Dan Batson (on the empathy altruism hypothesis). Among currently resident faculty members, this theme is a central to work by Omri Gillath on the attachment motivational system and Mark Landau on existential motivations (using terror management theory and other perspectives in existential psychology). The theme is also evident in work by Nyla Branscombe (on collective and intergroup emotions) and Chris Crandall (on justification motivations).

Collective/Macro Orientations

Cultural Psychology, Political Psychology, Social Identity Theory, and Evolutionary Psychology, a final core theme of the KU Social Psychology Program is not a particular topic area, but rather an intellectual orientation toward various collective-level perspectives that link social psychology to other social sciences.

This core theme is central to the work of Glenn Adams, who considers sociocultural foundations of mind via the theoretical perspective of cultural psychology; Nyla Branscombe, who examines individual experience of collective identity through the lens of various Social Identity Theory approaches; Omri Gillath who uses the framework of evolutionary psychology to inform his research on close relationships; and Ludwin Molina, who is a local KU expert in the increasingly influential field of political psychology. As tangible evidence of this core theme, faculty and students in the KU Social Psychology Program have recently collaborated on research projects, team-taught graduate seminars, and/or jointly organized conferences and symposia with faculty from African Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, Geography, History, International Studies, Political Science, and Sociology (for example, the Culture and Psychology Research Group).

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Program Contacts

• University Distinguished Professor
• Director of Graduate Studies

• Graduate Program Coordinator

Meet our Program

University of Kansas Fully Funded PhD in Social Work

University of kansas.

The University of Kansas, based in Lawrence, KS offers a fully funded PhD in Social Work. Through a rigorous curriculum, real-world research experience, and individualized mentoring by world-renowned scholars, the KU School of Social Welfare Doctoral Program graduates develop the knowledge and skills to drive discovery and advance the field of social work. If enrolled in full-time study, the KU School of Social Welfare will guarantee four years of financial support, as long as the student remains in good standing in the program. In most cases, this will consist of a 50 percent appointment as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA), Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), or a combination of the two and paid tuition.

• Deadline: Jan 05, 2026 (Estimated)*
• Work Experience: Any
• Location: North America
• Citizenship: Any
• Residency: United States

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College of Education and Human Development

School of Social Work

PhD in Social Work

Established in 1946, our program is one of the oldest in the United States, and develops a mentoring partnership between nationally prominent faculty and students to promote knowledge and skills in theory development and community-based research. The research productivity of our faculty was ranked 20th out of 76 U.S. social work doctoral programs in a recent study 

Our graduates include internationally recognized scholars in diverse areas of study. Alumni go on to faculty and academic leadership roles in schools of social work around the world, as well as agency and program directors, and high-level servants in federal, state, and local government agencies. 

Learn about the PhD program in social work at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Scholarship, research, and teaching which contribute to the knowledge base of social work and foster a just, nurturing, inclusive society.

Program Highlights

• Highly productive faculty. Collaborate with our faculty and research and training centers to conduct, write, and publish research in child welfare, aging, mental health, violence prevention, health disparities, social welfare policy, international social work, work with immigrants and refugees, and other social work related research areas.
• Generous funding for PhD students. The majority of our students receive a four-year funding package that covers tuition, health insurance, and a stipend. Many students also secure dissertation fellowships, and we help students secure assistantships for funding for their fifth year.
• Teaching and professional development. Gain skills in teaching and curriculum development. We provide doctoral colloquia focusing both on current research and professional and career development.
• Diverse student body. Our graduate students come from Minnesota, across the nation, and from around the world, giving the learning and research experience depth and breadth in lived experiences and perspectives.
• Structured research mentoring experiences. Our PhD program relies heavily on a mentoring model, and PhD students work closely with faculty members throughout the program. Mentoring is seen as a vital part of the teaching and learning process within the doctoral program. 

Fall 2024 Applications

Notice: Application deadline is December 1st, 2024!

To learn more about the application process, consider attending a one-hour information session:

Thursday, August 8th - 1:00pm

Wednesday, September 18th - 6:00pm

Tuesday, October 15th - 1:00pm

Thursday, November 14th - 1:00pm

Questions about applying? You can schedule a one-on-one appointment with Director of Admissions, Larissa Lavrov .

Program Outline

Students take two years of coursework both inside and outside the School of Social Work, including required courses in research methods, statistics, theory, history, policy and teaching, as well as supporting program courses from across the university. Students typically complete their preliminary examinations and defend their dissertation proposal, and then complete their dissertation in their fourth or fifth year.

Careers of Social Work PhD Graduates

This is a selected list of institutions where recent University of Minnesota School of Social Work graduates have found positions:

Research Universities

• State University of New York at Buffalo
• Tulane University
• University of Arkansas
• University of Kansas
• University of Memphis
• University of Texas
• University of Utah
• Virginia Commonwealth University

Teaching Universities

• Augsburg University
• California State University - Chico
• Colorado State University - Pueblo
• Providence College
• Radford University 
• University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Institutes and Foundations

• Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota
• Health Partners Research Foundation
• Minnesota Minority Education Partnership

Applied/Administrative Positions

• Children’s Defense Fund
• Minnesota Department of Human Services
• NASW-MN  

International Universities

• National University Taiwan
• Tel Aviv University
• Self-Directed Services for the Long-Term Supports of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
• Social Work, Intractable Conflict and Professionalism: A Case Study of Jewish-Israeli Social Work Practice
• Omayeletumbulo [wisdom sayings] as a Pathway to School Engagement for Young Mothers in Rural Namibia
• County Exemption from Social Work Licensure in Minnesota: Understanding the Past and Present to Affect the Future
• Animal-Assisted Interactions for College Student Mental Health and a Conceptual Model of Practice
• Environmental Effects on Cognitive Health in Older Adults: Insights for Long-Term Care Services
• “This is how we show up for our relatives”: Understanding How Indigenous Relative Caregivers Embody Traditional Kinship to Resist the Colonial Child Welfare System
• Perceived Discrimination and Depressive Symptom Trajectories of Middle-aged and Older Adults with Chronic Diseases
• Student Stories of Resilience After Campus Sexual Assault
• How do Contextual Factors and Family Support Influence Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse During Forensic Interviews and Service Outcomes in Child Protection Cases?
• Moral Injury Among Professionals in K-12 Education: A Mixed Methods Inquiry
• Making Sense of Poverty in Child Welfare: A Grounded Theory Informed Study of Public and Tribal Child Welfare Workers' Poverty Constructions, Perceptions of Causes, and Praxis
• Neighborhood Social Capital and the Health and Health Risk Behavior of Adolescent Immigrants and Non-Immigrants

Sampling of PhD Student Publications

Our PhD students routinely co-author with faculty and other researchers at the School of Social Work and across campus. Nearly all PhD students graduate with multiple peer reviewed articles, multiple presentations at national/international research conferences, and teaching experience as the instructor of record of undergraduate or graduate courses. The following is just a sampling of the recent peer-reviewed articles published by our students, either as sole author or in collaboration with others.

Carlson , W. C. (2023). Implementation challenges of T visa eligibility for human trafficking survivors: a role for social work. Social Work , 68(3), 222-229.

Flangan, S. , Sterman, J., & Merighi, J. R., Batty, R. (2023). Bridging the gap – How interprofessional collaboration can support family-centered emergency preparedness: An exploratory qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 23(1):777.

Haight, W. L., Suleiman , J. , Flanagan , S. K. , Park, S. , Soltani, L. J. , Carlson, W. C. , Otis , J. R. , & Turck, K. S. (2023). Reflections on social work education during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experiences of faculty members and lessons moving forward. Qualitative Social Work , 22(5), 938-955.

Samimi, C., Jefferson, N., Flanagan , S. , & Anyon, Y. (2023). Intersections of disproportion: A critical quantitative examination of dis/ability and gender in Black students’ school discipline outcomes. The Urban Review , 1-20.

Soffer-Elnekave , R. , Haight, W., Nashandi , N. J. , Cho, M., Suleiman , J. , & Park , S. (2023). Re-orienting narratives of moral injury towards positive development: The experiences of emerging adults with child welfare histories. Children and Youth Services Review , 149, 106922.

Soria, K. M., Horgos , B. , & Shenouda, J. D. (2023). Disparities in college students’ financial hardships during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice , 60(1), 31-48.

Toft, J., Lightfoot, E., Calhoun, M ., Choy-Brown, M., Merighi, J. R., Renner, L. M., Soffer-Elnekave, R. , Mendel, J., & Marsalis, S. (2023). Effects of neoliberalism on social work practice in the United States: A scoping review. Social Work Research , 47(2), 99-110. 

Renner, L. M., Driessen, M. C. , & Lewis-Dmello, A. (2022). An evaluation of a parent group for survivors of intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Violence , 37(2), 247-259.

Soria K., Horgos B ., Roberts B.J. (2022). The COVID‐19 pandemic and students’ mental health. New Directions for Student Services, 176, 37-45. 

Lee, M. H., Hong, S., & Merighi, J. R. (2021). The effect of fatalism on mammography use in Korean American women. Health Education & Behavior , 49(4), 740−749.

Lightfoot, E., Yun, H. , Moone, R., Otis, J ., Suleiman, K., Turck, K ., & Kutzler, C. (2021). Changes to family caregiving of older adults and adults with disabilities during COVID-19. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine , 7, 1-8.

Mervis, J. E., Fischer, J ., Cooper, S. E., Deckert, A. C., Lysaker, P. H., MacDonald III, A. W., & Meyer-Kalos, P. (2021). Introspective accuracy for substance use across a year of treatment for first episode psychosis. Schizophrenia Research: Cognition , 26, 100200.

Renner, L. M., Hartley, C. C., & Driessen, M. C. (2021). Provider, caretaker, nurturer, hero: Perceptions of parenting changes among women who experienced intimate partner violence. Journal of Child and Family Studies , 30(9), 2191-2203.

Soria, K., & Horgos, B. (2021). Factors associated with college students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of College Student Development, 62(2), 107-113. 

An, S., Lee, H. Y., Choi, Y. J., & Yoon, Y. J. (2020). Literacy of breast cancer and screening guideline in an immigrant group: importance of health accessibility. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health , 22, 563-570.

Lightfoot, E., Zheng, M ., & DeZelar, S . (2021). Substantiation of child maltreatment among parents with disabilities in the United States. Journal of Public Child Welfare , 15(5), 583-596.

Renner, L. M., Driessen, M. C. , & Lewis-Dmello, A. (2020). A pilot study evaluation of a parent group for survivors of intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Violence , 35, 203-215.

Cho, M. , Haight. W., Choi, W. S., Hong, S. H., & Piescher, K. (2019). A prospective, longitudinal study of risk factors for early onset of delinquency among maltreated youth.Children and Youth Services Review, 102, 222-230.

Choi, Y. J., Lee, H. Y., An, S., Yoon, Y. J. , & Oh, J. (2019). Predictors of cervical cancer screening awareness and literacy among Korean-American women. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7(1), 1–9.

Driessen, M. C. (2019). Campus sexual assault policies: A feminist policy analysis framework. Affilia, 35(3) 1-16. doi:10.1177/0886109919878273

Driessen, M. C. (2019). Campus sexual assault & student activism, 1970-1990. Qualitative Social Work, 19(3), 1-16. doi:10.1177/1473325019828805

Emery, C. R., Wu, S., Eremina, T., Yoon, Y. J. , Kim, S., & Yang, H. (2019). Does informal social control deter child abuse? A comparative study of Koreans and Russians. International journal on child maltreatment: research, policy and practice, 2(2), 37–54.

Gibson, P., Haight, W., Cho, M., Nashandi, N. J., & Yoon, Y. J. (2019). A mixed methods study of Black Girls' vulnerability to out-of-school suspensions: The intersection of race and gender. Children and Youth Services Review, 102, 169–176.

Haight, W., Waubanascum, C., Glesener, D. , Day, P., Bussey, B., & Nichols, K. (2019). The Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies: Reducing disparities through Indigenous social work education. Children and Youth Services Review, 100, 156-166.

Kiesel, L, DeZelar, S. & Lightfoot, E. (2019). Equity in social work employment in the United States: Opportunity and challenges for social workers with disabilities. Disability & Society.

Kivnick, H. Q., Driessen, M. C., Santavasy, C. , Wardwell, C., & Davis, L. D. (2019). “Who’s Been Putting Socks in My Drawer?” Narrative case study of an elder role model. The Gerontologist, 1-10. doi:10.1093/geront/gnz114

Lee, H.Y., Beltran, R.M. , Kwon, M., Kim, G.N., Lee, D.K. (2019). Racial disparities in cervical cancer screening: Implications for relieving cervical cancer burden in Asian American Pacific Islander women. Cancer Nursing: An International Journal for Cancer Care.

Lightfoot, E. & DeZelar, S . (2019). Social work with parents with disabilities: Historical interactions and contemporary innovations. Social Work Review, 2, 1-10.

Lightfoot, E., Franklin, C., & Beltran, R . (2019). Preparing for the academic job market: A guide for social work doctoral students and their mentors. Journal of Social Work Education.

Newman, T., Okamoto, K. , Kimiecik, C., Sohns, E., Burns, M., & Magier, E. (2019). The role of social workers in sport: Shared values and opportunities for interprofessional collaborations. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 10(3), 160-173.

Renner, L. M., & Driessen, M . C. (2019). Siblings who are exposed to child maltreatment: Practices reported by county children's services supervisors. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 13(5), 491-511. doi:10.1080/15548732.2018.1514350

An, S., Choi, Y. J., Lee, H. Y., Yoon, Y. J. , & Platt, M. (2018). Predictors of breast cancer screening among Korean American women: Is having an annual checkup critical? Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 19(5), 1281–1286.

Bayless, S. D., Jenson, J. M., Richmond, M. K., Pampel, F. C., Cook, M., & Calhoun, M. (2018). Effects of an afterschool early literacy intervention on the reading skills of children in public housing communities. Child & Youth Care Forum, 47, 537-561.

DeZelar, S. , & Lightfoot, E. (2018). Use of parental disability as a removal reason for children in foster care in the US. Children and Youth Services Review, 86, 128-134.

Fink, A. (2018). Bigger data, less wisdom: The need for more inclusive collective intelligence in social service provision. AI & Society, 33, 61-70.

Haight, W., Waubanascum, C., Glesener, D. , & Marsalis, S. (2018). A scoping study of Indigenous child welfare: The long emergency and preparations for the next seven generations. Children and Youth Services Review, 93, 397-410.

Jenson, J. M., Veeh, C., Anyon, Y., St. Mary, J., Calhoun, M. , Tejada, J., & Lechuga-Peña, S. (2018). Effects of an afterschool program on the academic outcomes of children and youth residing in public housing neighborhoods: A quasi-experimental study. Children and Youth Services Review, 88, 211-217.

Kiesel, L., DeZelar, S. & Lightfoot, E. (2018). Challenges, barriers and opportunities: Social workers with disabilities and experiences in field education. Journal of Social Work Education. 54(4), 696-708.

Lee, H. Y., Choi, Y. J., Yoon, Y. J. , & Oh, J. (2018). HPV literacy: The role of English proficiency in Korean American immigrant women. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 22(3), E64–E70.

Lightfoot, E. & LaLiberte, T. & Cho, M. (2018). Parental supports for parents with disabilities: The role of informal supports.Child Welfare, 96(4), 89-110.

Merighi, J. R., Zheng, M. , & Browne, T. (2018). Nephrology social workers' caseloads and hourly wages in 2014 and 2017: Findings from the National Kidney Foundation Council of Nephrology Social Workers Professional Practice Survey. Journal of Nephrology Social Work, 42(1), 31−59.

St. Mary, J., Calhoun, M. , Tejada, J., & Jenson, J. M. (2018). Perceptions of academic achievement and educational opportunities among Black and African American youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(5), 499-509.

Haight, W., Sugrue, E., Calhoun, M. , & Black, J. (2017). “Basically, I look at it like combat”: Reflections on moral injury by parents involved with child protection services. Children and Youth Services Review, 82, 477-489.

Haight, W., Sugrue, E., Calhoun, M. , & Black, J. (2017). Everyday coping with moral injury: The perspectives of professionals and parents involved with child protection services. Children and Youth Services Review, 82, 108-121.

Haight, W., Sugrue, E., Calhoun, M. (2017). Moral injury among child protection professionals: Implications for the ethical treatment and retention of workers. Children and Youth Services Review, 82, 27-41.

Hewitt, A., Stancliffe, R., Hall-Lande, J., Nord, D., Pettingell, S., Hamre, K. , Hallas-Muchow L. (2017). Characteristics of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder who use residential services and supports through adult developmental disability services in the United States. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Horn, T. L. , Piescher, K., Shannon, P. J., Hong, S., & Benton, A. (2017). Experiences of Somali and Oromo youth in the child protection system. Children and Youth Services Review.

Kayama, M., Haight, W., Ku, M. L. M., Cho, M. , & Lee, H. Y. (2017). East Asian and U.S. educators' reflections on how stigmatization affects their relationships with parents whose children have disabilities: Challenges and solutions. Children and Youth Services Review, 73, 128-144.

Khuu, B. P. , Lee, H. Y. (2017). Health literacy and associated factors among Hmong American immigrants. Journal of Community Health, 1-8.

Kim, Y.S., Lee, H.Y., Lee, M.H., Simms, T. , & Park, B.H., (2017). Mental health literacy in Korean older adults: A cross-sectional survey. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12395

Lightfoot, E. & LaLiberte, T. & Cho, M. (2017). A case record review of termination of parental rights cases involving parents with a disability. Children and Youth Services Review, 79, 399-407.

Sugrue, E. & Lightfoot, E. (2017). Preschool Policymaking by Stealth: Application of an Alternative Framework for the Policy Process. Journal of Policy Practice. DOI: 10.1080/15588742.2016.1266982

Carlson, J., Nguyen, H. , and Reinardy, J. (2016). Social justice and the capabilities approach: Seeking a global print for EPAS. Journal of Social Work Education, 52, Issue 3.

Haight, W., Bidwell, L., Choi, W. S., & Cho, M. (2016). An evaluation of the Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM): Recidivism outcomes for maltreated youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Children and Youth Services Review, 65, 78-85.

Haight, W., Kayama, M., Ku, M. L., Cho, M. , & Lee, H. Y. (2016). Perspectives of elementary school educators in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US on disability, stigmatization and children's developing self Part 1: Defining the problem in cultural context. Children and Youth Services Review, 70, 214-228.

Haight, W., Sugrue, E., Calhoun, M. , & Black, J. (2016). A scoping study of moral injury: Identifying directions for social work research. Child and Youth Services Review, 70, 190-200.

Hoffman, S. J., Robertson, C. L., Shannon, P. J., Cook, T.L. , Letts, J., & Mathiason, M. A. (2016). Physical Correlates of Torture Exposure in Karen Refugees. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 1-15.

Kayama, M., Haight, W., Ku, M. L. M., Cho, M. , & Lee, H. Y. (2016). Perspectives of elementary school educators in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US on disability, stigmatization and children's developing self Part 2: Solutions. Children and Youth Services Review, 70, 403-418.

Khuu, B. P. , Lee, H.Y., Zhou, A.Q., Shin, J. & Lee, R.M., (2016) Healthcare providers’ perspectives on parental health literacy and child health outcomes among Southeast Asian American immigrants and refugees, Children and Youth Services Review, 67 (2016) 220–229. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.06.006

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Master of Social Work

Program overview.

The K-State Salina Social Work Program and the University of Kansas (KU) School of Social Welfare are partnering to offer the KU Master of Social Work (MSW) at K-State Salina.

If you already have a BSW (or are close to completing your BSW), you may qualify for the Advanced Standing plan of study which is offered by KU at K-State Salina. Students begin coursework and classes with sufficient enrollment are taught in a blended format with on-campus classes held at the K-State Salina campus every other Saturday. Classes that do not make minimum enrollment will be delivered in a fully online format with alternating weeks of synchronous and asynchronous learning and content.

Why the MSW?

The MSW prepares graduates for advanced social work practice in one of two broad specializations — either clinical social work practice with individuals, families and groups or social work macro practice aimed at social service administration, social policy development and social advocacy.

Advanced Standing MSW at K-State Salina

The Advanced Standing MSW at K-State Salina is taught in a one-year, full-time or two-year, part-time plan of study. Classes are held on campus every other Saturday with the alternate Saturdays delivered in a distance-learning format. Full-time students enrolled in the Advanced Standing MSW program at K-State Salina are eligible to apply for the Integrated Health Scholars Program . Scholars develop knowledge and skills for interprofessional clinical practice and leadership in integrated health care and receive a $10K scholarship during their advanced-standing year.

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Master of Social Work

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Earn Your MSW at KU

The Master of Social Work program at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare equips graduates with the knowledge to provide counseling and direct services to individuals, families and groups. Our graduates make changes in organizations, communities and policies.

KU’s MSW has been fully accredited by the Council on Social Work (CSWE) since 1947 and has consistently ranked in the top 12% of public institution social work programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

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One program, many paths to your ku msw.

The Master of Social Work degree prepares graduates for advanced social work practice in one of two broad specializations — either clinical social work practice with individuals, families and groups or social work macro practice aimed at social service administration, social policy development and social advocacy.

Our flexible social work program and newly revised course offerings were redesigned with community and student input to ensure a dynamic educational experience that incorporates real-world opportunities. KU's Master of Social Work program is available at campuses in Lawrence , Overland Park and Salina , and as an Online MSW through Jayhawk Global .

What plan of study should I choose?

Advanced standing msw locations.

Lawrence Campus Advanced Standing

Edwards Campus Advanced Standing

Online Advanced Standing

Salina Advanced Standing

Traditional msw locations.

Lawrence Campus Traditional MSW

Edwards Campus Traditional MSW

Online Traditional MSW

Salina Traditional MSW

Ku msw application dates, msw program stories.

Alumni Stories: Integrated Health

Alumni Spotlights: MSW Macro Track

Student support & aid, tuition & aid, scholarships & funding, advising & practicum support, learn more about the ku msw program.

Get more info on admission, deadlines, tuition and financial aid, career paths and more when you fill out the form below. We’ll be in touch to answer any questions and help you get started.

Advance your career in social work

KU licensure pass rates exceed the national averages for the LMSW and LSCSW. The KU MSW prepares graduates for careers in clinical or macro practice.

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KU School of Social Welfare is Kansas's longest-running accredited MSW. KU is the only program in the state to offer degree preparation from the undergraduate to doctoral levels, with BSW, MSW, DSW and PhD social work degree programs.

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Study Social Work at KU