School of Social Work
For more than a decade, the St. Thomas Doctor of Social Work (DSW) has prepared social workers across the country to lead, teach and create meaningful change. As the first fully online DSW program of its kind, it now offers two specializations: one in university-level teaching and education, and the other in transformational leadership in the community and public–private sectors.
The DSW is part of the St. Thomas School of Social Work, a nationally respected program that has been shaping social work education and practice for more than 50 years. Designed for experienced social workers with an MSW, the program combines academic excellence with flexibility for working professionals. Graduates will be prepared to:
The education specialization focuses on preparing social work faculty and practitioners specifically for university-level teaching and leadership. Social work educators and practitioners with an MSW degree will gain the skills and credentials to teach and lead in the social work profession and become stewards of the discipline, engaging in transformative teaching and scholarship.
The leadership specialization focuses on transformational leadership in the social work profession with a focus on engaged leadership in the community and public-private sectors. Social workers with an MSW degree develop skills and expertise as engaged, skilled leader practitioners who engage in transformative leadership in the profession and community.
We prepare students to teach and lead in the social work profession with a particular focus on education as social work practice and transformational leadership. We partner with students to prepare graduates to assume the roles of faculty to teach, practice engaged leadership, develop an identity as a scholar practitioner, write for publication and other forms of dissemination, and pursue social justice through leadership in the academy and community.
Students complete the required 45 credit hours of DSW coursework in three years.
The DSW program kicks off with a 2.5 day orientation for incoming students. It is held in late August on our St. Paul campus, students attend their very first year before starting their first semester in the program. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know your cohort of DSW colleagues and to be introduced to the philosophy, structure, and technology of the program.
2.5-day Orientation in August at our main campus in St. Paul, MN
DRSW 700: History of Social Work, Education and Leadership Administration
DRSW 728: Research and Scholarship I
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 720: Theory and Model Building for Research & Practice
DRSW 729: Research and Scholarship II
DRSW 727: Banded Dissertation and Scholarship
DRSW 717: Pedagogies in Social Work Education
DRSW 723: Engaged Scholarship
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 731: Grant Writing
DRSW 718: Curriculum Design and Development
DRSW 721: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
DRSW 737: Leadership in Challenging Times, Adapting to Change
DRSW 723: Engaged Scholarship
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 731: Grant Writing
DRSW 738: Complex Analysis, Organizational Leadership and Management
DRSW 732: Program Evaluation and Organizational Systems
DRSW 726: Writing for Publication
DRSW 725: Career Development Practicum
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 734: Program Leadership, Mentorship and Faculty Development
SEMESTER VI, SPRINGDRSW 800: Banded Dissertation
DRSW 801: Banded Dissertation II: Defense
Students complete the required 45 credit hours of DSW coursework in three years.
The DSW program kicks off with a 2.5 day orientation for incoming students. It is held in late August on our St. Paul campus, students attend their very first year before starting their first semester in the program. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know your cohort of DSW colleagues and to be introduced to the philosophy, structure, and technology of the program.
2.5-day Orientation in August at our main campus in St. Paul, MN
DRSW 700: History of Social Work, Education and Leadership Administration
DRSW 728: Research and Scholarship I
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 720: Theory and Model Building for Research & Practice
DRSW 729: Research and Scholarship II
DRSW 727: Banded Dissertation and Scholarship
DRSW 717: Pedagogies in Social Work Education
DRSW 723: Engaged Scholarship
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 731: Grant Writing
DRSW 718: Curriculum Design and Development
DRSW 721: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
DRSW 737: Leadership in Challenging Times, Adapting to Change
DRSW 723: Engaged Scholarship
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 731: Grant Writing
DRSW 738: Complex Analysis, Organizational Leadership and Management
DRSW 732: Program Evaluation and Organizational Systems
DRSW 726: Writing for Publication
DRSW 725: Career Development Practicum
J-TERM (Four Weeks in January)
DRSW 734: Program Leadership, Mentorship and Faculty Development
SEMESTER VI, SPRINGDRSW 800: Banded Dissertation
DRSW 801: Banded Dissertation II: Defense
Applied learning
Students in the Doctorate in Social Work program must complete a banded dissertation - a series of three written works of scholarship that are linked by issue, theme, pedagogy, or population. This work is done during the second and third years of the program.
Our faculty are recognized scholars, researchers and engaged practitioners, committed to mentoring relationships and community engagement.
Dr. Robin Whitebird is the DSW program director, professor, and researcher with expertise in mixed methods, qualitative research, and clinical trials. Much of her research is in health care, where she consults on studies focusing on patient reported outcomes and strategies for organizational change.
Dr. Marrs Fuchsel is a professor in the DSW program. An experienced social work practitioner and scholar, her research focuses on supporting Latina women who experience complex trauma, and on the development and implementation of prevention programs with immigrant communities.
Dr. Chigbu is an assistant professor who teaches in the MSW and DSW programs. His research focuses on the individual, familial, group, social, and environmental factors that enhance the prevention and mitigation of organized violence, mental illness, substance abuse, and human/sexual trafficking and abuse. His backgrounds in law and diplomacy and social work inform his interest and belief in interdisciplinary approaches to human problem-solving.
DSW students and alumni share their accomplishments of spring 2025.
Catch up on past professional notes from DSW students and alumni.
The DSW is an advanced practice degree, and in the case of the St. Thomas DSW, the form of practice is education. Our degree is designed to prepare experienced social work educators and practitioners to teach and lead in higher education. The St. Thomas DSW has a strong emphasis on teaching pedagogy, curriculum development and the type of scholarship that faculty in teaching-intensive universities will be expected to produce throughout their careers.
The Ph.D. is a research degree and Ph.D. students are trained in rigorous research methods and pedagogy. Research-intensive universities (generally considered "Doctoral Universities" with moderate to high research activity as detailed by the Carnegie Basic Classification Description) will likely require tenure-track faculty to have a Ph.D., as this is the standard research degree, and the expectation of their faculty is that they will be doing large-scale research.
If there are specific schools you are targeting for employment, it is best to explore their specific hiring requirements before choosing which type of doctoral program is the best fit for you. Some universities will hire a combination of Ph.D.s and DSWs (or other practice doctoral degrees) depending on their areas of expertise and needs at the program level, while other universities will require a research focused (Ph.D.) degree only.
The University of St. Thomas Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program has been accredited since it was established in 2014, by our regional accrediting body, The Higher Learning Commission, through the University of St Thomas. Accreditation for practice Doctorate Social Work programs through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) opened as of August 1, 2025. The University of St. Thomas Doctor of Social Work program is currently under review for the accreditation for practice doctorate programs which would accredit the DSW program starting with the class of 2025, DSW Cohort 11.
DSW Public Reporting of Assessment Outcomes: