Core Skills and Expertise for Doctorate in Social Work
We take seriously the core expertise and skills we've identified below, which include advancing practice through innovative approaches, using and critically evaluating research and knowledge, engaging in scientific inquiry that reflects doctoral level-scholarship, developing and disseminating practice-relevant, research-informed knowledge through a variety of channels, such as reaching, scholarship, professional presentations, mentoring, administration, providing leadership in social work practice and/or education, and developing and maintaining substantive expertise in one or more areas of social work practice. These core expertise and skills also form the structure of our program assessment. The specific social work and educational knowledge and skills that will ground the expression of these core expertise and skills will emerge from course work, student interest and research, and collegial exchanges and networking throughout the program.
Social work scholar practitioners advance practice and organizational systems through the development of creative and innovative approaches directed to real world problems, applying transformational leadership and educational knowledge and expertise to the challenges of our time. Scholar practitioners engage in innovative research, designs, and methods to advance the body of knowledge in the field of social work.
Students in this DSW Program will:
- Engage in scholarly activities that advance research and social work practice by engaging in innovative approaches to research and scholarship.
- Critically assess the challenges and opportunities confronting individuals and organizations to develop new and innovative approaches to problem solving that advance the common good.
Social work scholar practitioners refine and advance the quality of social work practice, education, and leadership. They synthesize and apply a broad range of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills and use ethically, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in conducting research and building knowledge. Identity as a scholar practitioner is critical to the role that social work educators and leaders play in diverse settings and includes proficiency in multiple approaches to research and scholarship that enhance the credibility of the social work profession. Scholar-practitioners understand the inherent bias in research and evaluate designs, analytic methods, and interpretation of data.
Students in this DSW Program will:
- Identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the purposes of social work.
- Use teaching and leadership practice experiences and skills to inform scholarly work and apply research findings in their role as social work educators and leaders.
- Evaluate different research methods and findings, assess the strengths and limitations of different research methodologies, and generate new knowledge through the research process, disseminating scholarly works through peer-reviewed and other means.
Scholar-practitioners are knowledgeable about the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and reasoned discernment. They use critical thinking augmented by creativity and curiosity. Critical thinking also requires the synthesis and communication of relevant information. Doctoral level scholarship includes awareness and skill in navigating the complexities of various ontological, epistemological, and methodological approaches to teaching, leadership, and scholarship.
Students in this DSW Program will:
- Apply the principles of logic and scientific inquiry and navigate the complexities of various ontological, epistemological, and methodological approaches to teaching, leadership, and scholarship.
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills in written and oral communication, synthesizing knowledge in research, pedagogy, and building evidence for scholarship.
Social work scholar practitioners engage in and disseminate knowledge and skills derived from practice-informed research, contributing to the body of knowledge in the field of social work. Scholar practitioners engage in transformational leadership that considers emerging data in the decision-making process, presenting evidence and mentoring social workers in new and evolving areas of social work practice in public and private sectors.
Students in this DSW Program will:
- Conduct research, provide rationale for, and defend their methods, findings, and conclusions in an open public forum.
- Analyze and critically appraise scholarly activities – disseminating them in scholarly journals and other peer-reviewed publications and outlets.
- Conduct peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed presentations in diverse conferences, community, and other settings that focus on leadership, education, and practice in social work and other allied fields.
- Engage in teaching and transformational leadership activities, advancing opportunities in the academy and other settings to enhance social work knowledge and skills that result in positive impacts in the academy and the broader community.
Social work practice includes assessment, engagement through thoughtful participation, informed action, and ongoing evaluation. Leadership in social work and social work education emanates from this core principle to promote the values of the profession and to motivate transformation through vision, collaboration, and risk-taking. Transformational leaders take charge in crises to achieve resolution, while balancing individual and collective needs with professional ethics and the common good.
Students in this DSW Program will:
- Embody flexibility and initiatives in leadership roles in diverse practice settings and systems such as higher education, public and private sector organizations, and the broader community to work effectively with others in the profession, respectfully and skillfully addressing issues arising within these settings and the broader community.
- Assume leadership and responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the social work profession and advancing social work practice and education.
Education and Transformational Leadership: Scholar practitioners serve as representatives of the profession, its mission, and its core values. They understand the profession’s history and commit themselves to the profession’s enhancement and to their own professional conduct and growth.
Students in this DSW Program will:
Education and Teaching:
- Identify as a social work educator and embody the skills needed to transform learners into empowered community members, practitioners, teachers, and scholars.
- Demonstrate professional skills in evaluating teaching for quality improvement.
- Critically analyze pedagogical approaches in social work education and demonstrate the critical role that social work educators play in the academy.
- Assess and apply emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice and education.
Leadership:
- Embody and engage in transformational leadership skills to lead in the community and public–private sectors.
- Critically appraise theoretical perspectives in leadership roles and their application to serve the common good in a changing world.
- Apply analysis of complex budgeting in organizational structures towards improving the financial and resource outlook in organizations and systems and advancing the common good.
- Assess the challenges and apply ethical principles in navigating emerging technologies and their use in organizations.