PhD Versus DSW: A Critique of Trends in Social Work Doctoral Education

Abstract

Social work educators are in a phase of reintroducing the doctor of social work (DSW) degree and refining distinctions between PhD and DSW doctoral programs. This article examines how the two options have been prey to a noticeable seesaw of precedence, resulting in a debatable history of social work’s approach to doctoral education that is yet to be discussed in a manner leading to the profession’s acknowledgment of the quandary. It is essential for those in social work education to be progressive and abreast of emergent needs; however, it is also critical to be cognizant of the far-reaching implications associated with major educational shifts to avoid an identity crisis stemming from outside criticism potentially similar to Abraham Flexner’s report on social work’s ambiguity as a profession.

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