University of Louisville

The Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) program within the Kent School of Social Work will educate master degreed social workers to become future practitioner scholars in teaching and social service leadership. The DSW program’s overall goal is to offer advanced education, training, and mentoring to master degreed social workers who wish to become teaching faculty in departments/schools of social work and/or leaders managing public or private social service organizations. This addresses the need for competent and well-trained social work professionals in the academic and social service workforce. The DSW program goals are:

• To educate students on models of social service leadership and teaching and learning
• To train students to analyze and improve models of social service leadership and teaching and learning
• To prepare students to implement social service leadership knowledge and skills in practice
• To prepare students to apply teaching skills and learning strategies in instruction
• To educate students to ethically practice in leadership and teaching positions
• To use various modes of scientific inquiry to critically evaluate the practices of social service leadership and teaching and learning