University of Denver

Whether as faculty members in top schools of social work, research scientists in universities, or analysts at policy thinktanks, our graduates respond to today’s most urgent needs. While we are home to one of the nation’s oldest social work doctoral programs, nothing about our program is old-fashioned. We center:

• Team-based mentorship…Strong relationships with multiple faculty mentors drives our students’ success in becoming productive well-rounded scholars.
• A Critical Social Justice Lens…We embody a deep commitment to fostering social justice integrating intersectionality, equity-based solutions, and structural understandings of intractable issues.
• Community-Based Research and Collaborative Knowledge Creation…Our extensive network of community-based partners works in alliance with us to co-create knowledge, awakening creative solutions.
• Strengthening Public Impact…Translating our scholarship into tools that are useful within and outside the academy harnesses our scholarship for lasting social change.
• Foundation in Theory…The development of scholars who are solidly ground in theory and require a foundation grounded in the philosophy of science.
• Producing Excellent Teachers…We believe that the ability to implement evidence-based teaching and pedagogy are central qualities of top scholars.
• Varied Methodologies… Our students learn and practice quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research designs and analytic approaches to enable their flexibility to produce the most impactful research.