Doctor of Clinical Social Work (DSW)
Become an advanced social work practitioner and educator without interrupting your career.
The Doctor of Clinical Social Work (DSW) Program allows ambitious, MSW-prepared social workers to advance their education in just three years—without putting their careers on hold. Become a clinical expert, inspired educator, and real-world scholar through a convenient blend of online evening classes and on-campus immersion experiences.
Director’s Welcome
I have been an MSW for 30 years and a licensed clinician and social work scholar for over 25 years. After having written 18 books and over a hundred articles and book chapters and mentoring and teaching MSW and doctoral students, I am excited to assist DSW students in deepening their understanding of the field, improving their practice, and furthering the field through leadership positions. Now, more than ever, social worker leaders are needed in the movement towards social justice.
“The dissertation provides an opportunity to gain deep knowledge and become a content expert in a particular area, as well as contribute to the social work knowledge base.”
The SP2 Difference
The School of Social Policy & Practice’s Doctor of Clinical Social Work (DSW) is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Accreditation of a baccalaureate, master’s, or practice doctorate social work program by the BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the accreditation standards.
Accreditation applies to all program options, which includes locations and delivery methods.
Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
Review our program’s accredited status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs(opens in a new tab). For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.
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The nation’s first social work doctorate focused exclusively on practice
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A hybrid format designed for busy working professionals
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Renowned faculty from around the world leading cutting-edge courses on clinical practice, research, and teaching
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The opportunity to conduct dissertation research on a pressing clinical social work issue under guidance from world-class faculty
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A diverse global alumni network
Flexible Hybrid Format
The Penn Doctor of Social Work curriculum offers working professionals an Ivy League experience wherever they are. Courses are taught through a combination of synchronous (real-time) online interactive video instruction and periodic on-campus immersion. The DSW degree can be earned in as little as two years but typically takes three years to complete.
Students begin the program with a five-day immersion experience on Penn’s Philadelphia campus at the start of their first semester (late August/early September). During this residency period, students attend their first classes and participate in a variety of activities that immerse them in the Penn experience and prepare them for what’s to come. During the fall of year two, students return to campus for an additional four-day residency. Students able to visit campus more frequently are invited to use our library, meet with faculty, and take advantage of Penn’s other campus resources and activities.
Classes meet online two evenings per week for two hours. Students and faculty log in on their personal computers or devices from wherever they are. Real-time video conferencing allows everyone to be seen and heard at all times, closely approximating a physical classroom experience. Students are in class for the first two years of the program; in the third year, students participate in a Dissertation Seminar Series that provides support and structure as they complete the last stages of the dissertation.
The Doctor of Social Work curriculum bridges theory, practice, and research, and prepares students to teach. Students actively engage in learning about and critiquing the recent developments, discoveries, and best practices in evidence-based social work practice and teaching. Classes are taught by Penn faculty and renowned visiting faculty and clinician experts from across the country. The dissertation provides an opportunity to gain deep knowledge and become a content expert in a particular area, as well as contribute to the social work knowledge base.
World-Class Faculty
Doctor of Social Work program faculty are here to help you shape your specific area of expertise, drawing on their own decades of scholarship, teaching, and experience in areas as diverse as mental health, health care services in vulnerable populations, trauma and abuse, and child well-being.
Curriculum
The Penn DSW curriculum is designed to engage students in high-level learning that challenges them to think methodically, critically, and creatively about social work theory, practice, pedagogy, and research.
Students are required to complete 12 course units, a first-year on-campus immersion, a second-year on-campus immersion, a dissertation, and a dissertation defense.
Full-Time
First Year
The program begins with a two-semester foundation that spans clinical theory and research and ends with a core course on trauma-informed interventions. Concurrent with their coursework, students complete a dissertation workshop that guides them through the first stages of their dissertation. Near the end of the year, students are matched with a dissertation chair who shepherds them through the remainder of the dissertation process.
- SWRK 8040: Methods of Inquiry: Quantitative Research Methods (1CU)
- SWRK 8120: Clinical Theory I (1CU)
- SWRK 8150: Dissertation Seminar I (1CU)
- SWRK 8050: Methods of Inquiry: Qualitative Research Methods (1CU)
- SWRK 8130: Clinical Theory II (1CU)
- Supervision (1CU)
Second Year
Year 2 curriculum continues with specialized, applied courses that cover clinical content and teaching preparation. This second and final year of coursework culminates in two electives selected by the student cohort completed as a group. Students also continue their dissertation work under the direction of their dissertation committee.
- SWRK 8140: Applied Statistics (1CU)
- SWRK 9040: Teaching (1CU)
- SWRK 9020: Trauma (1CU)
- SWRK 9060: Race, Culture and Identity (1CU)
- Leadership (0.5CU)
- SWRK 9110: Social Construction and Social Work Practice: Transforming Dialogues (1CU)
- SWRK 9200: Advanced Topics in Social Work Practice (2 electives)
- XXX Topic 1 (0.25CU)
- XXX Topic 2 (0.25CU)
Third Year
During the third and final year of the program, students complete, defend, and deposit their dissertation. There is no formal coursework during this year, but students participate in a dissertation seminar that provides structure and support and keeps them moving steadily toward their defense. Note that some students are able to complete the dissertation in as little as two years.
Dissertation
The Process
In collaboration with dissertation mentors and later, with the dissertation committee, students begin developing a dissertation topic during their first semester of the program. Through close mentoring and a tightly structured process, students complete an original work of scholarship that contributes to the clinical social work literature and knowledge base. The dissertation engages students in deep study and positions them as knowledge experts in their content area.
The Method
Students have a variety of options for deciding how to answer their research question. These include systematic/scoping reviews, quantitative designs (including intervention studies and surveys), qualitative studies, and data-driven development of treatment manuals. Please see the DSW Handbook for additional detail.
The Finished Product
The final product may be in the form of a traditional chapter-style dissertation or two publishable articles. All DSW dissertations are published on Scholarly Commons(opens in a new tab), the University of Pennsylvania’s open-access repository for scholarly work. This ensures that knowledge produced by our students is readily available and accessible for front-line social work practitioners and others who are seeking information on a particular topic.
Featured Alumni
Mery Diaz, DSW ’11
“When I consider the reasons for attending SP2, I think back to the School’s mission — a long-standing commitment to social justice and educating students committed to taking an active role in fighting oppression. The School’s mission resonated with me then and continues to do so now. In our national, and global context, it is a mission constantly being put to the test. I do not take lightly that graduating from SP2 was instrumental in opening doors, but also in shaping the critical scholar, teacher, and mentor I am and strive to be every day with this mission in mind.”
Eligibility & Admissions
SP2 seeks students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate a commitment to social good and are prepared for graduate-level study. Review the eligibility requirements to determine which program track is right for you.
Doctor of Clinical Social Work Program FAQs
We require two years of coursework, followed by one year focusing on the dissertation research.
In line with DSW programs nationally, we offer training in a practitioner-scholar model, with an emphasis on clinical practice.
As of 2026, the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice Doctor of Clinical Social Work (DSW) is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA).
Penn’s DSW curriculum is designed to help experienced social workers become advanced clinicians, supervisors, educators, researchers, and leaders. It’s a three-year program with coursework in the first two years and a dissertation in the third.
Most of our students take out loans to pay for their education. We offer a small award upon admittance.
Our program is synchronous with classes each Tuesday and Thursday night from 7pm to 9pm EST.
Three years of post-MSW experience to apply.
You can view our finished dissertations here.(opens in a new tab)
Contact Us
Jeff Johnson-Curry
Administrative Coordinator, DSW Program
215 573 7133
dswcoord@sp2.upenn.edu
