Program Description
The NYU Silver DSW Program in Clinical Social Work is a practice-oriented doctoral degree designed to prepare professionally licensed students for leadership roles in academic and agency settings. Through the promotion of practice-relevant scholarship, graduates will develop new clinical social work knowledge to advance social work practice and education, in the pursuit of social justice, to impact populations affected by the pressing social issues of today.
Building on the NYU Silver School of Social Work’s reputation for excellence in clinical social work education, the DSW Program offers theoretical, evidence-based practice, research, and policy coursework. Additionally, the program provides writing workshops and a choice of a teaching or supervisory internship geared towards the enhancement of advanced clinical practice knowledge and skills. The unique aspects of the program are designed to develop clinical academic leadership skills and prepare students to produce publishable papers under the direction of an advisor, and present at professional conferences.
Admissions
Admission Standards:
- Master’s degree in social work with a graduate grade point average of 3.5 or higher (based on a 4-point scale)
- Minimum of two years post-MSW practice experience
- LMSW or equivalent required, with an LCSW or equivalent strongly preferred
- International students are required to submit TOEFL scores if English is not their first language. View all International Student Requirements
Application Requirements:
- Three academic or work-related letters of reference
- Current curriculum vitae or résumé
- A recent professional writing sample
- Personal essay (5–10 pages)
- Interview, as requested by the admissions committee
Program Requirements
The DSW program curriculum consists of 19 courses scheduled in the fall, spring, and summer semesters over a three-year period. Students can begin working on their graduation portfolio early in the program through course assignments and with formal guidance. The curriculum foundation is established in the first year, with internships occurring and portfolio development culminating in year three. Students have the opportunity to present their portfolio in a professional forum during the capstone course.
Courses are held on the Washington Square campus on Wednesday evenings during the fall and spring semesters, and Monday and Wednesday evenings during a compressed summer session. All classes contain an online component.
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Silver School of Social Work doctoral program, graduates will be able to:
- Provide leadership in the development of knowledge in a substantive area that is important to social work practice and/or social service delivery.
- Conduct independent research that demonstrates advanced knowledge of the methodology used, and which meets current publication standards.
- Engage in critical analysis of clinical practice models and their underpinning theories, including evidence of empirical support.
- Draw upon established social science theories to generate hypotheses regarding problems relevant to social work practice.
- Critically examine social policies using established models of analysis.
- Communicate effectively at a professional level, orally and in writing, the products of one’s scholarship to diverse constituencies.
- Compete successfully for academic positions in social work or related disciplines.
Policies
Transfer and Articulation Agreements
Normally, credit for required courses in the PhD or DSW program cannot be transferred from other institutions. For admissions purposes, transfer credit from other educational programs within the school or from other institutions is generally not allowed.
Academic Standing and Progress
A DSW student who is on academic probation is considered not to be in good academic standing. Students will be automatically placed on academic probation for any of the following reasons:
- Receiving a “Fail” in a course.
- Failure to complete course requirements (as within one semester following the end of the semester in which the course was taken).
- Inadequate performance in internship.
Academic probation triggers the formation of a Status Committee, which serves to help the student identify obstacles to remaining in good academic standing and provides guidance and support for helping the student plan for improvement. Status Committees consist of three members: the student’s advisor/mentor, a member of the DSW Program Committee, and the Director of the DSW Program. Students who do not improve their academic performance sufficiently within one semester of being placed on academic probation will be dismissed from the program. The criteria for sufficient improvement are as follows:
- adherence to standards for attendance,
- completion of all incomplete and/or failed coursework, and
- satisfactorily addressing other issues as indicated by the Status Committee, and no additional failures to complete course and workshop requirements (including internship) in the probationary semester.
When academic probation is triggered in a student’s final semester of coursework, a status committee will determine the requirement(s) for returning to good academic standing.
Withdrawals
Students who are considering withdrawal from the DSW Program should contact the DSW Program Director to arrange an exit interview. Following the interview, students should submit an online withdrawal form via Albert. Students must contact and notify the Financial Aid Office if they have been receiving financial aid, and they should consult the Refund Schedule for Complete Withdrawals. Students may also contact the Office of Enrollment Services and any applicable University offices to obtain information with respect to grades, classes, and refunds policies.
Redress of Grievances
The Doctor of Social Work program follows the New York University Student Grievance Procedure.
Internships
A choice of a teaching or field-based learning internship is required and may be taken concurrently with the Teaching Clinical Practice or Supervision/Field Education class. Teaching in-person or online at a CSWE accredited graduate or undergraduate program is acceptable as is teaching at a clinical training institute. Any semester of teaching during your matriculation in the DSW Program may count toward this requirement. For those selecting a supervisory internship, you may use your current or previous (since beginning the DSW Program) place of employment if it involves direct supervision of social work students, social workers or other mental health professionals. The field instruction must occur for the span of a semester during your time in the DSW Program.
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.