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Adelphi University Announces Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Program

Garden City, NY (02/19/2025) — Adelphi University has announced the launch of its Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program, designed for social work professionals seeking to advance their careers without putting their current positions on hold. This flexible, hybrid low-residency program enables social workers who hold a master's degree in social work (MSW) and have been working in the field for two years to complete their doctorate in just three years.

"Adelphi's DSW program advances social work careers in clinical, administrative and community settings with a trauma-informed, socially just and global approach," said Beth Counselman-Carpenter, PhD, LCSW, associate professor and DSW program director at Adelphi. "When complex problems arise, graduates will possess the knowledge, skills and experience to offer solutions at every level, from large-scale national initiatives to local community challenges."

Fostering Community Changemakers

In today's diverse, globalized world, the social work profession requires advanced practitioners who can develop and implement socially just policies and practices. Among only about 30 DSW programs in the United States, Adelphi's 54-credit nine-semester program prepares practitioners to become affirming, ethical and effective leaders within a variety of practice settings.

Students enrolled in Adelphi's Doctorate Degree in Social Work will:

  • Complete a DSW degree while continuing to work. The DSW program has a part-time, hybrid structure, blending monthly on-campus classes exclusively at the School of Social Work's Hudson Valley location with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous online classes.
  • Build on existing professional expertise through practice- and leadership-based coursework, all taught through a trauma-informed lens.
  • Benefit from the guidance of experienced faculty and a wide-ranging system of personalized advisement, mentorship and community connections.
  • Develop innovative social work practice knowledge as they learn to integrate theory, evidence and critical thought.
  • Grow alongside a diverse group of professionals in a rich, supportive, community-engaged learning environment.

Adelphi's DSW degree program culminates in a yearlong capstone project designed to support the student's professional pathways, helping to hone their clinical expertise, leadership and administrative skills.

The School of Social Work also offers a flexible, part-time PhD in Social Work that is more research and academic-focused to train students to become scholar-practitioners in the field.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for social work is expected to rise 7% through 2032-faster than the average for all occupations. Graduates of Adelphi's School of Social Work's undergraduate, graduate and doctorate programs find employment with leading agencies, nonprofits, academic institutions and other organizations as clinicians, executives or educators to address urgent social issues and improve communal well-being.

Learn more and apply by April 1, 2025 to Adelphi's Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program.

About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university in the United States with a personalized approach to higher learning

Adelphi University, New York, US, is a highly awarded, internationally ranked and powerfully connected doctoral research university dedicated to transforming students' lives. It is recognized for small classes with world-class faculty, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support academic and career success. Adelphi offers exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training at the undergraduate and graduate level with particular strength in its 'Core Four' academic areas: the Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness.

Recognized as a Best College by U.S. News & World Report, Adelphi is Long Island's oldest private coeducational university. It serves more than 7,250 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York-just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities-and at dynamic learning hubs in Brooklyn, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, as well as online.

More than 119,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, engaged citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities, and the world.

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Adelphi University has announced the launch of its Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program.

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