Frequently Asked Questions

A DSW (Doctor of Social Work) is a professional doctorate focused on advanced practice, leadership, and teaching. It’s designed for experienced social workers aiming to enhance clinical skills, move into leadership roles, or teach/train in academic and/or professional settings with a focus on real-world applications. DSW course work typically focuses on advanced practice strategies, leadership, teaching, and applied research methods. Most DSW programs include a culminating capstone project that adds to practice knowledge in a candidate’s area of expertise and practice. DSW programs are typically designed for students who are working full-time in their area of practice.  

A PhD in Social Work is a research focused doctorate that prepares individuals for careers in academia, research, and policy. PhD course work primarily focuses on research. Most PhD programs culminate with dissertation that is focused on designing and implementing a research project. PhD programs are typically designed as full-time programs where students work as graduate research assistants for their university.  

The University of Maryland School of Social Work’s DSW program is currently in pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). This means that we are in the midst of the accreditation process. Our expected retroactive accreditation timeframe if our application continues on this path is Fall 2026. Please see the explanation below from CSWE as to the meaning of pre-candidacy status.  

Pre-candidacy status indicates that we have submitted an application to be reviewed for candidacy and received approval of our Benchmark 1 from CSWE Accreditation Staff to move forward for a candidacy review within 1-year. A program that has attained pre-candidacy status has not yet been reviewed by the BOA nor verified to be compliant with the accreditation standards. 

Students that are admitted to pre-candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining pre-candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain candidacy and initial accreditation. 

Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. Review our program’s pre-candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs

An ideal DSW candidate is an experienced social work practitioner who demonstrates advanced practice readiness, established or emerging leadership capacity, strong alignment with social work values, the ability to communicate and analyze complex ideas, a clear purpose for pursuing the DSW, and a commitment to contributing to the profession through clinical innovation, teaching, supervision, and applied practice scholarship.  

There are several exciting features that make our DSW Program unique:  

In-person intensive structure: 
Our in-person weekend intensive format offers the connection and benefits of collaborative, face-to-face learning for students whose learning styles thrive in this environment, while keeping the time commitment and intensity manageable for working professionals. We also value self-care and are proud that our program includes a break from classes and program requirements during the summer. 

Universally designed capstone: 
Universal design is a signature pedagogy of our program, meaning that we emphasize choice and value diverse learning styles and needs among our students. Accordingly, we offer three options for the culminating capstone project, which may focus on publication, curriculum development, or program development. 

Emphasis on integrative practice and experiential learning: 
As a clinically focused program, we recognize that most clinicians practice in integrative ways yet are often trained in modality-specific interventions. To address this, we include innovative coursework focused on integrative approaches. Additionally, each of our five curricular series (clinical practice, teaching, leadership, supervision/mentorship, and applied research) culminates in an experiential learning lab to ensure an engaging, hands-on experience that emphasizes simulation and real-world application. 

Professional development series: 
Throughout the program, students participate in a professional development seminar that emphasizes ongoing community building within and across cohorts, as well as targeted learning in areas of student interest that may not be fully addressed in the broader curriculum. This series provides a unique opportunity to deepen learning together in community, with topics that evolve based on student interests. 

At the University of Maryland School of Social Work Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Program, we deeply value the diverse service experiences that applicants bring to our learning community. To support you in taking the next step, we are pleased to offer application fee waivers to the following groups: 

1. Americorps (Teach for America, Public allies, VISTA)
2. Peace Corps
3. Society Fellows
4. Fulbright
5. Veterans/Active Military
6. National Guard
7. Foreign Service
8. Current UMB SSW employees, including adjunct faculty 

Note: If you would like to inquire about a fee waiver or determine if you are eligible, please reach out to Tay Johnson, MSW, at dsw@ssw.umaryland.edu for more information and to receive a code. Please note that a fee waiver code is required to submit your application without paying the $65 application fee, and codes will be provided via email after approval. 

Our program requires an official transcript from each college or university that you attended for your MSW degree. Please note that your bachelor’s degree transcript is not required.  

Submission Methods 

• Transcripts can be submitted either by mail or electronically 
• Official electronic transcripts must be sent directly to DSW@ssw.umaryland.edu from your academic institution or an approved third-party vendor (e.g., National Student Clearinghouse or Parchment). When placing your order, please select “University of Maryland School of Social Work” on delivery destination page. 
•  If your institution does not offer electronic transcript delivery, you must request that    your official transcript be mailed to:  

                             University of Maryland School of Social Work 

Attn: Office of Admissions 

525 West Redwood Street 

Baltimore, MD 21201 

The DSW program is designed to be completed in three years. Classes meet in the fall and spring semesters. Our DSW program does not include summer classes.  

Our DSW is a 60-credit program.  

All DSW students are enrolled as full-time students, taking three 3-credit courses and a 1-credit professional development seminar each semester for a total of 10-credits.  

Our DSW program utilizes an in-person, cohort-based, weekend-intensive learning format. Classes meet during four weekends during the fall and spring semesters (approximately once-per-month) on our Baltimore campus. Information about specific class dates is available on our website. While most classes take place on weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), the program begins with a week-long opening intensive course (Monday-Friday) in mid-August.