I'm wondering if anybody knows of social work/social welfare PhD programs that have a good balance of clinical training and research. I have ruled out the DSW, because I would like to have the option of teaching at the university level; my previous academic advisor informed me that I will have a very slim chance of being hired as faculty with a DSW.
I have an MPA and MSW, and a BA in Sociology/International Relations. I have fifteen years of experience in the mental health field. My experience is primarily in service delivery, with some research experience gained while in grad schools. I have never published. I am currently working as a mental health counselor working with elders in their homes in a rural area of California. I also work part of the time as a mental health counselor based at a rural middle school, doing individual and family counseling, aggression replacement groups, crisis intervention, etc. My interests are mental health service deliveries, substance abuse, social work with elders, social work with LGBT elders, counseling with children and adolescents, policy analysis, program design, and program evaluation. My advisor suggested Tulane University (she graduated from there), which just restarted their PhD programs; however, after looking at their requirements, I have ruled it out because it is not a good fit for my interests. I am planning to apply for Fall 2012 admissions. I will be taking the GRE very soon. I would appreciate comments from current students in social work PhD programs. How competitive is the process and what are programs looking for in candidates? As a clinician, I am leaning very much towards improving my clinical skills; however, I also would like to sharpen my research abilities.
Thanks.
Jeff
I have an MPA and MSW, and a BA in Sociology/International Relations. I have fifteen years of experience in the mental health field. My experience is primarily in service delivery, with some research experience gained while in grad schools. I have never published. I am currently working as a mental health counselor working with elders in their homes in a rural area of California. I also work part of the time as a mental health counselor based at a rural middle school, doing individual and family counseling, aggression replacement groups, crisis intervention, etc. My interests are mental health service deliveries, substance abuse, social work with elders, social work with LGBT elders, counseling with children and adolescents, policy analysis, program design, and program evaluation. My advisor suggested Tulane University (she graduated from there), which just restarted their PhD programs; however, after looking at their requirements, I have ruled it out because it is not a good fit for my interests. I am planning to apply for Fall 2012 admissions. I will be taking the GRE very soon. I would appreciate comments from current students in social work PhD programs. How competitive is the process and what are programs looking for in candidates? As a clinician, I am leaning very much towards improving my clinical skills; however, I also would like to sharpen my research abilities.
Thanks.
Jeff
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