Support individuals. Strengthen families. Serve communities.
Earn a flexible Doctorate of Social Work degree that allows you to transition to a new role or build upon your current position.
Yes, You Are Doctorate Material
You can earn your doctorate and reach the top of your game—without putting your life or your career on hold. Add to your existing expertise by earning your Doctorate of Social Work at one of the longest standing and top-ranked social work programs in the country.
The flexible DSW program is designed for professionals looking to support communities as leaders in program management, university professorship, or nonprofits, local and beyond. There’s nothing you can’t do once you have your DSW.
And the sooner you start, the sooner you can increase your capacity to define and shape social change.
DSW candidates must have an MSW and at least 3 years of full-time post-MSW practice experience.
Focus on People Within Their Environments
Our students and faculty share a common focus on what matters most: people. Keeping individuals at the center of everything we do is why Tulane graduates are so effective at serving communities around the world.
Tulane is ranked in the Top 30 of Best Schools for Social Work in the U.S. and fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.
Years of Innovation
Earn your degree from one of the longest standing social work programs in the country.
Advance Your Practice and Leadership Capacity
This applied degree is designed with focused coursework and mentorship for those seeking leadership roles in program management, university curriculum, and nonprofits. You’ll build on the experience you already have to help communities with organization management, advanced practitioner learning, and policy evaluation—ultimately helping to define and shape social change.
You can earn your DSW while maintaining your career—and your life. Meet one weekend a month on campus or online, and complete your DSW in 28 months. The program includes community-based and remote projects so you can reach the next level in your career without taking time off work.
Our program augments classroom study with a truly experiential approach that allows you to explore what matters most to you and your community. In-depth coursework is focused on an area of your choosing—all culminating in a final project that benefits individuals and communities in empirical ways.
By joining a DSW cohort, you’ll partner with other talented doctoral candidates and our nationally recognized faculty—all of whom derive expertise from years of experience in supporting communities with dignity and contextual understanding.
The Energy of New Orleans, Anywhere in the World
Whether you decide to study on campus or online, you’ll work alongside experts who have lived and worked in one of the most dynamic areas in the country: New Orleans. Faculty share real-life lessons in innovation and advocacy gained from the rich history of our city, as well as communities they’ve worked in across the country. So, no matter where you are learning, you’ll have the experience needed to create social change and influence social justice initiatives in communities of all kinds.
There’s Nothing You Can’t Do with Your DSW
Our DSW graduates leverage prior work experience and use it in their roles as policy advocates and program developers. The training in the DSW program is applied, putting real people, real problems, and real solutions right into the coursework. You’ll also take a truly collaborative approach, working alongside talented doctoral candidates and diverse faculty. This allows you to add to your existing expertise and apply it to a new role—or to build upon the position you held before and during the program.
The DSW also prepares you for professorship and curriculum development. Many of our graduates have gone on to join university faculty thanks to fellowships and projects they completed over the course of pursuing their DSW.
Fall Admission Deadlines
Priority to Submit
April 10th
Application Complete
May 10th
Classes Start
August
Spring Admission Deadlines
Priority to Submit
October 10th
Application Complete
November 10th
Classes Start
January
"The highlight of my Tulane School of Social Work experience has been my professors. Reentering school after 21 years evoked fear and anxiety. The professors have all been so supportive and encouraging that I quickly learned I could successfully walk this journey. Their caring interactions with students have further supported my future aspirations to be an educator."
— Deslie Bonano-Broussard, DSW Candidate
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Learn more about how the professional and academic support systems at Tulane can help you achieve your dreams of earning a DSW.
