Social workers looking to advance their careers can now turn to Adelphi.
The university is launching a new Doctorate of Social Work program this fall specifically for working professionals who hold a master’s degree in social work, have worked in the field for at least two years, and want to continue working as they go back to school, said Beth Counselman-Carpenter, the director of the new program.
“We have such a strong, talented group of alums that have been asking for this for a while, so we’re really excited to be able to meet that need,” Counselman-Carpenter said on why the university has chosen to start the program. “We know that a lot of folks want to take their practice to the next level.”
Students will take classes on leadership, administrative, and management skills, policy analysis, social work theory, and clinical and program evaluation over the course of the nine-semester, three year program, Counselman-Carpenter said. She added that the program, which she described as a heavily practical degree, focuses on translational research. This type of work pushes students to apply the research they are studying to their current practice to strengthen it and reach more people.
Students will take two courses each fall, spring and summer 10-week semester. In the fall and spring, courses will be taught concurrently. However, in the summer they will be taught separately, each for a five week period.
During the third year, students will complete a capstone project. They can choose to write a paper and create a practice intervention, such as building out a new program in an agency or develop a grant proposal for a program or agency that could be submitted, Counselman-Carpenter said.
Counselman-Carpenter said the degree provides students with the opportunity to advance within their current agency structure and expand their knowledge to increase their practice offerings.
Additionally, social workers who hold a doctorate make $20,000 to $25,000 more a year than those without one, according to the National Association of Social Workers.
The program will be offered in a part-time, hybrid format, with courses meeting in-person once a month on the first Sunday afternoon at the university’s Hudson Valley campus in Poughkeepsie during the fall and spring semesters. On the third Sunday afternoon each month, courses will meet synchronously over zoom. All other course work will occur asynchronously.
During summer semesters, students will meet in-person twice, at the beginning of the semester and at the semester’s mid-point, the first day of each class. While in the capstone advising semester, students can take their in-person course at the university’s Garden City campus.
Tuition for the program will not be released until May, Counselman-Carpenter said, but it will be competitive with other local state Doctorate of Social Work programs.
Those interested in the program must submit their application, which requires academic transcripts with a GPA of at least 3.0, two letters of recommendation, and an academic statement of purpose essay, by April 1. Counselman-Carpenter said she expects the first cohort to include 10 to 15 students.
Courses are set to start Sept. 7.
