DSW versus PhD. Thoughts? Experiences?

[GradGirl90]

Hello all!

I am currently finishing up my first year in my MSW program. I am excited to finally be starting my advanced coursework (even though they'll be online..thanks COVID!). Anyway, I wanted to hear your thoughts on the PhD versus DSW. I already know that PhD is research oriented and DSW is practice/leadership oriented. I want to know about the "value" of the DSW. I was told by someone at my university that a PhD is much more marketable (but she was kind of a meh prof), and i'm not so sure about that. I am more clinical minded. It would make me happy if i could stick to a DSW, but I don't want to waste time and a lot of money getting a degree if the "real world" doesn't place much value on it. Other forums have told me that they've never heard of anyone with a DSW, and they don't see a point in getting one over your LCSW (basically the DSW being a cash cow for a university).

What are your thoughts?

[GradGirl90]

Anyone??

[louise86]

In my experience, a DSW will not increase your salary at any agency and insurance companies are not reimbursing at a higher rate for it either. You could maybe get a slightly higher private pay rate in private practice depending on your marketing. The same thing can be said for a PhD in social work, though.

In academia a PhD is probably more marketable, but you can teach with a DSW and a PhD; h*ll (can I use that word here? ?), you can teach some courses with an MSW.

[ebjc87]

I am starting a DSW program next week actually. I want to teach and focus on evidence based practices in social work service delivery. I viewed a DSW as an outlet to be a thought leader in practice profession. That being said I am not sure there are direct marketable advantageous for someone who wants to be an agency director. Lastly I think our profession in changing tremendously for the good to the point where we really don't know what will be valued in 10 years 

[Dr.EJM]

I am very curious if we can get more conversation generated here, it would great to hear peoples takes on the differences and reasons for picking them. I am in a DSW program right now and am getting a lot out of it. In hearing why others are in my program the reasons were all over the board, however almost everyone sees a specific goal at the other end and are building it into the program. That said I am at USC and the structure is made for program development and leadership, unlike the mainstay goals of the NYU's and UPenn's where clinical research and a career someplace in academia is the probable outcome.

As far as the idea that a PhD is more marketable, probably true. If nothing else it is a more known degree and the US educational system puts a lot of stock in those letters after a name. The country as a whole is probably more into the letters before a name though, anyone with Dr. is good in the eyes of the general public. I say get the degree that matches your goals. I know I am not saying anything new here, but if you want to teach at a tier 1 university and retire doing it, getting a PhD from one of them is the most direct way to get there. Everything is accessible just fine with both a DSW and PhD though, I had plenty of professors with tenure at NYU who's doctorate was a DSW, it was all about publishing and experience. 

I too have heard the thoughts of a DSW being a cash cow for universities. Seemingly it is. That just doesn't make it a bad decision to get one. I have specific goals and see how I can get there faster, easier, and with more support having a DSW, so for me it is in no way a useless degree. I think the big downside is if you are getting a DSW hoping it will workout like a PhD in half the time you may be disappointed. From my looking at both I would say that if you are sure you want to stay clinical, it is probably a more useful degree than a PhD as most universities tilt the majority of the DSW coursework to everyone clinically tracked. Also it is of course it takes half the time. And if you are young it will almost certainly help you build a practice or gain the trust of clinicians to supervise faster (and here in NY people will definitely pay you more).

[Dr.EJM]

On 8/23/2020 at 9:27 PM, ebjc87 said:

I am starting a DSW program next week actually. I want to teach and focus on evidence based practices in social work service delivery. I viewed a DSW as an outlet to be a thought leader in practice profession. That being said I am not sure there are direct marketable advantageous for someone who wants to be an agency director. Lastly I think our profession in changing tremendously for the good to the point where we really don't know what will be valued in 10 years 

Congrats! How's your program going so far?

[doctormelody]

Does anyone know if DSW programs are easier to get into, generally speaking? I assume they would be, but I don't know for sure. I do know there's no way I would get into a PhD program as I haven't done any independent research. Any answers that anyone could provide would be tremendously helpful.

[Dr.EJM]

On 9/30/2020 at 8:39 AM, doctormelody said:

Does anyone know if DSW programs are easier to get into, generally speaking? I assume they would be, but I don't know for sure. I do know there's no way I would get into a PhD program as I haven't done any independent research. Any answers that anyone could provide would be tremendously helpful.

I would say that they are as they generally have larger cohorts and some have rolling admissions. From my time in a DSW program so far it seems that it may be changing slightly as they gain popularity and exposer. Also there are simply fewer schools providing DSW education... I'm over thinking this though, yes, I believe they are easier to get into.