You pursued a career in social work because you wanted to change lives and make a difference. The work has been rewarding, and now you’re ready to expand your impact. It might be time to start thinking about furthering your college education by earning a PhD in Social Work.
There are two types of doctoral degrees in social work: a PhD and a Doctor of Social Work (DSW). Both degree programs have benefits and provide advanced learning experiences that you can use to shape your social work practice. But if you want a doctoral program that prepares you for a future centered on research and teaching, a PhD program may be the better fit.
Why get a PhD? Let’s explore some of the benefits of earning a social work PhD online.
Do What You Love
As a doctoral candidate, you’ll conduct in-depth research and complete a dissertation in the area of social work practice that interests you. Conducting doctoral research is an excellent way to delve deeper into your topic and to explore real-life solutions that could potentially change the field of social work.
In some PhD degree programs, you can tailor your doctoral studies to your interests and career goals. For instance, in Walden's PhD in Social Work online degree program, you can choose one of three specializations: Advanced Clinical Practice and Supervision, Impact Leadership Social Work Administration, or Social Work Education.
What kind of research do PhD candidates conduct? One example from Walden’s online library of dissertations and doctoral studies is “Professional Social Work Supervision: The Relationship With Social Worker Retention and Self-Efficacy.”
Expand Potential Opportunities
You may choose to apply what you learn in your doctoral program to seek opportunities in postgraduate teaching, social work administration, policymaking, agency leadership, or research at universities or think tanks.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) shares these insights about some social work careers:
- Research Social Work: “Researchers collect data and research-based knowledge to help predict outcomes of successful social work practice,” NASW writes on its website. “They determine whether a certain program or practice style is effective in making social change.”1
- Politics: “There is a natural progression in the careers of many social workers from activism to leadership. Increasingly social workers are holding elective offices from school boards to city and county governments, from state legislatures all the way to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Social workers also play leadership roles in local, state, and federal agencies,” NASW says.2
People with social work PhDs may also go on to pursue careers in higher education as college professors. If teaching is your passion, you may be entering a field with faster-than-average job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall employment of postsecondary teachers to grow 8% from 2022 to 2032.3
“I knew I wanted to attain a PhD so that I could teach at the university level,” a graduate of Walden’s PhD in Social Work online degree program says. “I have a passion for forming competent and informed social workers.”
Stand Out in Your Field
In a doctoral degree program, you can gain the knowledge and expertise to help address complex social work issues and effect system-wide change. The work you do may earn recognition and respect from peers, employers, public officials, policymakers, clients, and students.
Those who earn social work PhDs make lasting contributions in areas that include aging, behavioral health, child welfare, clinical social work, ethnicity and race, health, and schools. Others stand out for their work in social and economic justice and peace, social work ethics, and LGBTQ+ support.
“I decided to earn my PhD in Social Work because I want to make an impact at all levels—agency, community, county, and state,” a child protective services social worker and Walden online doctoral graduate said of her Walden program. She said earning her degree would instill confidence, and “others will trust my recommendations for improving child welfare because it will be supported by research.”
Gain Transferrable Skills
You may be earning a social work PhD, but in doing so you’re developing in-demand, high-level skills that you can apply to other career fields.
“Cognitive skills are reported to be growing in importance most quickly, reflecting the increasing importance of complex problem-solving in the workplace,” according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report.4
The forum’s survey of employers’ most-desired skills include:4
- Analytical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Resilience, flexibility, and agility
- Motivation and self-awareness
- Curiosity and lifelong learning
- Technological literacy
- Dependability and attention to detail
- Empathy and active listening
These are among the skills you may draw on and build as you conduct research, analyze data, and contribute new knowledge to the social work field.
Enhance Your Network
Enhancing your professional network is another benefit of an online PhD program. When you earn this terminal degree, your educational cohort will include working professionals from across the U.S. Throughout your doctoral program, you’ll have opportunities to connect with classmates, faculty, and alumni and build a network of professional contacts.
The connections you make may help you tap in to potential job opportunities. Your classmates also can become resources and sounding boards. Another PhD in Social Work graduate may already have faced a challenge you’re encountering. Hearing how other social work professionals faced the challenge can be extremely helpful in creating strategies and finding solutions. And you can do the same thing for others in your professional network.
Should You Earn a PhD Online?
Whether you want to teach, conduct research, or improve social work policies, earning a PhD in Social Work degree online at Walden University can help you gain skills and specialized knowledge you can apply to those and other career goals.
Walden’s PhD in Social Work degree program is designed for working professionals who want to earn a degree while staying active in their personal and professional activities. The accredited university’s flexible online learning platform lets you study on your own schedule, wherever you have an internet connection.
As a doctoral candidate, you’ll have rigorous support throughout your online PhD degree program. Walden’s comprehensive student support services include academic residencies and the Doctoral Degree Coach®, an interactive planning and progress-tracking tool.
Are you still wondering, should I get a PhD? If you are, you can learn more about what Walden has to offer. And when you’re ready to reap the potential benefits of a PhD, take the next step toward becoming a social work professional changing lives and creating positive social change within communities.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering a PhD in Social Work degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
1Source: www.socialworkers.org/Portals/0/Images/_News/sw-month/2020-SWM/infographic-research.jpg
2Source: www.socialworkers.org/news/facts/types-of-social-work
3Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
4Source: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.