Currently, Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) programs are proliferating, but with limited empirical data to direct planning efforts. To fill this gap in knowledge, this article reports on the findings of an evaluation undertaken on the first DSW of its kind. This evaluation had three components: (1) an environmental scan of DSW programs; (2) a survey…

The Social Work integrative Research Lab (SWiRL) provides opportunities for undergraduate students to engage meaningfully with research and allows graduate students to develop mentoring skills. We conducted a survey of alumni (N=20) to learn whether: a) alumni endorsed the benefits of participation and b) SWiRL experiences contributed to…

Reflective practice helps clinicians manage the complexity and uncertainty inherent in day-to-day practice. This is important given the high rates of burnout, turnover, and trauma-related stress among social workers and other clinicians. Using focus groups with 55 social work and child development graduate students and alumni, this study explored…

A student-alumni mentor program that combines aspects of academic and workplace mentoring was developed and implemented in a school of social work. Foundation-year MSW students (mentees) were matched with school of social work alumni (mentors) in a formal mentoring program. This program was developed to address the needs of MSW students, alumni,…

Alumni mentoring in social work allows students to connect with experienced practitioners in a nonevaluative context and for alumni to strengthen university connections. This study describes and evaluates one established student-alumni mentoring program. Pretest (n=277) and posttest (n=153) data were collected from participants across 3 years.…

The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship among factors affecting social workers' overall readiness to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of recent MSW graduates (N = 205). Findings suggest MSW IPV education and postgraduate IPV training are significantly associated with perceived preparedness and…

Since 2003 MSW students at an urban university have participated in a problem-based learning maternal and child health (MCH) leadership training program sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration. This survey examined overall satisfaction with a leadership training program as well as self-reported leadership competencies in…

Social work programs shape the profession through their admission practices. A stakeholder analysis of a baccalaureate social work program was conducted to seek stakeholder perspectives on admission practices through interviews and focus groups with 53 participants representing seven stakeholder groups. Results suggest that external stakeholders…

Dual-degree programs in public health and social work continue to proliferate, yet there has been little research on master's of social work (MSW)/master's of public health (MPH) graduates. The purpose of this study was to describe and better understand the self-reported professional experiences, identities, roles, and outcomes associated with 1…

This study surveyed 289 alumni of a specialized Title IV-E program that prepares undergraduate social work students for careers in public child welfare, examining factors such as turnover rates, adherence to strengths-based practice principles, perceptions of work conditions, and intent to stay. Findings indicate that graduates of this program…

Concerns about the cost of higher education and student loan debt have resulted in increasing efforts by policymakers and university administrators to find alternative ways to support the financing of higher education for students. The authors present a case study of a student-led philanthropy campaign to generate funding for social work student…

This article presents a framework for evaluation in social work doctoral education and details 10 years of successes and challenges in one PhD program's use of the framework, including planning and implementing specific assessment activities around student learning outcomes and larger program goals. The article argues that a range of…

Professional socialization has become a notable construct for social work with the publication of the Council on Social Work Education's (2008) revised "Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards." Though historically regarded as essential, little is known about the professional socialization of social workers. This article presents…

This article describes the development of an ethics scale that measures adherence to social work ethical choices in specific situations. The purpose of this instrument is to provide data that demonstrate adherence to curriculum standards as set forth by the Council on Social Work Education. The authors present the conceptual framework from which…