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Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Abstract

As Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programs expand and increasing numbers of DSW graduates enter academia, questions persist regarding how DSW and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) preparation are valued and integrated within social work education. Historically, the PhD has been viewed as the primary pathway for academic careers, while the DSW has been framed as a practice-oriented degree. However, this distinction increasingly reflects institutional assumptions rather than actual faculty contributions. This commentary examines the evolving role of DSW-prepared faculty in academic social work by integrating existing literature with findings from an illustrative survey of DSW-prepared faculty in Council on Social Work Education-accredited programs. Survey participants reported strong preparation for teaching, supervision, mentoring, and service, drawing heavily on extensive practice experience to support student learning and community engagement. At the same time, respondents described challenges related to research preparedness, institutional mentoring, workload inequities, and degree-based bias that shaped access to scholarly opportunities and perceptions of legitimacy within academia. Findings suggest that faculty effectiveness is influenced more by institutional structures and supports than by degree designation alone. To better recognize complementary strengths across doctoral pathways, the authors propose a strengths-based faculty skills matrix to inform hiring, mentoring, workload distribution, and professional development. Moving beyond degree-based assumptions toward a collaborative model that values varied expertise may strengthen faculty recruitment, retention, scholarship, and social work education more broadly.

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