university of southern california phd social work

Please visit our commencement page for all information regarding the  ceremony for Class of 2024 PhD, DSW, MSW and MSN graduates. 

Fall 2024 On-Campus MSW Application FINAL Deadline: July 16, 2024

On the Frontline of Change in Los Angeles

An inclusive, tightly-knit campus set directly within the communities we serve.

In the Sweet Spot Between Scholarship and Community

Learn from nationally recognized expert faculty whose research is embedded and tested within Los Angeles communities.

Investing in Bright Ideas

The solutions of the past cannot solve the challenges of the future. Our flexible MSW program gives students the confidence to break from convention when necessary to better support populations in need.

A Family Culture

The Trojan Family is real. The supportive, hands-on academic environment that students experience remains strong throughout their careers.

Your MSW, in San Diego

Our transformative MSW program is now available in San Diego. Earn your degree through our flexible hybrid model.

Statement of Values

Read the statement from Interim Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos on upholding the values of the social work and nursing professions during local and global challenges.

2024 Commencement Keynote Speaker

National poverty and child welfare expert, and best-selling author of the vivid memoir "A Place Called Home," will deliver the keynote address to MSW, MSN, DSW and PhD graduates at our 2024 Commencement Ceremony.

Class of 2024

Veteran Rebekah Edmondson completed her MSW degree after a pause to support members of a specially trained unit of female soldiers she served with in Afghanistan .

PhD graduates Adriene Clomax and Rory O'Brien awarded prestigious postdoc fellowships for their novel research approaches.

For Alyssa Warburton, life is a dedication to service for her country. First, in the U.S. Marine Corps, and now advocating for her fellow veterans in rural Washington state.

Congratulations to this year's recipients of the Dean's Recognition Awards !

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The school is dedicated to eliminating racial injustice and promoting an ongoing process of healing and reconciliation to dismantle racism.

Who is Suzanne Dworak-Peck?

Learn about the life and career of the woman affectionately known as the “social worker’s social worker.”

How can I learn more about the MSW?

Attend an Info Session

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Our Heroes In Social Work

Richard Kluckow, DSW '18, is harnessing data to effect change as a supervisory statistician in the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the U.S. Department of Justice. He is part of a team that collects and analyzes data from current and formerly incarcerated populations which helps frame the agendas of policymakers to make improvements in the system. 

USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

The Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work champions social justice for the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through innovative teaching of evidence-based practice and practice-based skills, pioneering transformative research, and cultivating leadership for social change.

Drive Meaningful Change With Your MSW

Ready to chart a new path forward? View steps to apply or start your application to our world class MSW today.

USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Online master's programs.

The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offers online master’s degrees, graduate certificates and doctoral programs to advance your career in social work or nursing. Explore the program options in the below categories.

Online Doctoral Programs

Online Graduate Certificates

‘Become A Lifelong Learner’: Career Paths For Aspiring Family Nurse Practitioners

High-Growth Job Opportunities For MSW Graduates

How To Balance Nursing School And Your Career

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Prospective Students

Welcome to Graduate Study at the University of Southern California

USC is a diverse community of scholars in the heart of Los Angeles — a dynamic center for technology, health services, media and the arts. USC has more than 400 graduate programs offered by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and over 20 professional schools.

GRADUATE ADMISSION

Explore USC graduate programs and get application information. Be sure to check out the website of the school or department to which you are applying.

USC Financial Aid

Learn about funding options, eligibility for federal financial aid and estimated cost of attendance for your graduate education.

Orientation

All new graduate students are invited to participate in Graduate Orientation. Topics covered include campus services, academic resources, and public safety. Your school or department may offer a separate orientation program geared to the specific topics such course selection and registration.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

USC Graduate School is actively striving to diversify the graduate student body, to promote equity in our graduate programs, and to support the full inclusion of all students as they progress toward their professional goals.

FELLOWSHIPS

Degrees offered.

USC is a distinguished R1 research university that provides a wide range of academic programs.

Faculty with similar areas of knowledge and interest are grouped together to form schools (such as the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the USC Thornton School of Music and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering) and academic departments within the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences (such as Biology, English and Sociology). Certain areas of study are based on broad areas of interdisciplinary knowledge and draw faculty from several departments. The faculty in each department and school determines the rationale underlying its curricula, the type and content of courses it offers, and the requirements for master’s and doctoral degrees. USC awards Master of Arts, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, as well as doctoral and master’s degrees in professional fields. Graduate students are encouraged to select their degree objective based on the career or further study they wish to pursue. View a list of all graduate degrees awarded at USC .

The PhD degree, conferred by the Graduate School, represents original contribution to current knowledge in a specific field. Prospective students are advised to contact their program of interest for course and research requirements. A list of current PhD degrees offered can be found here  listed by School.

View list of PhD Degree Programs

Please note that professional doctoral degrees—which prepare students for leadership and practice in the health professions, the arts, education, law and public welfare—follow policies established by their respective schools.  Examples of professional doctorates not conferred by the Graduate School include:

• Doctor of Dental Surgery
• Doctor of Education
• Doctor of Medicine
• Doctor of Musical Arts
• Doctor of Nurse Anthesiology
• Doctor of Occupational Therapy
• Doctor of Pharmacy
• Doctor of Physical Therapy
• Doctor of Policy, Planning, and Development
• Doctor of Public Administration
• Doctor of Regulatory Science
• Doctor of Social Work
• Juris Doctor

View a list of current professional doctoral degrees offered organized by School.

Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees are granted in the arts, humanities and social sciences, while Master of Science (M.S.) degrees are granted in the natural sciences and professional fields. At USC, most of the M.A. degrees and many of the M.S. degrees are conferred by the Graduate School. Generally, master’s degrees for proficiency in professional fields are conferred by the professional school.

View the list of current master’s degrees offered .

The array of innovative dual degree programs at USC represents the university’s commitment to rigorous and vibrant graduate and professional education. Programs such as the Juris Doctor/Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science, and Gerontology/Master of Business Administration, offer students the opportunity to work with faculty from two or more departments or schools. Please contact your program of interest for dual degree information.

The progressive master’s degree enables superior USC undergraduates with at least a 3.0 GPA to begin work on a master’s degree while completing requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The degrees should be in similar fields of study, in the same or different department(s). For additional information and application instructions,  click here

Graduate Research Opportunities

Research at USC is distinguished by $889 million annually in 2018 in research expenditure for study in a wide array of disciplines, and an emphasis on collaboration across multiple disciplines to meet societal needs.

Examples of such collaboration include:

• Capturing and distributing energy supplies that are environmentally benign, economical and long-lasting
• Securing the nation and the world against the risks of natural disasters and intentional acts of terrorism
• Enhancing cross-cultural understanding and cooperation, through communication among civic, religious, ethnic and community institutions
• Establishing teaching practices that enable deeper understanding of science and math, languages and cultures, leadership and justice

USC Research centers

The Office of Research provides additional information about USC research initiatives, centers and facilities, and sources of research funding. Postdoctoral program information can be found at the USC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

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University of Southern California Doctorate in Social Work

Social Work is a concentration offered under the social work major at University of Southern California. We’ve pulled together some essential information you should know about the doctor’s degree program in social work, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, and more.

If there’s something special you’re looking for, you can use one of the links below to find it:

• Graduate Cost
• Online Learning
• Student Diversity

Featured Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

BA in Human Services - Child & Family Services

Gain the fundamental tools required to improve the lives of children and families in crisis with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

BA in Human Services

Improve the lives of individuals, families and communities with the human service tools gained from this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

BS in Business Administration - Public Administration

Prepare yourself to make the decisions that best serve a community, its constituents and its economic growth with this specialized business degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

How Much Does a Doctorate in Social Work from USC Cost?

Usc graduate tuition and fees.

In 2019-2020, the average part-time graduate tuition at USC was $1,995 per credit hour for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average full-time tuition and fees for graduate students are shown in the table below.

Related Programs

Learn about other programs related to <nil> that might interest you.

BA in Sociology

Learn to analyze social factors and become an advocate for individual and community health with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

Does USC Offer an Online Doctorate in Social Work?

USC does not offer an online option for its social work doctor’s degree program at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the USC Online Learning page.

USC Doctorate Student Diversity for Social Work

Male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their doctor’s degree in social work in 2019-2020, 78.9% of them were women. This is about the same as the countrywide number of 80.2%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Racial-ethnic minority graduates* made up 58.6% of the social work doctor’s degrees at USC in 2019-2020. This is higher than the nationwide number of 39%.

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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University of Southern California

Suzanne dworak-peck school of social work.

The first social work practice doctorate in the country, Penn’s Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) Program prepares practice experts, inspired teachers, and real-world scholars for leadership in advanced social work practice and teaching. Students earn the doctorate in three years, without career disruption, through a combination of dynamic immersion experiences on Penn’s campus and interactive videoconference classes. The hybrid online curriculum makes the program accessible to working professionals including those with transient jobs or lifestyles, such as military personnel. Courses focus on the latest breakthroughs and techniques in social work practice, research and teaching, and are taught by faculty from around the world who are renowned leaders in their fields. A published dissertation allows students to become content experts in an area of social work practice while contributing to the professional knowledge base. For the dissertation, students choose from among the following methods: empirical, curriculum development, historical, conceptual-theoretical, program evaluation, or development or adaptation of a treatment intervention or practice protocol. Penn DSW graduates are expert practitioner-scholars who: teach, supervise and mentor; assume leadership roles in social work practice settings; and generate and disseminate social work practice knowledge. Qualified applicants must have an earned MSW from an accredited program.

• Where: Los Angeles, California
• Type: Private, Non-Profit
• Degree Offered: DSW Program
• Program Type: Online Program Only
• Students: Full or Part-time Enrollment
• Average Enrolled Students Yearly: 12 Students or More
• GRE Requirement: No
• TOEFL Requirement: Yes, with a cut-off score
• MSW Requirement: Yes, MSW or other master's degree
• Two Years Post-MSW Experience Required: No, but preferred

Substantive Research Areas of Faculty

• Addiction/Substance Use
• Adolescent and Youth Development
• Child Welfare
• Children & Families
• Community Practice/Macro Practice
• Corrections/Criminal Justice/Restorative Justice
• Housing/Homelessness
• International Social Work & Global Development
• Mental Health
• Military/Veterans' Issues
• Organizations, Management & Administration
• Religion/Spirituality
• Social Welfare Policy
• Work/Family/Family Policy

For more information visit University of Southern California .

To update your program's profile, please complete the  GADE Program Directory Update Form .

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Campus protests where arrests and detainments have taken place since April 18

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Our Coverage of the U.S. Campus Protests

News and Analysis

UChicago : Police officers removed the pro-Palestinian encampment  at the University of Chicago, a move that was sure to be closely watched because the school has long considered itself a model for free expression on campus .

Rhode Island School of Design:  Pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded themselves inside the main administrative building  at the private art and design school in Providence, R.I.

M.I.T.:  Tensions escalated on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as pro-Palestinian protesters resisted a deadline to clear an encampment .

Outside Agitators:  Officials in New York City have blamed “external actors” for escalating demonstrations at Columbia, but student protesters reject the claim .

Clashes at U.C.L.A.: A New York Times examination of more than 100 videos from clashes at the University of California, Los Angeles, shows how counterprotesters provoked the violence .

Reactions Abroad:  The world is watching what is happening on American campuses with shock, pride, relish and alarm. Here is a selection of views from outside the United States .

A Spotlight on Student Journalists:  Columbia’s radio station and other student-led news outlets have provided some of the most detailed coverage  of the turmoil engulfing campuses.