UofL first online doctorate

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by chrisjm18, Jun 16, 2022.

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  1. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

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  2. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    These DSW programs makes me cringe. They're usually very expensive, and they don't provide any advantage in licensing or salary. I know they're intended for senior leaders in a social work environment, but the people I know who have pursued them have mostly been midlevel or junior people. It's not clear whether the DSW will enable you to teach, because that's the domain of the PhD Social Worker. (And that degree has its own issues.)

    They also make it hard to determine the tuition. The website says graduate tuition is $767 per credit hour for in-state students, so that would make it only $34K.
     
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  3. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    That issue seems to be why some Clinical Social Workers are attracted to the PsyD at Calsouthern. It is more affordable and adds something to your qualifications. One told me that when he did it he had no intention of becoming a Clinical Psychologist as he was making a good living and already doing Psychotherapy so it made no sense to jump through hoops. He wanted the title "Dr." and the increased credibility of having a doctorate.
     
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  4. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    Like I said the other day on a thread about a DHA, all these doctorates are irrelevant for the most part. You don't need a doctorate in any field to become a leader. You can (doesn't mean you will) reach the highest level of any organization by accepting increasing responsibilities and moving up the "ladder." If you feel you need the education to become a leader or manager, you can pursue a certificate. For instance, Harvard Kennedy offers executive education. UMass Amherst offers a certificate in Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM). There are other options too, many are field-specific.
     
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  5. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I don't know about social workers, but I heard that counselors were earning doctorates for advertising purposes and because it allowed them to bill insurance more. Some of them are also looking to become adjuncts, and it's hard to compete without a doctoral degree.

    I think the mental health field has a similar problem to the primary care field. There's no transitional pathway for nurse practitioners and physician assistants to become physicians, so they're getting doctoral degrees and lobbying for greater autonomy.
     
  6. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Well, it's good to see something new.
    Go Cardinals!
     
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  7. felderga

    felderga Active Member

    Right now there is a massive shortage of mental health workers. The organization where I work is sponsoring 75% tuition for employees accepted into either USC's DSW program or Loma Linda's MSW program. There is a need for programs like this one, especially for those looking for leadership opportunities so I'm afraid I have to disagree with the premise that professional healthcare doctorates are worthless or irrelevant. For clinical staff looking to move up (non-physician) programs like this one present an excellent vehicle. The UoL program while not cheap is way more accessible than USC which charges over $100K. Again many nurses that I've met opted for a DHA over a DNP with hopes of moving up into an administrative leadership role as gaining insight into areas like health policy and financial management which aren't often covered as in-depth for some DNP programs.
     
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  8. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    That's a shortage of clinical staff though, right? The MSW makes sense because it leads to the LCSW/LISW, but a DSW doesn't confer licensure on its own.
     
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  9. felderga

    felderga Active Member

    Correct, there is a shortage of MSW (and MFT) licensed staff to support the clinical health practice. However, as more folks move into the field many mid-professionals will look to an advanced degree like the DSW as a vehicle either for advancement to leadership or consulting. The large healthcare organization that I work for is heavily invested in many community health and public policy programs around homelessness, gun violence, and social justice. Thus having staff with frontline experience looking to move into leadership roles to tackle these and other key areas DSW programs are thus becoming more popular to fill this perceived need.
     
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  10. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    So, to become a leader these days one must hold a doctorate?! Hmmm.. interesting!
     

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