DSW Cost and Careers

How to Become a Social Work Professor

How Do You Become a Social Work Professor?

To become a social work professor, earn an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, then build at least two years of post-master's practice experience, which CSWE requires of anyone teaching practice courses. An MSW can get you adjunct and community college work. Full-time faculty jobs at 4-year schools usually call for a doctorate, either a DSW or a PhD in social work.

Researched and edited by Taylor Rupe · Published November 2, 2026

A woman instructor in a white blouse stands before four seated students in a bright university library lined with bookshelves — Photo: Kampus Production / Pexels

You become a social work professor in layers. An MSW and two years of practice let you teach practice courses. A doctorate opens full-time posts at 4-year schools. The degree you pick for that last step decides whether you end up teaching future clinicians or running a research program.

The rules come from two places: the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which accredits BSW and MSW programs, and the hiring norms the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes for college teachers. Here’s how they stack up.

Teaching role	Minimum you need	Where the rule comes from
Non-practice courses (policy, research, human behavior)	No credential set by CSWE; the school sets its own	CSWE
Practice courses in a BSW or MSW program	MSW from a CSWE-accredited program plus 2 years of post-master’s practice	CSWE standard 4.2.2
Community college faculty	A master’s degree may be enough	BLS
Full-time faculty at a 4-year college	Typically a Ph.D. or other doctorate	BLS
Full-time MSW program faculty	Most must hold an MSW and a doctorate, preferably in social work	CSWE standard M4.2.1

A practice course teaches the skills of working with clients, groups, organizations or communities. Each program decides which of its courses count as practice courses, and each school can add requirements above CSWE’s floor.

The order matters here, because CSWE counts only practice experience you earn after the MSW.

Earn an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program. Both of CSWE’s faculty rules start from this degree.
Practice for at least two years after the MSW. CSWE says academic appointments don’t count, so the two years must be real social work practice. Supervising MSW interns during these years gives you early teaching experience too.
Start teaching part time. Adjunct sections and community college courses let you test the classroom before you commit to a doctorate.
Earn a doctorate. Choose a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) to teach future practitioners, or a PhD in social work for a research career.
Apply for full-time faculty jobs. Read each posting for the courses, the degree and the practice years it asks for. On the tenure track, BLS says tenure may take up to 7 years.

Yes, in a narrower set of jobs. With an MSW and two years of post-master’s practice, you meet CSWE’s bar for teaching practice courses in both BSW and MSW programs. BLS adds that community colleges may hire teachers with a master’s degree.

BSW programs also lean on MSW holders. CSWE’s standard B4.2.1 asks only that most full-time BSW faculty hold an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, with no doctorate requirement, and a BSW program needs at least two full-time faculty.

MSW programs are where the doctorate comes in. Standard M4.2.1 asks that most full-time faculty in an MSW program hold both an MSW and a doctorate, preferably in social work, and requires at least four full-time faculty. So an MSW alone can win you adjunct sections in an MSW program, but most of its full-time posts go to people with doctorates.

What Counts as Your Two Years of Practice

CSWE’s teaching rule mirrors the one for field supervisors: MSW students must be supervised in the field by someone with an MSW and at least two years of post-master’s practice (standard M3.3.6). If you’ve supervised MSW interns, you’ve already met the same bar.

Three details trip people up:

Academic jobs don’t count. CSWE states that practice experience doesn’t include academic appointments, so years as a research assistant or instructor won’t add up.
The school decides, not CSWE. CSWE’s accreditation staff don’t rule on whether a given job counts. The hiring program reviews your CV against its own reading of the standard.
Schools can ask for more. CSWE sets a minimum. A program may want more years, a clinical license or experience in its specialty.

DSW or PhD: Which Doctorate Gets You Hired?

Both count as the doctorate 4-year schools want, and both satisfy CSWE’s preference for a doctorate in social work. The difference is the job you’re aiming for.

If you want to	Better fit	Why
Teach practice, field and clinical courses	DSW	Built for experienced practitioners; many include a teaching track
Run a research program and win grants	PhD	Trains you to design studies and write a dissertation
Keep working while you study	DSW	Many are offered online or part time, like most of the teaching-track programs below
Get paid to study	PhD	Many PhDs fund students through assistantships

The DSW vs PhD comparison covers funding, length and admission side by side, and the DSW or PhD decision tool walks you through the choice in a few questions. For the full range of jobs a doctorate leads to beyond teaching, see what you can do with a DSW.

DSW Programs With a Teaching Track

If teaching is your goal, pick a DSW that trains you to teach. These programs name teaching in their curriculum or concentration options:

Program	Teaching focus
Long Island University DSW	Teaching in the Academy
Walden University online DSW	Social Work Education
University of Kentucky online DSW	Social Work Education
Simmons University online DSW	Teaching and Education
Yeshiva University clinical DSW	Teaching Social Work Practice
Southern Connecticut State University DSW	University teaching
University of Kansas online DSW	Pedagogy and instruction
UT Arlington online DSW	Teaching and educational leadership

Compare format, residencies and admission rules for every program on the full list of DSW programs. Before you apply, check the DSW admission requirements: most ask for the same MSW and post-master’s practice that CSWE requires of faculty.

Getting Teaching Experience During a PhD

A funded PhD can put you in front of a class before you graduate, which helps on the job market. Two examples from program pages:

Florida State University funds PhD students for four years with a tuition waiver and a $21,450 annual stipend, tied to an assistantship that moves from research in years one and two to teaching and research in years three and four. See the Florida State PhD in social work profile.
Our Lady of the Lake University pays teaching assistants in its online PhD $2,500 per course, and adjunct roles pay $3,000 per course after the first year. See the Our Lady of the Lake online PhD profile.

The fully funded PhD in social work guide compares stipends and assistantship hours across programs.

Social work faculty is a small occupation. BLS counted 12,610 postsecondary social work teachers in May 2025, with a median wage of $77,570. The lowest-paid tenth earned under $48,200 and the top tenth more than $126,790. Across all subjects, postsecondary teachers had a median of $85,330.

BLS projects 7 percent growth for postsecondary teachers from 2025 to 2035, with about 103,300 openings a year across all fields. It also warns of a limited number of full-time positions, both tenure-track and not. Part-time work is common, and adjunct professors usually spend most of their time teaching rather than on research.

Accreditation keeps demand steady. CSWE requires BSW programs to keep a full-time equivalent faculty-to-student ratio no higher than 1:25, and MSW programs no higher than 1:12. Programs that grow enrollment have to add faculty or show their students still meet the standards.

When you look at social work professor jobs, read each posting for three things: the courses you’d teach (practice or not), whether a doctorate is required or preferred, and the years of post-MSW practice the school wants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a DSW Be a Professor?

Yes. A DSW is a doctorate, and BLS says 4-year colleges typically want a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree. CSWE's standard for master's programs asks that most full-time faculty hold an MSW and a doctorate, preferably in social work, so a DSW meets it. Several DSWs, such as LIU's DSW with its Teaching in the Academy focus, build teaching training into the degree.

Can You Be a Professor Without a PhD?

Yes. Community colleges may hire teachers with a master's degree, and CSWE sets no degree or experience requirement for non-practice courses. To teach practice courses you need an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program and two years of post-master's practice.

What Is a Professor Without a PhD Called?

Usually an adjunct professor, if the role is part time: BLS notes part-time professors are often known as adjunct professors. Full-time titles such as instructor or lecturer vary by school.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Social Work Professor?

Count the MSW, at least two years of post-master's practice, and then a doctorate if you want a full-time post at a 4-year school. Doctorate length depends on the program; the DSW length guide compares them. BLS says tenure itself may take up to 7 years.

Can You Teach Social Work Without Practice Experience?

Only outside practice courses. CSWE requires no credentials or experience to teach non-practice courses, while practice courses need two years of post-master's practice. Academic appointments don't count toward those two years.

How to Become a Social Work Professor

How Do You Become a Social Work Professor?

What Counts as Your Two Years of Practice

DSW or PhD: Which Doctorate Gets You Hired?

DSW Programs With a Teaching Track

Getting Teaching Experience During a PhD

Frequently Asked Questions

Guides on This Topic

Sources

How to Become a Social Work Professor

How Do You Become a Social Work Professor?

What You Need to Teach Social Work, by Role