Tennessee Schools Compared
From each school's own pages, reviewed October 2026. CSWE status from CSWE's practice doctorate directory, captured September 30, 2026; CSWE doesn't accredit PhD programs. Blank cells: the school's pages don't give that figure.
Every Social Work Doctorate in Tennessee
- Residency and class meetings
- One-week on-campus residency in Knoxville during each of the first two summers, plus a three-day new student orientation in June before the first fall semester
- Credits
- 48 credit hours
- Length
- Three years
- Final project
- Practice-focused, applied project (not a traditional academic dissertation)
- Practice experience
- A minimum of three years of post-MSSW/MSW clinical practice experience
Knoxville · Public
PhDOn campusFunded
- Credits
- 34 credit hours of research design, statistics, advanced critical thinking and teaching methods, plus 9 credit hours of electives
- Length
- Four funded years, with the dissertation phase extending into year five
- Final project
- Three-paper dissertation of publishable research manuscripts
- Practice experience
- Post-master's social work/social welfare practice experience required
- Funding
- A $35,000 annual stipend, full tuition waiver and health insurance for four years, with students working 20 hours per week as graduate research assistants
- Residency and class meetings
- Two days of in-person Residency Week in Memphis every August; synchronous online meetings usually on Monday evenings
- Credits
- 48 credit hours (33 required, 9 electives, 6 capstone)
- Length
- 3 years
- Final project
- Capstone project (6 hours)
- Practice experience
- A minimum of two years of post-MSW work experience
- GRE
- GRE not required
Online DSW Programs Open to Tennessee Residents
24 online practice doctorates at schools outside Tennessee are open to new students nationwide. These are the 8 with the lowest estimated tuition, one per school; programs without an estimate follow alphabetically. Confirm that the school can enroll Tennessee residents before you apply.
Compare every online DSW program
Online and Hybrid Social Work PhDs for Tennessee Residents
10 social work PhDs at schools outside Tennessee are offered online or in a hybrid format. Funded programs are listed first.
Social Work Doctorates in States Bordering Tennessee
- Alabama A & M UniversityNormal, AL · PhD
- University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · DSW and PhD
- Clark Atlanta UniversityAtlanta, GA · PhD
- University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · PhD
- Spalding UniversityLouisville, KY · DSW
- University of KentuckyLexington, KY · DSW and PhD
- University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY · DSW and PhD
- Jackson State UniversityJackson, MS · PhD
- University of MississippiUniversity, MS · PhD
- Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, MO · PhD
- Mizzou (University of Missouri)Columbia, MO · PhD
- WashU (Washington University in St. Louis)Saint Louis, MO · PhD
- North Carolina A & T State UniversityGreensboro, NC · PhD
- UNC Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · PhD
- Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk, VA · PhD
- VCURichmond, VA · PhD
Social Work Doctorates in Tennessee: Common Questions
How Many Social Work Doctorate Programs Are in Tennessee?
3 at 2 schools: University of Tennessee, Knoxville (DSW and PhD) and University of Memphis (DSW).
Are Tennessee's DSW Programs CSWE-Accredited?
University of Tennessee, Knoxville (accredited) and University of Memphis (candidacy) are in CSWE's practice doctorate directory (captured September 30, 2026). CSWE began accrediting practice doctorates only recently, and PhD programs aren't CSWE-accredited.
Can Tennessee Residents Earn a DSW Online?
Yes. 24 online DSW programs at schools outside Tennessee accept students nationwide; the lowest estimated tuition among them is $19,800 at University of Alabama. Confirm the school can enroll Tennessee residents before you apply. Compare online DSW programs.
Can You Earn a PhD in Social Work Online From Tennessee?
10 social work PhDs at schools elsewhere are offered online or in a hybrid format. The other 67 of the 77 social work PhDs on this site are campus-based, and campus PhDs are the ones most likely to state full funding. Compare online PhD programs.
Compare Programs Beyond Your State