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This chapter begins with a discussion of gerontological social work movement. It then describes competency-based education and evaluation (CBE); an approach to producing a skilled workforce and ensuring that graduates can perform expected behaviors at a professionally acceptable level. This is followed by a discussion of the measurement of geriatric social work competencies.

A key issue for doctoral education in the United States is whether doctoral education in the professions should be dedicated solely to preparing “stewards of the discipline” or should also address practice and service delivery issues. This distinction is used to frame the history of thinking about the purposes of doctoral education in social work as well as current debates, including new discussion of the “practice doctorate.” Survey findings suggest that most doctoral students choose to get the doctoral degree in order to develop their capacities to conduct research or to begin an academic/teaching career. However, some respondents complained that their education is “more allied with academia than the profession” and they had hoped for more integration of these interests.

Clearly, more discussion of the purposes of doctoral education in social work is needed, because the social science model that is now dominant is not attracting enough students, perhaps because of a perceived lack of relevance to practice and service delivery concerns. Other issues in recruitment to doctoral study are discussed, including the need for higher amounts and longer duration of financial aid. More doctoral students need to feel part of a community of scholars; a national organization of doctoral students might help. Best practices in doctoral education to reduce time to degree and enhance student productivity should be disseminated and adopted more widely in social work. Given the reemergence of interest in the “clinical doctorate” in social work, wide discussion that involves stakeholders within and beyond social work education is needed.

This chapter has three primary aims: (1) to review the need for a knowledgeable cadre of social workers prepared to fulfill many roles in a rapidly aging society; (2) to present alternative models and approaches to the education of “aging-savvy” social workers; and (3) to highlight best practices and resources to support educational innovation focused on improving the quality of life for aging individuals, families, and communities.

Social workers fulfill multiple roles in the international arena, and the profession has much to contribute to global social policy and programs. Social work educational programs must ensure that professionals are prepared with requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes for practice in the globalized context of the 21st century. This chapter addresses the importance of expanding international content and learning opportunities, discusses learning objectives and models of international curriculum, addresses barriers and facilitating factors in internationalizing curriculum, and concludes with curriculum recommendations.

This chapter provides background on trends in doctoral education in the United States in social work and more generally. It then provides information on the design and conduct of the Web-based national student survey that informs this book. The majority of the survey items were adapted from previous studies, allowing comparison with data from other fields. In addition to standardized survey items, the data collected included extensive qualitative comments, which are used to convey students’ ideas about the education they are receiving or would like to receive. The end of the chapter provides an overview of the organization of the content of the book by chapter.

The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) is the international professional organization that serves and represents social work education worldwide. It was founded in 1928 and since then has worked to promote the development of social work education and to ensure that the voice of social work education is represented in relevant international deliberations. This chapter gives an overview of the history of the IASSW, its structure and membership, major programs, and activities, and it concludes with a discussion of challenges for the future. First, however, the core mission of the organization, which has been remarkably constant since the founding, is presented.

Social work in Europe began in the 20th century in many countries. Historical backgrounds, social policy trends, pedagogical and disciplinary relationships, and politics all have implications for the way in which social work training has been established in different countries and for the specific manner in which the role of social work has been interpreted. Local factors and European policy developments are also important elements in determining how social work education is evolving in terms of structure, curricula, and pedagogical issues and in determining what kind of role social workers will play. This chapter draws a picture of social work in Europe, focusing on three aspects: the state of the art in social work education, the role played by social workers, and the challenges facing social work in postmodern society.

This chapter gives a brief contextual background history to ‘social work’. It emphasises the years after 1990. This period encompasses many policy and political changes and theoretical developments in the UK and internationally, which affect social work practice and education. This is the time period encapsulating the author's involvement with social workers and social work education. The chapter presents some comparative geographical locations partly to reflect aspects of this involvement with social work and contacts with social work and social workers in those places, as well as to reflect different kinds of welfare regimes and to indicate some different kinds of welfare professionals.

This chapter focuses on issues relating to social work education and training in the UK and, comparatively, in a few other countries. It identifies some initial themes relevant to taking an anthropological perspective, specifically: ‘becoming’, or motivation — with examples from recent interviews with informants and an auto-ethnographic example. The chapter also discusses current threads based on what social workers need to know. The structure and content of education and training is introduced using a 1990s' policy example relating to Community Care. In doing so, this chapter sets the scene for further discussions, particularly on experiencing social work education, from student and educator perspectives.

Although the curriculum (e.g., course offerings) was not directly assessed, this chapter covers a range of student satisfaction ratings with their doctoral programs (except the dissertation experience—see Chapter 6). Program satisfaction ratings were generally high, but satisfaction with the supports for faculty-student interactions and with a feeling of belonging in their programs were lower. These items (and some open-ended comments) tapped issues related to a “community of scholars,” which some think is key to doctoral education in all fields. Other comments suggested that access to research and teaching opportunities was uneven, and some students wanted more methodological pluralism, a less “US-centered” and more culturally competent perspective. Problems in student-faculty relationships were also mentioned.

The establishment of social work programs worldwide has grown exponentially in the last twenty years, notably in the Pacific Rim, Eastern Europe, and Africa. In 2000, the board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) commissioned a world census of social work programs and established a permanent standing committee charged with tracking program development as part of the IASSW commitment to social work education. The purpose of a membership survey in 2005 was to elicit from member programs mid-decade data on those characteristics of social work programs that had been asked about in the 2000 census. This chapter presents a reanalysis of the 2005 membership survey data to explore the assumption that IASSW member schools were meeting the stipulations in the Global Standards.

This chapter discusses the demographic and educational backgrounds of the doctoral students surveyed (most have an MSW), the timing of their enrollment (typical early or in midcareer after some work experience), and the reasons for choosing their particular program. The proportion of enrolled students who identified as people of color was higher than in the past but not as high as in MSW and BSW programs; women predominated, as expected given MSW demographics. Many students had family responsibilities (spouse/partner, dependent children). As applicants, many were place-bound or applied to only one program, often the one at which they earned the MSW. Common reasons for selecting a program were the focus of the curriculum, the opportunity to study with certain professors, and the opportunity to study part-time. However, qualitative comments suggested that part-time students often felt devalued unless the program was part-time only.

Information and communication technologies have changed the way people connect with one another. The last fifteen years have seen the rise of Internet-based protocols and other technologies that have been beneficial in the way we teach, perform research, and conduct practice. Universities have been quick to adapt to new realities and have led the way in adopting these technologies for education and research. While these changes have been common in economically developed countries, the digital divide with economically less developed nations continues to be of concern. This chapter provides an overview of the current and potential uses of technology in international education and research. It details some of the common tools being used to meet the demand of internationalizing curricula. It also provides case examples of how some programs have used technology to link universities in various continents. Finally, it discusses some of the barriers to using technology as well as some of the new tools available to social work academics and research.

This chapter presents an overview of social work in the Caribbean. It covers the characteristics of social work practice, social work education and training; professional organizations, networking, and collaboration; and emerging fields of practice.

This chapter explores the views of some social workers and social work students about socialisation into their profession. It also provides some background about this concept from an anthropological perspective. The chapter begins with what social workers think they should learn and sets this against epistemological background material describing some key frameworks for social work theory and practice. Reflecting on examples and interviews with social workers and others, the chapter reveals that the often-stated attempt to ‘link theory and practice’ in social work education is much more complicated than it first appears. To set the stage for the next chapter, an experience relating to personal interaction and the use of self is described.

This chapter focuses on organisation. Organising social work falls into many different areas, and because social workers are employed in so many different kinds of organisation (statutory local authorities being only one kind) and different sectors (including health and education, as well as the social-care field), the chapter concentrates only on a few areas. It looks backwards and forwards across the 1990s to the present day, as well as on into the future, and also considers social work both internationally and in the UK. It considers some important areas of social work: the development of professional organisation(s), research conferences, and the further exploration of developments in social work/social care education. Finally, the chapter gives two specific English examples: the first links up social work/social care training, research, and related workshops and conferences in the 1990s; and the second explores how recent social work education has been organised via the UK government initiative of funded ‘teaching partnerships’.

The dissertation requirement can be considered the signature pedagogy in doctoral education. What little research exists on doctoral dissertations in social work suggests that there is room for improvement in dissertation quality. Models of dissertation advisement are reviewed. About half of the respondents had begun the dissertation process. Whereas satisfaction ratings by students were generally good, open-ended comments suggested there were problems in several areas. Although no survey items addressed comprehensive examinations, this program component was criticized in student comments. The availability and effectiveness of dissertation support was seen to be quite variable even within programs and was often lacking after course completion, when students felt they were “cut loose.”

Although most students reported receiving career advice, most of the advice was directed to academic employment, and other career goals were sometimes disparaged. Career goals seemed to change little over the course of doctoral study, with teaching and research predominant. Students wanted more preparation specifically aimed at interviewing for faculty jobs and for research project management, writing for publication, and grant writing. In addition to location and salary, respondents rated the opportunity to work for social change highly as a factor that would influence them in job choice after degree completion. Students wanted to know more about the “trade secrets” of teaching, research, writing, and the academic world and wanted more attention to the intangibles involved in changing identities from student to scholar or teacher.