Social Change
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Learn tips on how to prioritize your mental health and avoid burnout while working to drive societal change.
Compassionate Leadership for Healthier Communities
Our online Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work: Integrative Community Studies Specialization is a comprehensive pursuit of social change through the lens of community psychology, community development, and community leadership. Within the Integrative Community Studies Specialization curriculum, you will learn how to examine equity, diversity, and inclusion within community settings, public health initiatives that deal with addictions, crises, and disasters, and how the interplay of psychology, sociology, public health, and organizational studies merges to face what ails communities. You will also study community-level trauma, intervention methods, facilitating community dialogues, mobilizing resources for community initiatives, all while gaining practical experience to apply to academic, community, corporate, and clinical settings.
Integrative Community Studies Specialization Job Outcomes
This nonclinical doctoral program focuses on community-based change rather than clinical licensure preparation. Upon completion of the online Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work with the Integrative Community Studies Specialization, you will have an enhanced skill set and deepened perspective to augment your current practice or, with the appropriate licensure, expand into other roles, including:
- University professor
- Social science researcher
- Program director
- Public policy analyst
- Government official
- Environmental health scientist
- Behavioral scientist\
- Community outreach director
Other Online Doctoral Integrative Social Work Programs
Interested in another online Ph.D. specialization in Integrative Social Work? We offer an additional specialization that may align more closely with your goals.
Program Components
Admissions Requirements
To enter the Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work: Integrative Community Studies Specialization program, you must have completed a master’s degree in social work, or other relevant master’s degree, from an institutionally accredited college or university prior to enrollment. It is preferred that you have one to two years of professional experience prior to admission. You will be judged on your overall ability to do graduate work, including academic writing.
You must submit the following documents to apply to the Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work: Integrative Community Studies Specialization degree program:
- An official transcript(s) of accredited degrees, with a minimum expected grade point average (GPA) requirement of 3.0 from the last degree-granting institution, though exceptions may be made
- A personal statement
- Professional resume or CV
- All applicants will be interviewed by the Department chairperson of Integrative Social Work
Invest in Your Future
Saybrook University remains committed to keeping higher education affordable and accessible. Our Financial Aid Department is ready to offer guidance and support in determining suitable financial assistance tailored to your needs, including potential scholarship opportunities, grants, and more.
Cost
Saybrook wants you to have the information you need to make an informed decision about your academic and career aspirations. Our cost calculator provides an estimated cost of attending Saybrook to earn your Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work.
Sample Courses
Disaster, Trauma, and Crisis Intervention
This three-credit course covers the role of social work as a profession in the preparation and planning for potential disasters, which can serve to reduce the negative effects of disaster. In this course, you will learn about the development of family, organizational, and community response plans, support and interventions for victims of disaster and for the healthcare workers and caregivers who are also affected by the trauma of a disaster, self-care training, and trauma resolution.
Family Studies and Interventions
This three-credit course is designed to support you with understanding advanced theory and research methodology within a unique, client-centered ecological context. You will study a comprehensive range of theoretical and clinical approaches emphasizing the special needs of ethnic and multicultural, gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals, and single-parent and low-income families.
Integrative Social Work and Addiction Studies
This three-credit course is designed to introduce you to the principles of integrative social work and addiction studies in developing advanced administrative, direct practice, research, and leadership skills in aspects of functioning as a professional in the assessment and treatment of addiction studies. Topics will include but are not limited to addiction assessment and treatment, history, philosophy, and trends in addiction studies, professional standards for addiction counselors, effects of crises and trauma-causing events on persons with addictions, and more.
Catalog
Please refer to our academic catalog academic catalog for more information on the Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work: Integrative Community Studies Specialization.
Career Outcomes
Saybrook University prepares you to make an impact in a variety of high-demand careers. Below, you will find possible career options and salaries associated with this degree.
Data is pulled by a third-party tool called Lightcast, which includes data from sources including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, and other government databases. The information below represents a regional and national career outlook related to this degree program*. Saybrook University is dedicated to assisting you in achieving your career goals.
*Many degree programs are intended to fulfill licensure requirements in specific states. The data shown here may not represent the state where you currently reside. For more information on how this program is applicable to the requirements of your state, please speak with your admissions specialist.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics annual data update
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University Learning Experience
Our Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work: Integrative Community Studies Specialization program is 100% online. While most coursework is completed asynchronously, students participate in required synchronous sessions through our Virtual Learning Experiences (VLEs). These take place during the first week of each fall and spring semester.
Students may also choose to attend the in‑person Community Learning Experience (CLE). The CLE is offered in odd‑numbered fall semesters, is entirely optional, and is not required for program completion.
UNBOUND: Integrative Social Work
Utilizing an evidence-informed and holistic approach that considers the full context of someone’s life, Saybrook University’s online Integrative Social Work programs help you build the critical research and leadership skills to advance change through policy, organizational leadership, and community-based change.
Profile, Students
Saybrook University Student Profile: Derek Kee-Haynes
For Derek Kee-Haynes, Saybrook’s humanistic approach makes space for decolonizing social work, because one size of social work doesn’t fit all.
Career Resources
Master’s vs. Ph.D. in social work: What’s the difference?
Ready to pursue a graduate degree in social work? Discover the differences between a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in social work here.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Submit an inquiry and one of our admissions specialists will connect with you to answer your questions and guide you through next steps.