University of Tennessee - Knoxville - College of Social Work

About this program

The College of Social Work is committed to advancing the mission of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville as the state’s land-grant, flagship university, to provide a quality public education for the citizens of Tennessee through exemplary teaching, research, and service. The College of Social Work provides a professional social work education program that prepares students for social work practice and doctoral level graduate students for social work research and academia.

The University of Tennessee College of Social Work educates master's level students for service to and on behalf of vulnerable populations in a broad range of practice settings. The program enables students to select between concentrations in Clinical Practice and Organizational Leadership. Certificate programs enable students to develop specialized knowledge and skills in Treatment of Trauma, Veterinary Social Work, Forensic Social Work, and Gerontology. Students may select between campuses in Knoxville and Nashville. The Knoxville campus is the main campus of the University of Tennessee and is located in the Appalachian region near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Nashville campus is located in the state capital and offers ample opportunities to work in policy and medical settings as well as with international populations. The PhD program at UT, located in Knoxville, educates scholars for careers in social work education and research. PhD students are mentored by nationally recognized faculty with specialties in neuroscience, environmental justice, immigration issues, and other areas.

Year partnership began: 2015
Fellowships awarded per year (average): 2

Application requirements

MSSW Program - academic transcripts, professional statement, 3 references, resume

PhD Program – academic transcripts, GRE scores, writing sample, professional statement, references

Admissions process

Applicants should check the box on the application indicating their eligibility for the Coverdell Fellowship and intent to apply. After acceptance for admission, students must complete a department scholarship application, including an essay, and submit a DOS.

Degrees awarded

Master of Science in Social Work, PhD in Social Work

Benefits and opportunities

	In-state	Out-of-state
Tuition and fees	$29,240	$72,216
Value of fellowship	$41,608	$78,444
Net cost	$0 + additional benefits	$0 + additional benefits

Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing. See cost savings details for more.

Estimated annual cost of living: $40,000

Cost savings details

Coverdell Fellows in the MSSW program receive a full waiver of tuition and fees, health insurance coverage, and a $6250 stipend.

(limited number of application fee waivers are available)

Internship

Students in the MSSW program complete their Coverdell internships through required field education courses. Students are placed in community organizations according to their interests during both the first and second years of the program. A broad array of placements is available in the Knoxville and Nashville areas. Placements provide the opportunity to work directly with or on behalf of underserved American populations, including persons with mental illnesses and addictions, children and adolescents in schools and in residential and foster care programs, veterans, persons experiencing homelessness, immigrants, seniors, people who are involved in the criminal justice system and other vulnerable population groups. PhD students complete their internship requirements through relationships with community agencies developed in the context of the research practicum

Other opportunities

Jobs for alumni

Graduates of the UT MSSW program are employed as therapists, program developers, program evaluators, administrators, community organizers, and grant writers in mental health and substance abuse treatment settings, state and local government agencies, schools, hospitals, VA medical and outpatient settings, prisons and public defender offices, shelters for persons experiencing homelessness or intimate partner violence, disability services, higher education, and many other types of settings. Graduates of the UT PhD program are employed in universities and research centers.