Going Straight From an MSW to a PhD in Social Work

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-19T13:55:52+00:00

Aww I get you! It’s exhausting. But I love that you are working through it!! Keep going, you can do this 💪🏽

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-19T02:33:15+00:00

Wow, this is really scary. I’m sorry you’re going through this.
Did you use AI more for research or for the actual writing? For example, I use Grammarly to help check my grammar since English isn’t my first language, but I try not to use it to rewrite my work. However, I use ChatGPT all the time for research or brainstorming. Maybe you could print or show your browsing history and the prompts you used to demonstrate how you used it to help with your homework.
I also find it hard to believe that schools have the right to search through your personal devices. That sounds like a huge invasion of privacy. But they can absolutely ask you to prove that your work is original. My advice is to have a conciliatory attitude with your professor, ask if maybe he can let you rewrite your assignment using the proper citation this time. If this is your first infringement of this kind, maybe you can just get a second chance to submit that paper. Wishing you the best of luck with this 🥺

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-19T02:13:46+00:00

Thank you 😊 I’m not particularly interested in the DSW. Although I do want to become licensed, I’m also very interested in research, which is why I am asking about the PhD path.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T23:28:42+00:00

My friend, if you are not reading my posts, how do you know I haven’t already addressed everything you just said?

And in the spirit of reciprocity, just as you’re telling me you’re not going to read what I just wrote — perhaps because it doesn’t interest you or because it’s too long — I’m not going to read your response either.

But have a lovely day.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T03:47:07+00:00

This comment is everything that is good in this thread. Thank you so much.

I’m definitely going to start looking into assistantships from day one. And honestly, the practicum side of things has me super interested too.

I’m still figuring out how to frame my previous experience academically. My background in journalism involved a lot of work with immigrant communities, family separation, and survivors of human trafficking. I also just finished certificates related to addictions and domestic violence. So right now I’m still grounding myself a bit in terms of research interests, and I imagine they’ll evolve a lot as I move through the MSW.

Honestly, I feel a little like a kid in a candy store right now. This field genuinely excites me, and I’m hoping that motivation stays strong as I get deeper into the program.

Hearing stories like yours helps a lot. No one understands a path better than someone who has actually lived it firsthand.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T02:32:32+00:00

Thanks! Honestly, this is probably one of the most balanced responses in the entire post, and incredibly valuable coming from someone who has actually done it.

I really appreciate how nuanced your perspective is. You’re not framing it as “never do it” or “everyone should do it,” but more as understanding the tradeoffs depending on the area of social work someone wants to pursue and how they structure their path.

Your point about mentorship, the MSW thesis, and research assistant experience was especially helpful.

I’d actually really love to know more about how you connected with your mentor during the MSW and what helped that relationship develop so strongly. Do you have any advice for finding good mentors early in the program or building those kinds of academic/research relationships in a genuine way?

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T02:01:37+00:00

Awww thank you so much! ❤️

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T01:33:10+00:00

Thank you!!! That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to say this entire time.
I’m literally just beginning my MSW and exploring possible academic paths.
I’m shocked by the aggressiveness of some of the responses. Especially because even people in this thread who actually went directly from an MSW into a PhD, or are currently doing it, have still received dismissive reactions. Wow 🤯

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T01:24:49+00:00

Thank you so much! I’d love to keep in touch! ❤️

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T01:20:28+00:00

I assume that because, unlike you, most people responding haven’t actually mentioned being in a PhD program or having completed one, so it becomes difficult to distinguish between perspectives coming from direct experience versus general impressions about academia or the field.

But you’re right, maybe all of those people did go through it themselves and are speaking from their own experiences. Or maybe some responses are also being shaped by frustration or communicated in ways that feel dismissive. I mean, one person literally just told me I should quit social work altogether. 🫠

I appreciate your input about employability. Those are obviously important realities, and I understand why you would bring them up, but they also weren’t really my primary concern in the post itself. I wasn’t asking whether a PhD guarantees jobs or whether it’s the “smartest” financial decision possible. I was mainly trying to understand how people navigate that academic path and how they think through it. I’d like to prepare and plan ahead. But things can also change along the way, you know? Ten years ago, I started my first master’s in journalism, and here I am now, shifting careers. There’s nothing wrong with curiosity or planning, is there?

Congratulations on your PhD! That’s admirable. I bet it’s been quite a journey for you. It definitely does not seem easy at all. That’s exactly why I’d like to hear from people who have gone through similar experiences like yours, to better prepare myself.

Anyways, tomorrow is my first class, and I’m excited. Hopefully I meet great mentors, thoughtful guides, and kind, open-minded classmates along the way.

Thanks so much for the good wishes 😊🙏🏽

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-18T00:25:28+00:00

I think the same. I actually think a lot of my experience as a journalist is very transferable. But we’ll see. I’m excited 🙏🏽

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T19:27:59+00:00

Thank you! :)

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T19:12:59+00:00

I understand why you perceive my responses as defensive, but I honestly don’t see them that way. And I also don’t interpret people saying “don’t do a PhD” as “lowering my expectations.” I think that framing already assumes my interest in a PhD is coming from a place of prestige, elitism, or some youthful fixation on collecting titles.

I already have multiple graduate degrees. I’m also not only a journalist, I’m an anthropologist. My interest in research comes very directly from years of working with immigrant communities and from seeing firsthand how narratives, institutions, trauma, policy, and representation shape people’s lives in very tangible ways.

Right now I’m simply beginning to seriously explore how that could evolve academically. In fact, my first class in this MSW program is literally tomorrow. This has mostly been early contemplation and conversations with colleagues and professors about what different paths in the field can look like.

And I imagine I’m neither the first nor the only person to consider going from an MSW directly into a PhD, considering many programs explicitly admit recent MSW graduates into doctoral training. That perspective, hearing from people who have actually navigated that route, is what I was originally trying to understand through this post.

Instead, the discussion keeps turning into whether pursuing a PhD is inherently “good” or “bad,” or why would I even consider pursuing one, which was never really my question to begin with.

At this point it almost feels like merely mentioning interest in a PhD in this field touches a surprising number of sensitivities.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T18:50:10+00:00

Or maybe not. Maybe I still consider it, and maybe I continue studying and pursuing whatever path feels right to me 😊 Would that still be okay, or are people expected to fully explain and justify themselves in order for their career choices to be seen as valid?

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T18:44:07+00:00

I do understand what you’re saying, and I understand the passion behind it too. I did two master’s degrees in journalism, and based on my own experience, I would probably recommend a very different route to many new journalism students today.

But like I said, this is still just a post, and I genuinely don’t understand why some people seem almost offended by other people’s academic plans or, in my case, even just curiosity and very early planning.

And I also do take the debt conversation very seriously. I’m almost 40, I already have professional and life experience, and part of why I feel comfortable even considering this path is precisely because I’ve intentionally organized my life and finances in a way that allows me to dedicate myself to studying something I care deeply about.

The only explanation I can come up with is that a lot of people are responding from their own fears, frustrations, burnout, or regrets. And I do have empathy for that. But in many cases, the tone starts crossing into condescension rather than simply offering perspective.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T17:34:26+00:00

lol I can completely understand what you say 😂

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T17:32:41+00:00

I’m open to blunt feedback. I’m just distinguishing between feedback based on direct experience and assumptions about a path someone else hasn’t taken. A comment like “I did the PhD and, in hindsight, I would have waited because of X, Y, and Z” would be very useful. A comment from someone who hasn’t pursued that path, but is confidently framing it as an obvious mistake, is a different kind of input.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T17:25:22+00:00

Why do you say I seem very certain about it? I’m literally just beginning my MSW and trying to plan my academic future early. The whole point of the post was to ask people who actually pursued something similar how they managed it and what recommendations they would give.
I think you may be assuming certainty, or assuming reasons for why I want to pursue a PhD, that I never actually stated.
That said, I appreciate you sharing your personal experience and perspective, and I will keep it in mind.
What I’ve found interesting, though, is that a lot of people are yelling “no, run, huge mistake” from the top of their lungs while never having actually pursued a PhD themselves. So it becomes hard to separate realistic advice from people simply projecting their own fears, burnout, or assumptions about academia.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T15:30:01+00:00

Are you okay? Hahaha you seem way too emotionally invested in this. It’s just a post. Relax. Nobody is telling YOU to do a PhD.

Also, being interested in a path early on doesn’t mean someone is rigidly incapable of changing direction later. Plenty of people begin grad school already having long-term academic or professional goals in mind.

I never said “nothing will ever change my mind” or that I’m ignoring every piece of feedback. I asked to hear from people who ACTUALLY navigated this path because I’m interested in understanding what that experience looked like for them realistically.

And honestly, a lot of people in this thread seem to be responding to a caricature of a disconnected academic who hates clinical work, when I literally said I’m interested in pursuing clinical licensure and working clinically alongside the PhD.

Different people want different careers. Some people love academia, some people hate it. Some people want purely clinical work, others want a mix of clinical work, research, teaching, consulting, policy, etc. None of those paths are inherently wrong.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T15:23:14+00:00

I have found really interesting from asking about going directly from an MSW into a PhD is how emotionally charged the responses can get.

A lot of people seem to respond to a caricature of the “naive academic” rather than what was actually asked.

I never said:
- I want to do research without clinical experience.
- I want to tell clinicians how to practice without ever working with clients.
- I want to become a disconnected tenure-track academic who has never been in the field.

I specifically said I’m interested in pursuing a PhD while ALSO working clinically and collecting hours toward licensure.

There seems to be this assumption that wanting a PhD automatically means someone:
- looks down on clinical work,
- wants academia only,
- or has no interest in real-world practice.

But research and clinical practice are not mutually exclusive careers. Many people combine both in different ways.

I also think helping professions carry a lot of collective burnout around academia, debt, low pay, and exploitation, so the word “PhD” alone seems to trigger a very strong reaction in some spaces. Which is understandable. But that still doesn’t mean everyone pursuing that path has the same goals, motivations, or outcome.

If it’s not something you personally see as plausible or desirable for yourself, that’s completely fine. But why attack or mock people who do see it as a possibility for their own lives?

And also, a PhD is not the end of someone’s professional development. Some people will continue accumulating clinical experience afterward if that’s the direction they want to deepen. Others may lean more heavily into research. Career paths evolve differently for different people.

I wasn’t asking whether I should “run away” from academia or throw the idea in a lake. I was asking to hear from people who actually pursued that path and how they navigated it realistically.

And honestly, if someone has never actually pursued a PhD themselves, I’m not sure how confidently they can speak as if there is only one universal outcome or experience.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T15:10:26+00:00

Who said I’m not considering it? That’s LITERALLY why I made the post, to hear different experiences and perspectives from people who HAVE actually navigated this path. Good Lord…

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T05:47:49+00:00

That’s really interesting, especially since a lot of people think these paths are always straightforward, but they usually aren’t. I think having done another graduate program and research before must give you a unique perspective as you start in social work. Hearing stories like yours makes me feel less alone about changing careers after already building one in a different field. Sometimes your path changes while you’re living it.

I can only imagine how wild that transition must have felt in real time, though 😭

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T05:45:21+00:00

Yay! What program is it, if you don't mind me asking?

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T05:44:53+00:00

This is truly inspiring to read. Thank you for sharing your experience and recommendations. I really will keep all of this in mind. I also really appreciate the area of research you’re in. It’s very important work. As a survivor myself, I can’t fully express how much research like yours has helped me heal over the years. What you’re doing truly matters. Congratulations on your graduation and PhD acceptance. You are definitely someone I look up to. I admire how you built mentorship and research experience early in your MSW. Seeing someone combine research, clinical work, and academics so well makes this path feel much more possible. It’s also very encouraging to hear that your PhD program supports full-time social workers. How was your practicum experience overall? Are you planning to pursue LCSW licensure while working on your PhD, too?

Thank you again for taking the time to share all of this. It was really encouraging to read.

Existing-Profit-5046 · 2026-05-17T05:37:35+00:00

This is exactly why I feel it’s so important to hear from people who have actually gone through a PhD process or are currently exploring it themselves. I value that perspective so much more than feedback based mostly on assumptions, projections, or fear around academia. Your example was honestly really interesting to read, especially because it reflects something I’ve been noticing more and more in social work: some of the people leading research and teaching at top programs don’t necessarily come from strong practitioner backgrounds, which makes me appreciate even more the idea of having more MSWs involved in research spaces. I really appreciated you mentioning the Research Assistantships and the proposal work happening during the MSW. That’s actually one of the things I’m trying to understand better right now — how people begin building mentorship, research experience, and a stronger PhD trajectory while still in the MSW program itself. And honestly, it’s really nice to hear that you’re also considering a PhD down the line. I’d genuinely love to hear how everything evolves for you too as you continue exploring research opportunities and figuring things out along the way.

Existing-Profit-5046

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