Doctoral Program

Alumna Dr. Diana DiNitto (PhD 1980, MSW 1987) is among the 25 newest social workers recognized as an NASW Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF).

“Early parenthood is associated with risk factors for both the mother and child and involvement in foster care amplifies these challenges,” stated Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah, a doctoral candidate at the FSU College of Social Work.

A recent study in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal by Esaa and Professor Melissa Radey and Associate Professor Shamra Boel-Studt at the FSU College of Social Work examined the roles of formal and informal support for mothers aging out of maternity group homes as their young families face a variety of complex challenges.

On May 3, 2024, the FSU College of Social Work celebrated its spring 2024 graduates at its semesterly graduation event. This semester, 37 BSW students and 129 MSW students, including 87 Online MSW students from across the United States, graduated. 

The event also included honoring the College of Social Work award recipients, nominated and selected by their peers. Award recipients include:

Dr. Michael Killian, an associate professor at the College of Social Work, was inducted into the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) fellows class.

SSWR fellows are members who have served to advance the society's mission to advance, disseminate, and translate research that addresses social work practice and policy issues, promoting a just society. 

Social work doctoral student Beren Crim Sabuncu was accepted into the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care's (ANAC) fourth cohort of HIV and Aging Scholars.

Dr. MaKenna Woods, a three-time Florida State University graduate, joined the University of West Florida (UWF) Department of Social Work staff as an assistant professor this spring.

A Floridian since the age of 10, she’s excited to continue making a difference in her home state. “I am looking forward to affecting so much change in my own little corner of the world,” she shared. “I have so many ideas that I couldn’t pursue as a student as dissertation deadlines loomed.”

FSU College of Social Work affiliates participated in the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research Conference on January 10-14, 2024, in Washington, DC. Faculty and doctoral students, along with affiliates from the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, presented at a total of 29 presentations and sessions at the conference.

The College of Social Work is excited to welcome our newest cohort of doctoral students. Each joins Florida State University's academic community with a broad range of experience in social work and an interest in contributing to social work research and scholarship to advance the profession and benefit the many populations it serves. 

Schyler Brumm

Originally from Central Florida, Schyler attended Florida State for her bachelor's degree in psychology and dual master's degrees in social work and criminology.

In a recent report published by The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), researchers shed light on the state of corporal punishment in U.S. public schools and its relationship to trauma-informed education policies.

The College of Social Work at Florida State University hosted its 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award and Student Scholarship Awards dinner on Thursday, October 19th. The event honored five distinguished social work graduates and 2022-2023 student scholars.

More than $108K in scholarships were given in 2022-2023 to support undergraduate- and graduate-level social work students with interests in areas including child welfare, social policy, international social work, social work practice and military veterans.