Teaching Note—Is “Interdisciplinary” a Bad Word for Social Work Doctoral Programs?

Abstract

Interdisciplinary doctoral education is being strongly encouraged by government agencies (e.g., the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health) and universities. This position is predicated on the idea that integrating the perspectives of different disciplines is necessary for developing meaningful answers to complicated social problems. The purpose of this brief teaching note is to describe the development of a new interdisciplinary PhD program at Tulane University. The program is called City, Community & Culture, and it confers degrees in social work, sociology, and urban studies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Frederick P. Buttell

Frederick P. Buttell is professor and Joel Devine is professor at Tulane University.