ABSTRACT
Doctoral educators are responsible for preparing the future stewards of the social work profession. The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE), in its 1992 and 2003 Guidelines for Quality in Education in Social Work Doctoral Programs, stated that “social work doctoral programs have as their primary purpose the production of scholars/educators who disseminate knowledge concerning social welfare problems and professional practice” (GADE, 2003, p. 1). In this article we examine the professional practice portion of this mission, addressing how and why we believe practice preparation and practice experience are essential components of PhD education.
