Design Laboratory for Social and Global Innovation

Catalog description

This advanced, practice-based course offers doctoral students a dynamic environment to design and implement innovative solutions to complex social and global challenges. Drawing on the interdisciplinary strengths of social work, human-centered design, implementation science, and social entrepreneurship, students will explore how to address real-world problems through ethical, inclusive and evidence-informed innovation. Students will define, prototype, and refine interventions- such as launching a social enterprise, developing a grant-funded program, or drafting impactful policy- aimed at advancing equity, human rights, and social justice. Emphasizing systems thinking, collaborative leadership, and trauma-informed approaches, the course guides students from ideation through implementation. By engaging in critical reflection and peer feedback, students will develop solutions that are scalable, sustainable, and grounded in community and stakeholder input.