The mission of the School of Social Work’s Doctor of Philosophy program is to prepare graduates to conduct interdisciplinary research and become exemplary social work scholars and educators.
The 51-credit curriculum begins with 21 credits of core courses: quantitative and qualitative research design and methods (9 credits); data analysis and statistics (6 credits); and research practicum (6 credits). Additional required courses include intervention research (3 credits), an integrative seminar (3 credits), an advanced research or data analysis course in the student’s area of interest (3 credits), and a theory course in the student’s area of interest (3 credits).
Finally, students have 6 credits of electives, including a course on teaching methods (3 credits) for those who are interested in academic careers. After completing 36 credits, students take a comprehensive examination. The final phase of the program is completion of 12 hours of doctoral dissertation credits.