Gunnar R. Almgren, PhD, Director
PHD PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The PhD Program in Social Welfare, which began in autumn 1975, awards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The program prepares students to become leaders in the advancement of knowledge in the profession and relevant interdisciplinary domains. Students acquire both the substantive and methodological competence to contribute theoretical formulations and empirical research that inform effective social work practice and advance scholarship in social welfare for the promotion of social justice.
In our PhD program, we emphasize preparation for research and teaching roles, including hands-on experience in supervised practica in addition to special training involving expert invited speakers, workshops, and seminars. Our doctoral faculty are ranked among the most productive in the nation and have a high level of grant funding. (A listing of current grant funding is provided in the School section on faculty research activities). The University of Washington has achieved national recognition for its educational innovations and initiatives for preparing students for teaching roles. Our School participates in many innovative programs to develop teaching skills.
Cohort sizes are kept small, which allows intense faculty-student interactions and mentoring throughout the various phases of the program and fosters supportive, collaborative relationships among students. As a result, students in our School's doctoral program enjoy an unusually high rate of completion. From its inception in 1975 through fall 2008, the program has enrolled 241 students. Only 31 (12.8%) of these students have withdrawn from the program without completing their degree.
One feature of the PhD program is its interdisciplinary character. The program's nationally prominent, multicultural faculty includes scholars with a range of research foci and collaborative ties with other disciplines. In addition to being among the top contributors to research and scholarship, the School's faculty members have developed special depth in prevention research (see section on the Prevention Research Training Program). Faculty research emphasizes prevention and intervention services and encompasses topics related to health andmental health promotion and disparaties, aging, child and adolescent services, family-based practice, interpersonal violence, substance abuse, income distribution, and issues related to gender, communities of color, and gays and lesbians. The program also benefits from being a part of one of the top public research universities in the nation with strong community ties in a diverse metropolitan area.
Students develop an interdisciplinary plan of study to meet their scholarly and professional goals and complete a portion of their course work outside the School of Social Work. They are expected to develop a strong theoretical framework for their knowledge-building activities, and they frequently work with faculty in other schools and departments in the University. Students are encouraged to include scholars from other disciplines on their supervisory committees.
The PhD program is constructed so that each student develops a plan of study that focuses on a well defined substantive area of interest in the field of social welfare. During the first two years, the student completes required classes before moving on to a specialized area and set of research objectives anticipated as being the focus of subsequent research priorities. The program of study encompasses substantive work in a field or issue of social welfare, relevant intervention development needs or responses, and appropriate research methodology. It involves close working relationships with faculty whose expertise complements the student's learning objectives. Analytical reasoning, sensitivity to diversity factors, and the ability to develop and integrate a theoretical and empirical framework for one's current and future work are emphasized.
An expectation common to all students is that they exit the PhD program with substantial research competence. Effectively, this means that in addition to a basic grounding in research and statistical methods, students are expected to acquire specialized competencies in the methodological and advanced data analysis skills necessary for productive scholarship in the substantive area they have chosen.
By its very nature, the PhD program requires that students work independently. Although assistance and support from faculty advisors and instructors, staff, and fellow students are readily available, the responsibility to search out opportunities and information and to initiate collaborative relationships with faculty rests primarily with each student. This necessarily requires that the students be proactive in defining their own goals and in achieving appropriate learning experiences that build upon available resources.
The pace of program completion is a balance of efficiency with academic rigor and excellence. Time to degree varies quite a bit depending upon the type of training sought and the type of dissertation research undertaken. Over the history of the program, the majority of students have completed their PhD within four and a half years and nearly all within six years.
The preparation of future social work faculty and scholars includes paid assistantships in a variety of teaching and research roles. Our School ensures financial support during the first three years of study by assisting the student in obtaining tuition waivers and assistantships or fellowships. In each of the first three years, the PhD Program Director and Associate Deans work with students to obtain funding from the School, other University of Washington sources, or external federal and private granting agencies. Multiple means of funding beyond the first three years are common. Students frequently build upon teaching assistantships to take on more autonomous teaching roles, and they are strongly urged to begin efforts to secure dissertation research support early in the program. The School provides staff support to assist students with grant proposals and human subjects applications. Our graduates are in demand, especially for their skills in advanced research, and are employed in well-regarded schools of social work and research institutions around the country.
Admission is highly selective, and students are admitted only for autumn quarter. The deadline for application is DECEMBER 15. Factors considered in admission include aptitude for social welfare research and scholarship as shown by articulation of social welfare research area(s) of concern to applicant and capacity to undertake such training and research, professional experience, commitment to diversity, scholastic achievement, and institutional resources available to support the applicant's research. An applicant must have a master's degree in social work, social welfare, or a closely related field.
Although we do not require an MSW degree (many of our students' master's degrees are in other related areas), the Council on Social Work Education requires that faculty who teach required practice courses in accredited programs have an MSW degree and two years of post-BASW or post-MSW practice experience. Thus, obtaining one of these degrees and this experience can be valuable for those who ultimately seek academic positions following graduation.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The principal goal of the program is to prepare students to promote social justice by contributing to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the field of social welfare and the profession of social work. Our graduates assume leadership positions in such areas as teaching, research, administration, and policy analysis, and in these varying roles, use their scholarly abilities to improve the quality of policies, programs, and services in the field.
More specifically, the objectives of the program are for students to acquire:
- a broad understanding of the major policy and practice trends and issues in the field of social welfare and the profession of social work;
- substantive knowledge of a field of social welfare (e.g., aging, child welfare, health and mental health disparities, native health and wellness, policy studies, poverty, prevention science, and youth development) with particular emphasis on the issues and questions in that field that require scholarly attention;
- competence to conduct rigorous research that informs and advances policy and practice in an area of social welfare; and
- a balanced preparation for the professorate including preparation for teaching and related scholarship and faculty roles.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
General Description
The University requires full-time residency—defined as 10 or more credits per quarter, for the autumn, winter, and spring quarters of two years. A student may register for summer quarters while in the program, but these may not be substituted for quarters during a regular academic year. In addition, students are required by the University to complete a third year; either on a full-time basis or a part-time equivalent of full time. Students are strongly advised to continue residence while working on the dissertation.
The first year of the program is the most heavily prescribed with required courses that must be taken in sequence and in combination. At year-end, students must pass a set of comprehensive examinations covering the content of first-year courses in methods, theory, and policy. During the second year, students have considerably more freedom in selecting courses specifically related to their substantive and research interests. At this time students research and write an integrative paper in their specific program of study area. The paper serves as the written portion of the General Examination, and presentation of the paper serves as the Oral Examination.
Standardized procedures guide the selection and operation of the Supervisory Committee for the General Examination and the Dissertation. These allow considerable input from and participation by the student. Students confer closely with the first-year advisor and later the Supervisory Committee to choose courses that will best prepare them to address important issues in their areas of specialization.
After passing the General Examination, students advance to candidacy and begin "formally" working on the dissertation. Much of the background work, such as preliminary conceptualization of the dissertation research and pursuit of financial support, will have been started prior to this point. Completion and successful defense of the dissertation are required before the PhD is conferred.
Specific Requirements
Required CoursesConsistent with the requirements for all courses offered at the School of Social Work (undergraduate, masters, and doctoral), all required PhD courses in the School of Social Work must include content on diverse populations, including the disadvantaged and oppressed. This includes, for example, content on people of color, women, gay men and lesbians, and persons with disabilities. The specific type or nature of the content (e.g., readings, exemplars, exercises) and how it is introduced and integrated will likely differ across courses. In all cases, content on diversity must be in accord with course objectives and be visibly present in the course syllabus. All required coursework (with the exception of the 800 tutorials) must be completed before or during the quarter in which the Oral section of the General Examination takes place. The following courses are required of all students in the program and must be taken on a graded basis unless only offered as Credit/No Credit.
Elective Courses in the SSW
Statistics TrackThe statistics track is largely built around a curriculum developed by the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences (CS&SS). Students who complete the Statistics Track in Social Work have advanced training in statistics for social science research relevant to their own area of specialization. The CS&SS provides a document certifying that the student completed the Statistics Track. Taking a coherent set of advanced statistical methods courses prepares students to work at the cutting edge of statistics and the social sciences. Students complete four courses in social statistics with the grade of 3.3 or above in each course and attend two quarters of the CS&SS seminar, CS&SS 590. Promoting Well-Being among At-Risk Groups: guidance for Health promotion/prevention Research. Additional Course ExpectationsIn addition to required courses, students may also take tutorials (Soc WL 600) with faculty members during the advanced course work and the writing of the integrative paper (prior to the Oral General Examination). These tutorials should be well planned and include one or more written products. Students are also encouraged to take additional courses (beyond those required) that bear on their substantive areas of interest. Courses may be taken in any department or school of the University but should ordinarily be at the 500 level or above. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisors or committee chairpersons, or the director of the program for advice and assistance in arranging courses of study in other schools or departments. Prevention Research Training Program Courses(Trainee requirements in addition to all PhD Program Courses)
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ADVISING
Each student is assigned a faculty advisor upon entry to the
program. The assignments take into account mutual areas of scholarly
interest and serve as a "starting point" for faculty resources—for
procedural matters and questions, facilitating contact with other
faculty and thus helping the student form the Supervisory Committee.
The advisor helps the student develop an awareness of the culture
of the PhD Program and the academic community. In addition, the
advisor assists the student in developing the program of study
through which students clarify and further define their substantive
interests, identify useful courses and instructors, and gain information
about and linkages with community and university resources. [Students
entering the Predoctoral Prevention Research Training Program
are assigned advisors from among the faculty of this program.]
Once a Supervisory Committee is established, the chair becomes
the student's advisor.
FINANCIAL AID
Our School ensures that all students have some means of financial support during the 9-month school year for the first three years in the program and is frequently able to continue support beyond this point. In each of the first three years, the PhD Program Director assists students in obtaining funding from the School, other University of Washington sources, or external federal and private granting agencies. Each year, awards of stipends, fellowships, and research and teaching assistantships are made on the basis of resources available and match with areas of student interest. An award of a particular stipend or assistantship in one academic year does not carry a commitment for that same award in another year because both the grant situation and the applicant pool will change. Advanced teaching and research positions are available on a competitive basis. Students are encouraged to begin their efforts to secure dissertation research support early and to stay in communication with the PhD Program Director and the Associate Deans, who oversee assistantship assignments in consultation with the School Administration.
For trainees in the Prevention Research Training Program, up to three years of 12-month funded training is available. Trainees undergo annual evaluations for renewal of membership in the program.
Students with Graduate Student Service Appointments (TA, RA, Staff Assistant, Trainee, and Fellow), which provide salary, tuition waivers, and health benefits, must be registered for at least 10 credits each quarter during the academic year; these assistantships carry a work requirement of 20 hours a week. Appointments are contingent upon satisfactory academic progress and satisfactory performance of duties contracted for each appointment. The Graduate School prohibits students on probation from holding GSSA appointments. Most GSSA appointments are represented by UAW Local 4121 (http://www.uaw4121.org/; email: uaw4121@uaw4121.org).
Applicants of color are urged to contact the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program for application materials. These fellowship awards in mental health are competitive nationwide and are made directly to the applicant selected by CSWE and subsequently admitted to a social welfare doctoral program in the United States. Please contact CSWE directly about the program (http://www.cswe.org):
CSWE Minority Fellowship Program
1725 Duke Street, Suite 500
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 683-8080; or 519-2049
Fax: (703) 683-8099
email: mfp@cswe.org
ANNUAL AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
The School of Social Work has several special funds from which awards are granted.
- Boeing Endowed Fellowship
- The Boeing fellowship provides financial assistance to graduate students who are economically disadvantaged, with a preference given to minority students. The purpose is to support students with a commitment to research focused on providing effective services to diverse populations. This is typically a three-quarter fellowship with tuition waiver and is awarded during the first year.
- J. Scott Briar Endowed Fund
- In 1974, Dr. J. Scott Briar established the School of Social Work’s doctoral program. His emphasis on quality research education in the School’s doctoral and masters programs, and his leadership on the integration of practice research in the preparation of social work practitioners brought a distinctive identity and national stature to the School. The J. Scott Briar Endowed Fund acknowledges Dr. Briar’s long-standing commitment to and support for graduate students’ learning and professional development. This endowed fund provides an opportunity both to pay tribute to Dr. Briar’s contributions to social work education, research, and practice, and to strengthen the financial resources available to graduate students in the future. The fund provides support to doctoral students for tuition, research, or living expenses.
- Naomi Gottlieb Endowed Fellowship Fund
- The Gottlieb endowment was established in memory of Naomi Gottlieb, a faculty member who influenced hundreds of students through active mentoring, gentle advocacy, and constant support of their learning and professional development. This fund supports doctoral students in recognition of her profound commitment to students, particularly those of disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Doctoral Excellence Fund
- This discretionary fund supports the general activities of the PhD Program, which includes support for conference and training travel, special events, and dissertation research related expenses.
- Nancy R. Hooyman Intergenerational Fellowship for Intergenerational Studies
- This endowment provides financial assistance to graduate
students in the School of Social Work pursuing the knowledge,
understanding and skills necessary to incorporate intergenerational
components into their work. All social workers, no matter what
practice setting or field of study, will inevitably need to
be well versed in the policy and practices issues facing our
increasingly diverse and aging society. It is the donor’s
and the School’s hope that this fellowship will strengthen
the core of the excellence that exists within the School’s
student body by making the School even more attractive to top
caliber students.
During her 14-year tenure as Dean, Dr. Hooyman served as professor, mentor, friend, and advocate for students, faculty, staff, practitioners, alumni, and friends of the School.
- Magnuson Award
- Each year the six University of Washington Health Sciences Schools nominate a student for selection as a Magnuson Scholar for the coming academic year. Selection criteria are academic performance and the student's potential for contribution to research in the health sciences. This is a full-year fellowship of approximately $30,000.
- NIMH Prevention Research Training Program
- Six doctoral students are funded each year as trainees in this program (see Predoctoral Prevention Research Training Program). Students are typically funded during for two to three years of study.
- NIMH Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program
- Doctoral students from the six Health Sciences Schools participate in this year-long (12-month) traineeship. The Program, seeks to develop and provide core clinical research didactic content integrated into required curricula, and trainees receive a graduate certificate in basic clinical research on completion of the program requirements.
The University Graduate School also offers many fellowships
that Social Welfare students have a history of success in obtaining.
- Bank of America Endowed Minority and Presidential Diversity Fellowships
- These competitive 9-month fellowships, for which all departments of the University are eligible, are intended to increase the number of doctorates granted to students of diverse backgrounds who will contribute to the level of diversity within their discipline or the graduate community at large. The fellowships provide two years of support at a financial level equivalent to a student assistantship with tuition waiver and benefits. It covers the first and last years in the program, and the School of Social Work commits to ensuring funding for years two and three in the program.
- Stroum Minority Fellowship
- As with the Bank of America Fellowship, this award supports students who will increase the diversity of students in a program. It is a 9-month fellowship that can be either a first year recruitment award or a final year dissertation award.
- William and Marilyn Connor Graduate Fellowship
- Graduate fellowships for recruiting outstanding students. These fellowships provide 9 months of funding with tuition waiver and benefits for new students entering the University.
- Huckabay Teaching Fellowships
- This Graduate School fellowship program provides support for one quarter at the TA level. The fellowship provides graduate students an opportunity to develop and work on a specific project focused on teaching and learning at the university level. Projects are proposed by students with teaching mentors either from the UW or nearby community colleges or other colleges.
- Graduate School Dissertation Fellowships
- The Graduate School has several dissertation fellowships that are awarded competitively on an annual basis and typically cover one quarter of effort.
| Applicants may obtain answers to additional questions by mail: School of Social Work PhD Office 4101 - 15th Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98105-6299 Phone: (206) 685-1680 FAX: (206) 543-1228 Email: phdmhpr@u.washington.edu. |
2008-2009 Steering Committee:
Social Welfare PhD
Program
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Gunnar Almgren Elena Erosheva Karl Hill Nancy Hooyman |
Susan P. Kemp Paula Nurius Macia Meyers Morna McEachern
|
Monica Oxford Jennifer Stuber David Takeuchi Eric Waithaka
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