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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. Our graduates primarily work in academic and research positions.
The PhD program requirements emphasize preparation for research and teaching roles, including hands-on experience through supervised practica in addition to speakers, workshops, and seminars. The doctoral faculty are ranked among the most productive in the nation and have a high level of grant funding. In addition to being among the top contributors nationwide to research and scholarship, the School has developed special depth in prevention/intervention research opportunities. The University of Washington has achieved national recognition for its educational innovations. And our School participates in many innovative programs to develop teaching skills.
One feature of the PhD program is its interdisciplinary character. The program’s nationally prominent, multicultural faculty include scholars with a range of research foci and collaborative ties with other disciplines. The program 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 take a portion of their coursework outside the School of Social Work. They are expected to develop a strong theoretical framework for their knowledge-building activities and frequently work with faculty in other schools and departments in the University; for example, students are encouraged to include scholars from other disciplines on their supervisory committees.
The PhD program is constructed so that each student develops an in-depth plan of study that focuses on a well-defined substantive area of interest in the field of social welfare. During the first 2 years, students complete required classes and begin defining their specialized area and developing the 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 members whose expertise complements the student's learning objectives. Training objectives emphasize 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.
All PhD students are expected to exit the program with substantial research skills. Effectively, this means that in addition to a basic grounding in quantitative and qualitative research methods, students acquire specialized methodological and advanced data analysis skills necessary for productive scholarship in the substantive area they have chosen. (See Guidelines for Research and Teaching Competencies, Appendix A.)
In parallel with the research expertise, the program involves the development of teaching skills. Students participate in required courses on teaching training and acquire the necessary skills to function effectively as classroom teachers and educational leaders. (See Guidelines for Research and Teaching Competencies.) Students are encouraged to seek additional teaching experiences beyond the coursework, and they have opportunities to become teaching assistants and independent lecturers as they progress through their doctoral studies.
Finally, by its very nature, the PhD program requires that students work independently. While assistance and support from faculty advisors and instructors, staff, and fellow students are readily available, the responsibility to search out opportunities, information, and collaborative relationships with faculty rests primarily with the student. This necessarily requires that students be proactive in defining their own goals and achieving appropriate learning experiences that build upon available resources.
Program Goals & 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 have assumed leadership positions in such areas
as teaching, research, administration, and policy analysis. In these
various capacities, they 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;
- the substantive knowledge of some field of social welfare with particular
emphasis on issues and questions within the field that require scholarly
attention;
- the competence to conduct empirical research that informs and advances
policy and/or practice in some area of social welfare;
- a balanced preparation for the professorate, including teaching, scholarship, and related faculty roles.
Four principal means are used to assess student progress toward the attainment of these objectives: examinations and papers required in individual classes, the First-year Comprehensive Examination and formal Doctoral General Examination, hands-on experience in teaching and research practice, and the Dissertation. Advisors and students meet on a regular basis with an emphasis placed on assisting students in developing effective strategic plans toward a successful educational experience.