Social Work, PhD
Social Work
Are you ready to shape the world as a social work scholar? In this doctoral program, you'll enjoy small class sizes while you select core courses from throughout the university for an individualized, interdisciplinary curriculum.
The purpose of the PhD program in social work is to train future social work scholars --- social work professionals engaged in research, teaching and service.
Supplementary to the coursework, this doctoral program offers students opportunities to be actively involved in both research and teaching. Students benefit from the close mentorship of the committed faculty and regular partnerships with many internal research centers and offices. Students also have valuable opportunities to develop a teaching portfolio, positioning them to succeed in academic careers.
- College/school:
Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut
- Location: Downtown Phoenix
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation
Required Social Work Courses (12 credit hours) Research Methods and Statistics (12 credit hours) Directed Electives (33 credit hours) Theory (3 credit hours) Research (12 credit hours) Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information Students develop their plan of study in consultation with the graduate supervisory committee. Required social work courses must be 700 level and approved by the doctoral program committee. Students should see the academic unit for approved course lists and other requirements for research methods and statistics courses, electives and theory coursework. Once the student has completed the 36 minimum course credit hours, they are required to register for 12 hours of SWG 792 Research before the defense of the prospectus, and 12 hours of SWG 799 Dissertation after the prospectus defense. The student must be registered for at least one credit hour during the semester, including summer, when they do their dissertation proposal defense. At least one of the dissertation hours must be taken in the semester during which the student expects to defend the dissertation.
SWG 792 Research (12)
SWG 799 Dissertation (12)
When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. The number of credit hours required for directed electives depends on approval of the number of blanket hours from a previously awarded master's degree. The doctoral program requires students to take a minimum of 36 course credit hours beyond the MSW, in addition to the required 24 credit hours of research and dissertation; 84 credit hours are required beyond the bachelor's degree. Students may need to take additional coursework to achieve the competency requirements set by the program or by their graduate supervisory committees.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in social work or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- curriculum vitae or resume
- personal statement
- three letters of reference
- required writing sample: social problem essay
- optional writing sample
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Admission to the doctoral program in the School of Social Work is based on the following criteria:
- a Master of Social Work degree from an accredited school of social work, preferably with two or more years of postdegree employment in human services
- experience in social work teaching or research and other scholarly activities
- experience with diverse populations
- goodness-of-fit with program goals
- good professional standing
- undergraduate and graduate GPA
- quality and extensiveness of social work experience
- research potential and creativity as demonstrated in requested essays and references
Though a Master of Social Work degree is preferred, exceptions may be made for students with a BSW from an accredited school of social work and a master's degree in a related field and for students from countries without accreditation.
Applicants have the option of submitting a sample of their written work. Examples include a refereed journal article, a class paper and a professional report (such as one might write in an agency setting). The writing sample should illustrate the applicant's ability to succeed in the doctoral program. Guidelines for writing the statement can be found at the program website.
All required admission materials are submitted directly to graduate admission services. Students should contact the School of Social Work at 602-496-0800 with any questions about the application process.
Students should see the program website for application deadlines.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
- Students will develop an individual teaching philosophy for social work education.
- Students will apply knowledge of research methods to an area of social work scholarship.
- Students will develop a research proposal in an original area of social work scholarship.
Graduates are prepared to enter careers in applied research that enhance human well-being, particularly among oppressed and vulnerable populations, and to educate the next generation of social workers.
School of Social Work
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UCENT 800
sswphd@asu.edu
602-496-0800
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
