PhD Degree Requirements
During the first three years in the program, the School of Social Work requires full-time enrollment, defined as 10 or more credits per quarter during the autumn, winter, and spring quarters. Although students may register part-time starting in their fourth year, they must register for at least 10 credits during any quarter they hold a research assistantship (RA) or teaching assistantship (TA). Students are strongly advised to remain in residence while working on their dissertation. (See the Doctoral Degree Requirements for details.)
General
The first year of the program is the most heavily prescribed, with required courses that must be taken in sequence and in combination. Starting In the summer following year 1, students take a comprehensive series of examinations covering the content of the first-year courses in methods, theory, and policy (approved by Social Welfare Faculty, May 2005).
During the second year, students have considerably more flexibility in selecting courses specifically related to their substantive and research methods interests. Students confer closely with advisors and members of their Supervisory Committee to choose courses relevant to their scholarly objectives. During the second and the third years, students research and write the required Qualifying Scholarly paper that serves as the written portion of the General Examination (approved by Social Welfare Faculty, May 2005).
Once all course requirements are successfully completed (the University of Washington Graduate School requires that doctoral students earn a minimum of 90 credits in order to graduate) and the Qualifying Scholarly Paper is approved by the Supervisory Committee, the Oral General Examination is scheduled, typically during the third year. After passing the Examination, the student is advanced to candidacy (PhC status) and begins formally working on the dissertation prospectus, followed by the dissertation. Completion and successful defense of the dissertation are required before the PhD is conferred.
Required Courses
Consistent 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. In addition all courses should endeavor to include objectives identified in the Social Justice Learning Objectives (from the PhD Program Manual). 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
NOTE: Most electives are offered every other year in rotation.
- Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research.
- Advanced Topics in Data Analysis.
- Social Movements and Participatory Action Research Methods.
- West Coast Poverty Center Seminar Series
- Research to Policy
- Interdisciplinary Prevention Science: Children and Adolescents. Overview of developmental perspective examining factors that promote or inhibit health development at different stages and during transitions (focus on birth through age 21).
- Promoting Well-Being among At-Risk Groups: guidance for Health promotion/prevention Research.
Statistics Track
The 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.
For more information see Statistics Track.
Additional Course Expectations
In 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 Qualifying 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.
PhD Quarterly Schedule
For more information, see PhD Course Descriptions. This is a sample schedule and subject to change.
1st Year |
2nd Year |
2nd & 3rd Year |
4th & 5th Year |
Throughout Program |
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Required Courses |
Optional Courses |
Required Courses |
Required Courses |
Required Courses |
Electives |
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Autumn 11 credits required |
Statistics I: Soc 504 (3) Soc WL 552: Contemporary Social Welfare Policy (3) Soc WL 598: Theory and Metatheory in Social Research (3) Soc WL 558: Integrative Seminar (1) Soc WI 573: Pro Seminar: Cross-Cohort Collaborative Research Career Development (1) |
Soc WL 556: West Coast Poverty Ctr Seminar (1) |
Soc WL 559: Preparing to Teach: Instructional Theory and Practice (3) Additional courses/seminars for a total of 10 credits per quarter. See 2nd& 3rd years. |
These courses may be completed any quarter during the second year. Soc WL 582: Research Practicum (3) Soc WL 583: Research Practicum (3) Soc WL 584: Teaching Practicum (3) |
†Three (3) Advanced Research Methods/ Data Analysis courses;
At least one must be qualitative or mixed methods content +Two of the three required Methods courses must be numerically graded.
Two (2) Social Science Theory Courses ††One of the two required Theory courses must be numerically graded. ++Two (2) or more numerically graded substantive courses. |
Soc WL 800: (27) Dissertation (Total credits must total at least 27 over at least three (3) quarters After achieving candidacy, these can be taken whenever you wish - minimum 2 credits/quarter) Recommended: Soc WL 591: Special Topics: Career Seminar (1 credit each for Autumn/Winter/ Spring quarters) |
Soc WL 556: West Coast Poverty Ctr Seminar (1) Soc WL 585: Qualitative Methods in Social Welfare Research I (3) Soc WL 589: Multivariate Data Analysis (4)| |
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Winter 11 credits required |
Statistics II: Soc 505 (3)
Soc WL 580: Introduction to
Soc WL 581: Introduction to Soc WL 558: Integrative Seminar (1) Soc WI 573: Pro Seminar: Cross-Cohort Collaborative Research Career Development (1) |
Soc WL 556: West Coast Poverty Ctr Seminar (1)
CSSS 505: Review of Mathematics for |
*SOC WL 573 is a required course for years 1-3 Students select courses/seminars for a total of 10 credits per quarter. See 2nd& 3rd years.
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Soc WL 556: West Coast Poverty Ctr Seminar (1) |
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Spring 11 credits required |
Statistics III: Soc 506 (3) Soc WL 553: Policy Implementation/Organization (3) Soc WL 599: Theory Development for Social Research (3) Soc WL 558: Integrative Seminar (1)
Soc WI 573: Pro Seminar: Cross-Cohort Collaborative Research |
Soc WL 556: West Coast Poverty Ctr Seminar (1) |
Soc WL 556:West Coast Poverty Ctr Seminar (1) Soc WL 557: Dissertation and Career Seminar (3) Soc WL 586: Qualitative Methods in Social Welfare Research II (3) |
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PhD Program Milestones
YEAR |
PROGRAM MILESTONE |
RECOMMENDED TIMELINE |
FINAL DEADLINE* |
FUNDING STATUS |
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YEAR 1 |
First Year Comprehensive Exam |
Summer after Year 1 |
Before beginning of fall term year 2 (if rewrites are needed) |
Guaranteed Academic Year Funding |
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Individual Development Plan (IDP)** |
Spring/Summer Year 1 - Draft in consultation with advisor and Program Director |
Presented to doctoral faculty fall quarter of Year 2 |
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YEAR 2 |
Complete Coursework including Research and Teaching Practica |
Majority of coursework completed throughout Year 2 |
Spring of Year 3 |
Guaranteed Academic Year Funding |
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Identification of Chair Formation of Supervisory Committee |
Select chair winter term | Form full committee by spring term |
End of summer term |
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YEAR 3 |
Outline of Qualifying Paper approved by Committee and submitted to Program Office |
Fall |
Winter |
Guaranteed Academic Year Funding |
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General Examination (Qualifying Paper and Oral): Advance to Candidacy (PhC) |
Spring |
End of fall term Year 4 |
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YEAR 4 |
Formation of Reading and Supervisory Committee for Dissertation |
Fall |
End of winter term Year 4 |
Guaranteed Academic Year Funding |
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Dissertation Prospectus approved |
Fall |
Spring of Year 4 |
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YEAR 5 |
Dissertation Completion and Defense |
End of Spring Year 5 |
End of spring Year 6 |
Funding Not Guaranteed |
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*Failure to meet the Final Deadline will result in evaluation for Academic Waming and a statement of the deadlines the student must meet within the following quarter. These deadlines must be met to avoid Academic Probation, a Graduate School status in which the student has one quarter to complete academic work or face termination from the program. |
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** End of Term means the last day of the quarter as noted by the UW academic time schedule. |
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