School of Social Work—Doctor of Philosophy Program
Social work doctoral education prepares people for leadership roles in social work research, social work education, social policy, planning, and administration. The goal of the doctoral program of the School of Social Work is to provide students with advanced research and policy analysis skills based on a foundation of social science theory and social welfare. The doctoral program is committed to the school's mission to address human dignity, social justice, and social equity for diverse populations. Program graduates will be able to conduct research that addresses social welfare and policy problems and to disseminate knowledge to researchers, social work practitioners, and policy makers.
The University of Pittsburgh has one of the oldest social work doctoral programs in the United States, awarding its first DSW degrees in 1949. In 1963, the program's degree was changed to a PhD. Information regarding the Doctor of Philosophy Program is available online at www.socialwork.pitt.edu/academic-programs/phd/.
In addition to the description of the PhD in Social Work given below, doctoral students should consult the Regulations Pertaining to Doctoral Degrees in the General Academic Regulations section of this document.
Contact Information
- Office of Admissions—Mary Pat Elhattab
- School of Social Work
- Room 2110 Cathedral of Learning
- 412-624-6348
- E-mail: elhattab@pitt.edu
- www.socialwork.pitt.edu
Applications should be received no later than December 31 of each year. Admission to the program is on a full time basis for the Fall Term only. The doctoral program is strongly committed to a policy of equal educational opportunity for people of all races, creeds, and ethnic origins.
Program Transfer Credits
Students who have earned graduate-level credits at the University of Pittsburgh or at another accredited institution within seven years preceding entry to the doctoral program may be eligible for advanced standing. Advanced standing consists of awarding academic credit toward the degree for post-master's work completed when such work is evaluated as entirely comparable. Official transcripts certifying graduate course work completed in a degree-granting graduate program should be submitted at the time of application. The maximum number of credits that can be transferred and accepted for advanced standing is 12.
See Allowable Credits in the General Academic Regulations section of this bulletin for more details on requirements for transfer credits.
Financial Support for Doctoral Students
Doctoral students are supported in Years 1 and 2 by research-based Graduate Student Assistantships (GSAs), and in Years 3 and 4 by Teaching Assistantships (TAs). Exceptional students with teaching experience may apply for our Teaching Fellowships (TFs). Both GSAs and TA/TFs provide tuition remission and stipends for the Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms. There is a 20-hour-per-week work requirement.
Typically the student receives GSA or TA support for four years as long as the student is making satisfactory progress toward the degree. If a fifth year is required, it is usually supported by adjunct funding. Students are also encouraged to apply for pre-doctoral research traineeships and other awards.
Doctoral Curriculum Objectives
The curriculum that has been developed for the doctoral program strongly emphasizes social problem areas as coordinating themes in theory, research methodology, and social policy courses. The overall goal is to integrate the acquisition of basic knowledge, methods of empirical testing, and application to real-world situations. Course materials draw heavily on several priority areas of social work concern, including mental illness, income maintenance, women's issues, family policy, and issues related to diverse populations.
By the time students have completed the program, they should have acquired the following:
- Knowledge of relevant social science theory
- Advanced skills in research methodology and statistics
- Advanced knowledge of social welfare policy (historical and contemporary) and policy analysis
- Knowledge of relevant fields of practice, theoretical and policy perspectives, and research findings
- Exposure to an interdisciplinary frame of reference through mechanisms provided internally by the doctoral program and externally through access to other disciplines and professions in the wider University
Although entering students are not required to have completed course work or other experience relevant to computer literacy, possessing basic computer skills will be an asset to students beginning the program.
Doctoral Requirements
The doctoral program requires nine core courses, one policy elective, plus a minimum of six electives, which may be 2-, 3- or 4-credit courses. Students will spend two years meeting their course requirements. (Full-time is defined as 9 or more credit hours per semester.) An approximate timetable of the general flow of full-time students through the program is as follows:*
Curriculum
Courses are taken in the fall and spring terms during the student's first and second years; summer courses are needed if a student desires a nine-credit schedule for fall and spring terms and/or is enrolled in one of the joint degree programs (no more than 12 credits are recommended for the student's first semester in the program). Learn more about our curriculum.
Comprehensive Examination
Students take a comprehensive examination after completion of all required and elective courses. Comprehensive exams are offered once a year, in late August.
Doctoral Dissertaion
The doctoral dissertation involves:
- Submission and approval of a brief description of proposed dissertation research: after passing the comprehensive examination (Admission to Candidacy)
- Defense of a dissertation overview: after committee review of dissertation overview, composed of the chapters of the dissertation inclusive of an introduction to the problem, literature review, and research design and methods
- Final dissertation defense: at least one year following admission to candidacy
Grades in Course Work
It is required that students will maintain an average grade point average of 3.00 or better in all course work. If a student receives a grade lower than B- in a required course, the course will have to be repeated. Whether the courses are required or elected, more than one grade of C+ or lower will be the basis for a formal Academic Review.
Program Flexibility and Individualization
An individual student's program should reflect the student's developing professional expertise, career goals, and personal interest. This program, therefore, maintains as much flexibility and individualization as possible.
This individualization is built upon the core curriculum through planning for elective course work and enrichment experiences, including teaching and research assistantships. The PhD program provides a set of structured and integrated core courses that can be applied to each students's area of specialization. This core curriculum is supplemented by six elective courses that allow students to obtain more depth in their specialization areas. Faculty advisors work closely with students in planning their course work and progress through the doctoral program.
A minimum of three years of full-time study is required for doctoral program completion. The curriculum is distributed between a nine-course core curriculum and elective courses followed by the comprehensive examination and doctoral disseration.
Core Doctoral Curriculum
During the first two academic years in the program, students are primarily involved in taking the required courses in the four essential areas of study: social welfare, social science theory, research methods, and social policy. Part-time students are required to select among these areas in the first year of course work. These core courses are provided by the doctoral program. A brief description of each area of study follows with a listing of credits awarded and sterms offered. All 1st year students are required to take ther non-credit Doctoral Seminar. More information on each doctoral course is available in the Student Handbook.
Required (Core) Courses
Research Methods
A. Statistics:
SWRES 3029 (Fall I) Inferential Statistics (3 crs.)
SWRES 3021 (Spring II) Multivariate Methods (4 crs.)
B. Research
SWRES 3020 (Fall I) Research Methods I (3 crs.)
SWRES 3022 (Fall) Capstone II (3 crs.)
SWRES 3023 (Spring) Capstone II (3 crs.)
Social Science Theory
SWGEN 3053 (Fall I) Social Science Theory I (3 crs.)
SWGEN 3044 (Spring I) Social Science Theory II (3 crs.)
Social Welfare
SWWEL 3030 (Fall II) Evaluation of American Social Welfare History and Policy (3 crs.)
Social Policy
SWWEL 3037 (Spring II) Social Policy Analysis (3crs.)
One additional policy course (2-3 crs.)
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Elective Courses |
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| In addition to the above core course requirements, the student selects six elective courses to pursue more specialized interests. All electives must be at least 2 credit graduate level courses. Elective options available in the program, including the Joint Public Health Master's/Social Work PhD option and the graduate certificate in women studies offer particular advantages but tend to restrict the number of electives open to students. Although some doctoral elective courses are offered within Social Work, students are encouraged to take relevant course work in other schools and departments of the University. Many social welfare-related fields are open: sociology, economics, women's studies, political science, law, urban affairs, public health, and others. The student can choose his or her courses from all graduate programs in the University. The students may take no more than two MSW courses for elective credit. All electives must be approved by the student's advisor as contributing to the student's area of specialization. |
Interdisciplinary Components of Doctoral Curriculum
In addition to the core doctoral courses, the student has six elective course selections to pursue more specialized interests. Certain options available in the program, especially the Joint Public Health Master's/Social Work PhD option and the graduate certificate in women's studies, offer particular advantages but tend to restrict the number of electives open to students. Students are encouraged to take graduate-level course work in other schools and departments of the University insofar as this is feasible within their program requirements. Many social welfare-related fields are open: sociology, economics, women's studies, social psychology, political science, law, urban affairs, public health, and others. The student can choose his or her courses from all graduate programs in the University. The student may take no more than two MSW courses as electives.
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