Study the social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities.
Saint Louis University's graduate social work program is among the top 20 percent in the nation, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. If you want a career in social work, our programs are designed to get you there.
Saint Louis University's Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work provides rigorous coursework and research training to prepare graduates for positions in academia, applied research and policy settings. Small class sizes facilitate an atmosphere of intellectual dialogue that fosters relationships between students and faculty.
SLU's Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work requires 72 credits and offers rigorous methodological and interdisciplinary training for social workers and related professionals.
There are three phases to the doctoral studies curriculum:
Building on the foundations of required coursework, students will develop individualized plans of study that will meet intellectual and professional requirements. These concentrations consist mainly of elected coursework and participation in mentored research. Students will also complete a dissertation project corresponding with educational and professional goals.
SLU's Ph.D. in Social Work provides a solid foundation for an academic career or as a social work research scientist in practice or policy settings. The program has a strong interdisciplinary and methodological orientation.
Applicants must hold a master's degree in social work or closely related field.
TOEFL score of 92 or higher or PTE Academic score.
All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:
February 15.
The admissions committee considers several factors to determine eligibility: academic achievement, strength of the undergraduate program, application information, personal statement, work experience, any graduate degrees earned, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, motivation, and a commitment to a research career. The undergraduate and graduate GPA is weighted with other criteria in the admissions process.
Newly accepted students and students in the first year of the program are eligible to apply for the Diversity, Dissertation and Presidential university-funded fellowship. Students must apply to be nominated by the School of Social Work by January 15.
Other university scholarships that do not require nomination by a department/school are also available.
Full-time students normally receive a graduate assistantship with the School of Social Work.
Students can apply for a full or partial graduate assistantship with the School of Social Work.
The College for Public Health and Social Justice offers several ways to help finance graduate education. Opportunities include a limited number of merit-based scholarships and graduate research assistantships. Awards are made to applicants with the highest combinations of GPAs and test scores who complete their applications by the priority deadlines.
For more information, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
SWRK 6000 | Foundations of Theory Development in Social Work | 3 |
SWRK 6010 | Principles of Statistics & Data Analysis | 3 |
SWRK 6020 | Research Design & Measurement | 3 |
SWRK 6030 | Multivariate Data Analysis | 3 |
SWRK 6040 | Research Area Synthesis | 3 |
PUBH 5030 | Methodological Approaches to Understanding Population Health | 3 |
Elective Courses | ||
Select 42 credits 1 | 42 | |
Dissertation | ||
Select 12 credits | 12 | |
Total Credits | 72 |
1 | Students can petition to have up to 24 credits of electives count toward the 72-credit total from an approved M.S.W. or closely-related Master’s degree. |
Students are required to participate in teaching practicums that prepare students to teach their own course in either the B.S.S.W. or M.S.W. program or in the applied behavior analysis and criminology degree programs. Further, there are required professional development workshops that provide students with the opportunity to build their unique professional skills outside of formal coursework or research.
As required by the Office of Graduate Education, the doctoral program administers written examinations following successful completion of the doctoral course series, the methods core coursework and the required elective courses. The written examinations are structured to assess the student's knowledge and skills in the foundational, contextual, methodological and analytical skills needed of all social work researchers.
The written examination assesses students’ achievement of the doctoral competencies covered within the general and concentration curricula and also reflects their expertise in a specific area of research. The written examinations combine two components:
The written exam is conducted by a committee of three faculty members who are likely to comprise the dissertation committee. Questions are approved by the director of the doctoral program. The exam takes place across two sequential days and can be arranged anytime during the school year. The written exam should reflect competencies covered in the doctoral course series and reflected topically in the research area synthesis. As such, questions can be generated that focus on a research area but are also tied to theoretical and methodological issues.
The oral examination is intended to focus on the proposal of the dissertation. The presentation usually consists of a statement of the problem, literature review, and the research design prepared for the investigation. The exam is structured to assess the student’s comprehensive knowledge of prior literature, ability to integrate knowledge across the discipline, and ability to design an appropriate research approach that significantly expands this body of knowledge. This is when the student presents a proposal for what they intend to do prior to actually starting their research.
The oral examination must follow the written exams and is normally scheduled after the student completes all structured academic coursework.
Upon completion of the dissertation, students publicly present and defend their dissertation before their dissertation committee.
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
Year One | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
SWRK 6000 | Foundations of Theory Development in Social Work | 3 |
SWRK 6010 | Principles of Statistics & Data Analysis | 3 |
PUBH 5010 | Mission and Practice of Global Public Health | 3 |
Credits | 9 | |
Spring | ||
SWRK 6020 | Research Design & Measurement | 3 |
SWRK 6030 | Multivariate Data Analysis | 3 |
PUBH 5030 | Methodological Approaches to Understanding Population Health | 3 |
Credits | 9 | |
Year Two | ||
Fall | ||
Methods Course 1 | 3 | |
Methods Course 1 | 3 | |
Elective 2 | 3 | |
Credits | 9 | |
Spring | ||
SWRK 6040 | Research Area Synthesis | 3 |
Elective 2 | 3 | |
Elective 2 | 3 | |
Credits | 9 | |
Year Three | ||
Fall | ||
Completion of Written Exam, Teaching Experience, and Workshop from Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning | ||
SWRK 6990 | Dissertation | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Spring | ||
Completion of Oral Exam, Teaching Experience, and Workshop from Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning | ||
SWRK 6990 | Dissertation | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Year Four | ||
Fall | ||
SWRK 6990 | Dissertation | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Spring | ||
Completion of Dissertation Defense | ||
SWRK 6990 | Dissertation | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Total Credits | 48 |
1 | Behavioral Science, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, or Other |
2 | To be determined by the student and mentor based on the needs for the overall plan of study. Can be taken in departments inside or outside of the College |
Written Examination: Written exams are based on theory, methods, and research topic knowledge as determined by the research area synthesis committee.
Teaching Practicum: A minimum of two semesters of course assistance or independent teaching in School of Social Work undergraduate and/or graduate program is required. All students must complete at least one teaching workshop from the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning.
Dissertation: Students are permitted to choose a traditional or non-traditional academic dissertation format. The traditional format involves the proposal, the research defense, and an oral defense. The body of the non-traditional format constitutes three thematic studies (three paper dissertation) where the student must be the first author on three of these papers.
Doctoral Program in Social Work
Michael Vaughn, Ph.D.
Professor of Social Work
Director of Ph.D. Program in Social Work
michael.vaughn@slu.edu
Deb Jaegers
Admissions Assistant and Program Coordinator
deb.jaegers@slu.edu
314-977-2719