PhD in Social Work

The doctoral program seeks to develop future scholars and leaders in social work and social welfare who can take on complex social problems. It draws on the school's commitment to social justice and to empowering historically marginalized and vulnerable populations, with rigorous training in theory, research methods and professional values. Graduates are trained in multiple research methods and in connections with neighboring social and behavioral disciplines. Outcomes include doctoral-level mastery of an interdisciplinary area of inquiry and skill in careful applied scholarship that adds something significant and new to social work. The program is full-time, and one cohort is welcomed each year, starting in September. Post-master's students take at least sixteen courses and a minimum of sixty-three units, covering core social work knowledge, a specialization organized around a population or social problem, and teaching requirements.