PhD in Social Work

Bryn Mawr hosts its social work doctorate within its graduate school devoted to social work and social research. The school conferred the earliest social work Ph.D. awarded anywhere in the country, in 1920, and it continues to enroll scholars from many states and from other nations. The curriculum reflects long-standing strengths: clinical work, social theory, and research methods. Each entering group is small, so students work closely with one another and with faculty, and they gather often to develop new projects and talk through questions that arise in teaching. The aim is a community that looks across conventional divisions in the field. Every doctoral student receives the same level of funding rather than vying for baseline funding while taking classes, with tuition fully waived and a stipend to help with living costs. Alumni go on to academic posts in the United States and abroad and to leadership positions. The program page provides application instructions, curriculum and research information, and introductions to current doctoral students.