Ph.D. in Social Work
Description
The Ph.D. in Social Work program is designed for practitioners to develop scientific research skills so that they can engage in scholarship that improves the health and wellbeing of individuals, groups, and communities. We train clinical practitioners to become researchers and social scientists. Our research courses are rigorous with an applied focus. We emphasize using empirical evidence to effect social change and promote social justice. PhD program faculty mentor students to develop academic and professional careers that include research, teaching, and leadership roles. The DEIPAR (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Intersectionality, Power & Anti-Racists) framework, that underlies all School of Social Work programs, is infused across PhD programming.
Learning Outcomes
The Ph.D. program advances student scholarship and research competencies through coursework in qualitative and quantitative research methods, statistical analysis, epistemology, theory, and social welfare policy. Students are required to take eleven research-focused courses. In addition, students have opportunities to participate in research initiatives through practice and assistantships.
The Ph.D. program prepares students to become skilled and effective educators. They receive formal training in the pedagogy of adult learning — in courses and through a teaching practicum — and are offered opportunities to teach with our professors in our on-ground and online platforms.
Requirements for Entry into the Program
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with an appropriate distribution of liberal arts courses. In addition, they must hold a master’s degree from a program in social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or master’s degree or higher in a related discipline with a minimum GPA of 3.0, a minimum of 2 years of experience working in the social work or related field. Application materials include academic transcripts, 3 recommendation letters, a personal statement of academic intent, a writing sample, and an interview with the program director. In recognition of the empirical evidence of the limited ability of GRE scores to predict program performance, the PhD program does not require the GRE for admission.
Delivery Modes Available
The Ph.D. program is offered on a part-time basis across three academic semesters per year (fall, spring and summer). Most coursework is offered on Thursdays during the fall and spring academic semesters. The summer semester is a 7-week accelerated term with courses offered once or twice a week. Students take a minimum of 6 credits per semester. All required coursework is completed in 2 years. The PhD program is piloting an online course delivery format in 2021-2022.
Other Degree Options
PhD students may obtain a four-course teaching certificate through the Simmons Health Professions Educational Doctorate degree program.
Degree Requirements
PhD students take 11 core courses and have 9 elective credits. Core courses are listed below. Elective credits may be obtained through Simmons University courses, including additional teaching, leadership or practice courses offered in the DSW program, through local university consortium programs in Boston or other options.
PhD Courses
All students are required to take the following courses, usually within the first two years of the program. Course are offered on a rotating calendar with some courses offered only every other year:
| SW 650 | Quantitative Scientific Methods | 3.00 |
| SW 651 | Intro to Stat & Data Analysis | 3.00 |
| SW 652 | Introduction to Multivariable Statistics | 3.00 |
| SW 624 | Intervention Research | 3.00 |
| SW 633 | Survey Research Methods | 3.00 |
| SW 654 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3.00 |
| SW 635 | Qualitative Data Analysis | 3.00 |
| SW 625 | Social and Behavioral Theory | 3.00 |
| SW 631 | Philosophy of Science | 3.00 |
| SW 634 | Policy Analysis in Political, Social and Economic Contexts | 3.00 |
| SW 670 | Integrating Public Policy Issues & Outcomes Into SW Research | 3.00 |
| SW 671 | Teaching Methodologies, Course Design, and Assessment | 3.00 |
Supplemental Courses
Students can take elective courses at any time during their tenure in the program.
Qualifying Exam for Candidacy
Upon successful completion of required coursework, students will take a written and oral exam on curricular content. In order to qualify for candidacy students must pass both the written and oral exam, and also submit an empirical manuscript to a scientific peer-reviewed journal approved by the faculty. Upon meeting these requirements, the student will move into candidacy, and be eligible to begin the dissertation process.
The Dissertation
Successful completion of the dissertation will demonstrate the candidate's ability to join the academy as an independent scholar. Specifically, the candidate will demonstrate empirical and conceptual knowledge, the ability to apply rigorous scientific methodology to a substantive area of study, and the capacity to articulate the applied relevance of the findings to the field. The doctoral candidate has the option to complete a traditional dissertation or three-paper dissertation.