The PhD in Social Work program is designed to prepare experienced social work professionals as leaders, researchers, educators, and supervisors in the field. This program offers students an opportunity to engage in a core body of social work knowledge and processes that focus on the history and development of the profession, contemporary issues in social work, advanced social work theory and practice, program planning and evaluation, and research methods leading to a dissertation experience designed to prepare students for their roles as leaders and advocates for social change in the field.
Graduates of this program are able to:
These courses are dependent upon the particular specialization. Please see the course list on each specialization page.
Courses comprising the Foundation Research Sequence are conducted online and require weekly readings, participation in discussions, and assignment completion. Course instructors guide discussions and evaluate discussion and application assignments. RSCH 8110 must be completed prior to Residency 2 of the academic residencies. RSCH 8210 and RSCH 8310 must be completed prior to beginning the dissertation or attending Residency 3.
All PhD students are required to complete one advanced-level research course that mirrors the methodology of their intended dissertations. The university offers three advanced courses; individual programs may have other advanced options. Students should refer to their specific programs of study to determine program-specific requirements.
One of the following three courses is required:
Dissertation Writing Courses
Students take this course for a minimum of three quarters and are continuously enrolled until completion of their dissertation with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval.
To complete a doctoral dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the chief academic officer. Students must also publish their dissertation on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the Dissertation Guidebook.
Students undertake courses in the following sequence.
Quarter | Course | Credits |
---|---|---|
Quarter 1 |
SOCW 8002 - Foundations of Graduate Study |
3 credits |
SOCW 8110 - Advanced Social Work Theory and Practice |
5 credits | |
Complete Residency 1 as soon as you begin your program; should be completed in Term 1 or Term 2. | ||
Quarter 2 |
RSCH 8110 - Research Theory, Design, and Methods |
5 credits |
SOCW 8112 - Social Work Scholarship |
5 credits | |
SOCW 9001A - Building Doctoral Socialization and Competency 1 |
1 credits | |
Quarter 3 |
SOCW 8137 - Contemporary Issues, Social Change, and Social Policy |
5 credits |
Specialization Course 1 | 5 credits | |
SOCW 9002A - Building Doctoral Socialization and Competency 2 |
1 credits | |
Quarter 4 |
SOCW 8138 - Program and Practice Evaluation |
5 credits |
RSCH 8210 - Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis |
5 credits | |
SOCW 9003A - Building Doctoral Socialization and Competency 3 |
1 credits | |
Complete Residency 2 within 18 months of your start date or linked to your registration for or completion of your first research course. | ||
Quarter 5 | Specialization Course 2 | 5 credits |
RSCH 8310 - Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis |
5 credits | |
SOCW 9004A - Building Doctoral Socialization and Competency 4 |
1 credits | |
Complete Residency 3 by the end of your third year. | ||
Quarter 6 | Specialization Course 3 | 5 credits |
RSCH 8260 - Advanced Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis ORRSCH 8360 - Advanced Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis ORRSCH 8460 - Advanced Mixed-Methods Reasoning and Analysis |
5 credits | |
SOCW 9005A - Building Doctoral Socialization and Competency 5 |
1 credits | |
Quarter 7 |
SOCW 8550 - Preparing for Dissertation |
5 credits |
Quarter 8+ |
SOCW 9000 - Dissertation* |
5 credits per term for a minimum of 3 terms; taken continuously until completion |
Complete residency 4 after your prospectus is approved as follows:
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Optional: Complete a PhD dissertation intensive (DRWI 8500) during your dissertation. Contact Student Success Advising to register. |
*Students take this course for a minimum of three quarters and are continuously enrolled until completion of their dissertation with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval. In general, students are continuously registered in the dissertation course until they complete their dissertation, and it is approved. This usually takes longer than the minimum required terms in the dissertation course shell.
Students who start or readmit to doctoral programs at Walden University in the university catalog for academic year 2017 or later will complete the university’s required doctoral writing assessment. Designed to evaluate incoming doctoral students’ writing skills, this assessment aims to help prepare incoming doctoral students to meet the university’s expectations for writing at the doctoral level.
In general, students are continuously registered in the dissertation/doctoral study course until they complete their capstone project and it is approved. This usually takes longer than the minimum required terms in the dissertation/doctoral study course shell.
Students have up to 8 years to complete their doctoral degree requirements (see Enrollment Requirements in the student handbook). Students may petition to extend the 8-year maximum time frame, but an extension is not guaranteed.
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