Programs

The Graduate School-New Brunswick, in cooperation with the School of Social Work, offers programs leading to a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in social work. Programs for students seeking a master of social work are provided by the School of Social Work. Students may find descriptions of those courses in the catalog of that professional school.

The Ph.D. program in social work prepares students for academic positions, advanced research in social work and related fields, and for leadership roles within social work and social welfare.

The program is designed for students who have earned a master of social work (M.S.W.) degree or a master's degree in a closely related field. Students are required to take courses in research and statistics. Students also take electives and one or more courses in a cognate discipline outside social work.

In addition to coursework, students must complete a research internship, take a qualifying examination, and submit a dissertation. The research internship, which is done under the direction of a faculty member, prepares students to do the independent research needed for the dissertation. The qualifying examination ensures that a student has acquired the necessary background before starting dissertation research. Only when all other requirements are met do students research and write their dissertation under direction of a faculty member and a doctoral committee.

Preparation includes 18 credits of graduate-level research methods and statistics courses, 6 to 9 credits in social work content, and 6 to 9 credits of electives, including social sciences or other courses outside of social work. Once a student has completed satisfactorily 12 credits of coursework, he or she may transfer as many as 12 credits from the prior master's program.

Students take their qualifying examination after they have completed 36 to 48 credits of coursework. Each is admitted to candidacy for the degree after his or her research proposal has won approval from the committee. While working on his or her dissertation, a student is required to register for 24 research credits. It takes 72 credits to earn a Ph.D.