Ph.D. in Social Work
Twente Hall
The Goal of The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare doctoral program is to prepare students to become leaders nationally and internationally in advancing social work practice and policy through research and scholarship. Our students graduate from the program with the critical knowledge and skills they need to become innovators as researchers/scholars, educators, and social policy analysts.
Our Faculty:
Our doctoral faculty have national reputations in their fields, with expertise in aging, child welfare, child mental health, adult mental health, corrections, juvenile justice, school social work, and poverty.
The KU School of Social Welfare faculty has consistently been ranked highly in published program comparisons based on criteria strongly related to our doctoral program faculty and students. For example, a study reported in the Journal of Social Service Research in 2007 ranked our faculty in the top 10 nationally in terms of publications in six major social work journals.
Current students report that faculty accessibility and interest in doctoral students is very high. In a survey of our recent graduates, a high percentage reported great satisfaction with the preparation they received in the KU School of Social Welfare doctoral program. They particularly commented on the quality of the faculty-student relationship.
"KU is a place where a
student can do independent thinking within an environment where
faculty and students see one another as part of a community."
(Recent doctoral graduate)
Our Students
Students who make the best fit for our program have professional
aspirations that match our overall goal. Our students come from diverse
backgrounds, interests, parts of the country, and regions of the world
(including Japan, Costa Rica, Korea, and China).. At any one time,
there are about 30-40 students at various stages of the program, and class
sizes are usually in the 6-10 range. In the last 2 years, a total of
12 students completed their dissertations and received the PhD degree. An
active student organization provides peer mentoring and support, and
students are well represented on curriculum committees. Students are
encouraged to publish articles and present papers at national and
international conferences.
Many of our students receive financial support as Graduate Research
Assistants (GRAs). Many of the GRAs receive funding through one of our
three research offices:
- Office of Aging and Long Term Care
- Office of Adult Mental Health
- Office of Child Welfare and Child Mental Health
Other research and funding opportunities are often available through individual faculty research projects in many areas. Applicants are asked to name their fields of interest to help match student interest with available funding opportunities.
"KU SSW offers varied research training opportunities with talented researchers backed by solid financial support."
(Recent doctoral graduate)
In addition, many of our students take advantage of opportunities to teach as Graduate Teaching Assistants.These students are carefully mentored to strengthen their teaching approaches and skills.
Our School and University
KU's School of Social Welfare is consistently ranked in the top tier among graduate social work programs nationally. However, we like to think that the best evidence of our excellence comes from our graduates and from the people who hire them.
The University of Kansas is a major, public research university, with
more than 100 programs of study and more than 40 nationally ranked programs.
.
Related Links
- Ph.D. Handbook
- Social Welfare Course Catalog [PDF Format]
- Graduate Catalog
Contact Us
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