Academic Programs - PhD
Welcome from the PhD Program Director
I am very pleased with your decision to enroll in our doctoral program. Doctoral education in our School of Social Work is an exciting, intellectual challenge. We are an old program with a traditional legacy of education and scholarship. Our graduates have made important scholarly contributions to social work practice in education, research, and leadership programs. Many of our graduates are highly regarded as faculty, deans, and directors in other Schools of Social Work.
We are a dynamic program. One new component of our School, the Center for Race and Social Problems, offers exciting new research opportunities for both faculty and students. In addition, we have faculty examining a variety of research questions relating to mental health services, including the barriers that clients experience to seeking care, and a large training grant in child welfare services enhances the array of specialized courses and skills in this field of practice.
Currently, we have over 30 students in our doctoral program. Between six to ten students enter each year, coming from a variety of regions, countries, educational, and practice backgrounds. As a result of a committed faculty who work closely with our doctoral students, our student completion rate is high. We encourage students, upon their entry to the program, to identify an area of specialization which they can explore in their course papers and assignments. Their expertise in this area grows as they move through the program, becoming the base for their comprehensive exam and dissertation.
We appreciate your interest in our doctoral program and wish you the best in your efforts.
Sincerely,
Valire Carr Copeland, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor and Director of the Doctoral Program