School of
Social Welfare
| KU is the only institution in the state to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in social work. School of Social Welfare faculty members are recognized internationally as leaders in the development of the strengths model of social work practice. All general Graduate School requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree must be met. See the Graduate School Catalog. Graduate School applications are online at www.graduate.ku.edu. |
Online Catalog
Doctor of Philosophy
Contents
Contents
The School and Its Programs
Contents
Master of Social Work
Application Procedure
for All Optioins
Credit for Course
Work Taken
Outside the School of Social
Welfare
Joint Degree Program in Social
Work and Law (M.S.W./J.D.)
Testing Out of First-year Courses
Post-graduate Education Options
Contents
Doctor of Philosophy
Contents
General Student Information
Contents
Social Work Courses
Contents
Field Practicum Agenices
LINKS: KU Home Page | University Relations | |
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Challenging ideas and creative thinking are happening at KU’s
School of Social Welfare. Our doctoral program is committed to advanced
research and scholarship. Our school continues to be a leading innovator
in advancing the strengths perspective for social work practice. Doctoral
students have played a key role in this exciting initiative.
Do Your Goals Include
- Joining an educational program whose philosophical focus builds on individual, family, and community strengths?
- Conducting research in the communities where clients live?
- Helping to build social work knowledge through all avenues of inquiry?
- Participating in a curriculum that critiques, extends, and revises conventional social work wisdom?
- Contributing to a social work knowledge base that promotes justice and celebrates diversity?
Then Consider Our Program
The Ph.D. program offers effective alternatives
for building knowledge and inquiring into social work practice and social
welfare policy. We are dedicated to educating scholars who can develop
knowledge for the profession through quantitative, qualitative, theoretical,
or conceptual analyses, and historiographic investigations. Our students
become conversant with the excitement and creativity in the profession
— how professionals come to know what they know, how they put that
knowledge into practice, and how it affects consumers.
The Curriculum
Our courses prepare students as scholars with conceptual and methodological sophistication.
- Proseminars focus on the intellectual history and current status of social work ideas and ideologies and on developing a critique and revision of that knowledge.
- In the research sequence, students learn both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, designs and advanced modes of analysis, and appropriate applications.
- The policy/practice courses provide the opportunity to analyze policies of interest to students and discover “best” practices as they affect a population. Students critically consider human problems, strengths, and strategies for change and transformation.
Teaching and Research
Our Ph.D. program contributes significantly to the model of strengths and community-based research, service, and education developed by the school. Under the direction of faculty members, many Ph.D. students help with research projects and serve as teaching assistants or field instructors. For example, doctoral research assistants work in such fields as aging, child welfare, criminal justice, cultural diversity issues, health and disability, mental health, social policy, and spiritual diversity.
It is part of the school’s mission to
focus on teaching, inquiry, and practice that benefit populations who
suffer oppression of all kinds. The school is committed to diversity and
multicultural perspectives. Many research and service projects are committed
to direct and positive impact on people of color, status minorities, and
oppressed peoples, individually, collectively, and internationally.
Ph.D. Admission
Qualifications for Admission
To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet the following
requirements:
- M.S.W. degree with minimum graduate grade-point average of 3.5 preferred. The admissions committee considers applicants without the M.S.W. who, through their professional activity, have been closely identified with the profession, its practice, and its values and ethics.
- Completion of the Graduate Record Examination within the past five years. Scores in at least the 50th percentile on two of three test areas are preferred.
- Basic statistical competence as demonstrated by completion of a basic statistics course at the graduate or undergraduate level with a grade of B or above within the last five years, or plan to complete the course.
- Two years of social work or related practice; two years of post-master’s professional social work experience is preferred.
- Ability for doctoral study in social work, demonstrated by a written statement of interests in research relevant to social work practice, letters of recommendation, and a record of scholarly or other professional achievement or both.
- Demonstrated ability for and interest in advanced scholarship and revision of existing bodies of knowledge.
- International students: TOEFL examination, completed within the past five years.
- Other requirements established by the Graduate School.
Admission Criteria
Criteria used in judging applications are the applicant’s potential
for excellence in academic performance, professional practice experience,
and potential for contributions to knowledge-building for social work.
Sources of judgment of these criteria include undergraduate
and graduate transcripts; publications, presentations, research proposals,
and scholarly works; references concerning professional practice and qualifications
for doctoral-level study and research; statement of research and scholarly
interests; and information on the applicant’s experience in professional
practice.
Application Procedure
Complete the Application for Admission to Graduate School and Supplemental
Application form online at www.graduate.ku.edu.
Send two official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts to the University of Kansas Graduate School, Graduate Application Processing Center, 1450 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 313, Lawrence, KS 66045-7535.
In addition, the following materials must be sent to the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, 1545 Lilac Lane, Room 107, Lawrence, KS 66044-3184:
- Graduate Record Examination scores.
- Letters of reference.
- International students also must submit TOEFL scores.
- Copies of scholarly work, such as journal articles, papers delivered, research reports, monographs.
- Statement of statistics course taken: title, institution, date of completion, and grade; or plan to complete the course.
- Statement of scholarly and research interests in social work practice.
Applications are not reviewed until all materials are received. The deadline is May 1. Late applications are considered only on a space-available basis.
To allow time for consideration for financial assistance through assistantships, applications should be completed by May 1. Applications completed by November 15 receive priority for funding. All application materials become the property of the University of Kansas.
For application forms and extensive program information,
see our Web site, www.socwel.ku.edu,
or write to
The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
Doctoral Program, Twente Hall
1545 Lilac Lane, Room 107
Lawrence, KS 66044-3184
Telephone: (785) 864-8976
E-mail: admissionsw-phd@ku.edu
Or contact program director Ed Canda at edc@ku.edu
Web site: www.socwel.ku.edu/proginfo/phdprogram/index.htm
Ph.D. Degree Requirements
The program requires a minimum of 54 credit
hours. This total includes 24 hours
of required courses, 12 hours of electives, and the dissertation. To
fulfill elective hours, students may take graduate-level courses in any
substantive area or research technique necessary for successful completion
of their goals in the doctoral program. Students can meet this requirement
by taking electives in social science or other relevant disciplines in
the Graduate School. Before students are certified as eligible to proceed
to candidate status, they must complete course requirements, qualifying
papers, and a dissertation proposal.
Required course work can be completed in two years. Additional time is needed to complete the qualifying papers and dissertation. Students may start on a part-time basis but eventually must spend one year in residence. This entails two semesters of full-time course work (9 hours) and may include one summer session (6 hours) or a combination of course work and appointment as a teaching or research assistant.
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in social work is
granted by the Graduate School of the University of Kansas.
Doctoral Courses (54 credit hours)
SW 979 Methods of Naturalistic and Qualitative Research (3)
SW 980 Proseminar (3)
SW 981 Advanced Research Methods I (3)
SW 982 Social Policy Analysis (3)
SW 983 Advanced Research Methods II (3)
SW 984 Social Work Practice (3)
SW 985 Advanced Proseminar (3)
SW 986 Research Practicum (3)
Substantive electives (12)
SW 999 Dissertation (18)
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance including tuition and
salary is available from the school through teaching and research assistantships
and fellow awards in many research and training areas. Early applicants
also may be considered for Graduate School scholarships and fellowships.
In this case, students should indicate their interest in financial support
on the application form and submit the application early, preferably
by November 15.
International Students
International students are encouraged to apply.
See our Web site, www.socwel.ku.edu, for information about international
student applications and how to connect with the resources available
through International Student and Scholar Services and the Applied English
Center.