Program Overview

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Social Welfare, PhD

Overview

The PhD program in Social Welfare strives to develop scholars, leaders, and social work educators who will advance knowledge about social work, social welfare policy, and intervention strategies from a behavioral and social science perspective to improve the quality of life of individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.

Program Description

Our students work with award-winning research centers and institutes, such as the Institute for Research on Poverty, Institute on Aging, Waisman Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, and more. Our students choose from a wide selection of courses in world-renowned social and behavioral science departments including; Sociology, Economics, Educational Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, the La Follette School of Public Affairs, Psychology, Gender Studies, Population Health, Nursing, and more.

The PhD program provides an interdisciplinary plan of study in basic and applied social research. In the program, doctoral students build and integrate knowledge in:

• a substantive or social problem area (e.g., child welfare, aging, developmental disabilities, end-of-life care, health, mental health, poverty);
• social science theory (e.g., theories of the life course, economic theory, psychopathology, organizational theory, stress process theories);
• research designs and statistical methodologies (e.g., program evaluation, policy analysis, longitudinal analysis).

The PhD Program in Social Welfare is an in-person, full-time program. Regardless of the program track, it typically takes four to six years to complete the program: two to three years for full-time doctoral coursework and two to three years for completion of the preliminary exam and dissertation.

School of Social Work

The School of Social Work at UWMadison is consistently ranked among the best schools of social work in the country. Faculty prepare social work professionals at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Through the preparation of social work practitioners, scholars, and educators, faculty and students explore and seek to understand the nature of social problems, their impact on vulnerable populations, and ways to critically analyze and promote the achievement of a just, equitable, healthy, and productive society.

Mission

The mission of the School of Social Work is to enhance human well-being and promote social and economic justice for people who are disadvantaged to achieve an equitable, healthy, and productive society. The school aims to:

• Create, advance, strengthen, and integrate interdisciplinary knowledge for students and the profession through research, scholarship, and practice.
• Educate students to become highly skilled, culturally competent, and ethical practitioners who will provide leadership for the profession of social work within the state of Wisconsin and nationally.
• Promote change at levels ranging from the individual client to national, including empowering communities and populations that are disadvantaged and developing humane service delivery systems.
• Create and disseminate knowledge regarding the prevention and amelioration of social problems.

Admissions

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

• Fall Deadline: December 1
• Spring Deadline: The program does not admit in the spring.
• Summer Deadline: The program does not admit in the summer.
• GRE (Graduate Record Examinations): Not required but may be considered if available
• English Proficiency:
  • TOEFL (iBT): 100
  • IELTS: 7.0
  • IELTS Indicator: 7.0
  • Duolingo English Test: 130
• Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT): n/a
• Letters of Recommendation Required: 3

Funding

The Bursars Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School.

Social Welfare PhD students receive a robust and competitive funding package. Social Welfare PhD students are generally guaranteed a minimum funding package consisting of a 33%, nine-month appointment for five years.

Requirements

Curricular Requirements

• Minimum Credit Requirement: 51 credits
• Minimum Residence Credit Requirement: 32 credits
• Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement: 43 credits must be graduate-level coursework.
• Overall Graduate GPA Requirement: 3.00 GPA required.
• Other Grade Requirements: Students must pass all courses with a grade of B or better.

Required Courses

• Core:
  • SOC WORK 675: Topics in Contemporary Social Welfare 1 (2 credits)
  • SOC WORK 708: The Field of Social Work 1 (2 credits)
  • SOC WORK 711: Human Behavior and the Environment 1 (2 credits)
  • SOC WORK 946: Faculty Research Seminar (1 credit)
  • SOC WORK 947: Student Research Seminar (taken twice for 1 credit each) (2 credits)
• Proseminar:
  • SOC WORK 948: Proseminar (Quantitative Research Methods) (3 credits)
  • SOC WORK 949: Proseminar (Quantitative Research Methods) (3 credits)
  • SOC WORK 950: PhD Proseminar (Social Policy Seminar) 2 (3 credits)
  • SOC WORK 951: PhD Proseminar (Applied Theory Seminar) 2 (3 credits)
• Students must complete one of the following for a second time:
  • SOC WORK 950: PhD Proseminar
  • or SOC WORK 951: PhD Proseminar
• Students must complete one of the following courses at least once:
  • SOC WORK 952: PhD Proseminar (Applied Data Analysis)
  • or SOC WORK/ED PSYCH 945: Evaluation Research
• Electives:
  • Social Science Theory: Students must complete 3 credits of Social Science Theory elective.
  • Substantive: Students must complete 6 credits of Substantive electives.
  • Statistics: Students must complete 6-8 credits of Statistics.

Policies

Prior Coursework

• Graduate Credits Earned from Other Institutions: Students may transfer up to 6 credits of social work coursework from a Masters of Social Work (MSW) program.
• Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison: Students may transfer up to 6 credits of social work coursework from a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program.

Probation

Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.

Advisor/Committee

Refer to the Graduate School: Advisor and Graduate School: Committees (Doctoral/Masters/MFA) policies.

Credits Per Term Allowed

15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests policy.

Time Limits

Coursework earned more than 10 years prior to admission to the PhD program may not be used to satisfy degree credit minimums.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
• Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Professional Development

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate understanding of social welfare problems, theories, policies, and programs.
2. Conceptualize and analyze approaches to improving social welfare problems, theories, policies, and programs.
3. Apply advanced quantitative and/or qualitative methodology for social welfare scholarship.
4. Develop knowledge and skills to teach and/or present social welfare-related material in professional contexts.
5. Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
6. Create research, scholarship, or programing that enhances social welfare.