Program Overview

PhD Program Overview

The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto offers a unique opportunity to learn within a thriving community of social work researchers, educators, and practitioners. As one of the leading schools of social work in Canada and North America, FIFSW faculty, staff, and students come from a range of cultural, personal, and professional backgrounds which inform their research and teaching expertise.

About the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is designed to cultivate high-calibre scholars and leaders in social work research, education, policy, and practice. The Faculty is committed to mentoring students to deepen their knowledge, broaden research capacities, and develop strategies to enrich social work’s commitment to promoting human rights, dignity, and social justice.

Program Structure

The PhD program at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is available on a full-time basis. The minimum period of registration is 12 academic sessions of full-time enrolment. The PhD program is structured to support the completion of all degree requirements within four years. However, students can register for up to a cumulative total of six years following their admission into the program to complete their degree requirements.

Program Milestones

Students have four major milestones to accomplish in the program:

• Required courses and seminars
• Comprehensive exam
• Thesis proposal defense
• Thesis

PhD Program Timeline

The program timeline is as follows:

Year 1

• Required courses & electives
• First year seminar
• Select supervisor (by June 1st)

Year 2

• Complete 9 out of 10 required courses (including electives)
• Comprehensive exam proposal
• Comprehensive Exam

Year 3

• Form thesis supervisory committee
• Complete remaining course requirements (if applicable)
• Thesis proposal defense
• PhD candidacy

Years 4-5

• Thesis research ethics protocol (if applicable)
• Thesis research
• Final oral exam
• Final thesis
• PhD

Statement of Land Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.