2026-2027 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog
Social Work, PhD
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Return to: School of Social Work
Social Work, PhD
Return to: School of Social Work
PhD in Social Work Program
We are committed to training the next generation of scholars in social work, whose research will inform policy and practice addressing society’s most pressing problems.
A doctoral education in Social Work prepares students for leadership roles in social work research, social work education, social policy, planning, and administration. We provide students with advanced academic training that will allow them to contribute to the knowledge base of our profession.
Our faculty includes nationally recognized leaders in every area of social work practice and research, and we take a hands-on, supportive approach to doctoral education.
The doctoral program is open to applicants who have demonstrated intellectual capacity, critical thinking skills, and potential for research and scholarship.
Why Pitt?
- Nationally recognized leaders in every area of social work practice and research
- Supportive, hands-on approach to doctoral education
- Opportunities to collaborate through world-class centers that address race and social problems, behavioral health practice in community settings, and child welfare
The University of Pittsburgh’s social work doctoral program is among the oldest and most respected in the United States. Our program is highly competitive. Our wonderful Social Work Library is part of Pitt’s world-class University Library System.
PhD Curriculum Objectives
The program curriculum strongly emphasizes social problem areas, as well as coordinating themes in theory, research methodology, and social policy courses. The overall goal is to integrate the acquisition of advanced knowledge, research methods, and application to real-world situations. Course materials focus on several priority areas of social work concern, including aging, mental health, income inequality, child welfare, child and family policy, health services, and social justice.
By the time students have completed the program, they should have acquired the following:
- Knowledge of relevant social science theory
- Advanced skills in research methodology and statistics
- Advanced knowledge of social welfare policy (historical and contemporary) and policy analysis
- Knowledge of relevant fields of practice, theoretical and policy perspectives, and research findings
- Exposure to an interdisciplinary frame of reference through mechanisms provided internally by the doctoral program and externally through access to other disciplines and professions in the wider University
PhD Degree Requirements
The PhD program consists of the completion of 50 credit hours of coursework, a comprehensive exam, a doctoral dissertation, and the successful defense of the dissertation with all revisions completed.
Coursework
During the first two academic years in the program, full-time students complete required courses in the three essential areas of study: social welfare/policy, social science theory, and research methods. Students take courses in the fall and spring terms; summer courses are necessary if a student is enrolled in one of our joint degree programs .
Comprehensive Examination
Students take a comprehensive examination after satisfactory completion of all required and elective coursework in the doctoral program. The Comprehensive examination is taken in the summer of the second year. For students in the MSW/PhD program, the comprehensive examination is taken in the summer of the 3rd year. Students may delay the examination for one year, contingent on approval by the PhD Program Director based on a request in writing submitted by the student that outlines the rationale for the requested delay.
Doctoral Dissertation
Students must successfully complete the comprehensive examination to proceed to the dissertation. The doctoral dissertation involves:
- Dissertation Research: begins after passing the comprehensive examination
- Defense of a Dissertation Overview: occurs after a committee review of the dissertation overview and includes an introduction to the problem, a literature review, and a detailed methodology (admission to PhD candidacy)
- Final Dissertation Defense: occurs at least one year following admission to candidacy
A minimum of two years of full-time study is required for doctoral program completion.
Statute of Limitations
There is an eight-year statute of limitations for the completion of the PhD degree for students who enter with an MSW and who are not pursuing an MPH. There is a 10-year statute of limitations for students in the MSW/PhD program or the MPH/PhD program. Coursework and the comprehensive examination should be completed within five years and the dissertation within three additional years.
Under exceptional circumstances, candidates may apply for an extension of the statute of limitations. The student must submit a formal written request to the doctoral program director, and the request must be reviewed and approved by the doctoral program committee and then submitted to the dean for final action. Requests for extensions must be accompanied by a departmental assessment of the work required of the student to complete the degree, as well as documented evidence of the extenuating circumstances leading to the request. Students who request an extension of the statute of limitations must demonstrate a feasible plan and timeline for the completion of all current degree requirements.
PhD Curriculum
Required Research Methods Courses
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SWRES 3020 - RESEARCH METHODS
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SWRES 3029 - INFERENTIAL STATISTICS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS
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SWRES 3021 - MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS
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SWRES 3022 - RESEARCH METHODS: CAPSTONE SEMINAR 1
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SWRES 3023 - RESEARCH METHODS: CAPSTONE SEMINAR 2
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SWRES 3097 - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
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DOCTORAL SEMINAR - 0 credits
Required Theory Courses
Required Policy Courses
- SWWEL 3030 - EVALUATION OF AMERICAN SOCIAL WELFARE HISTORY
- SWWEL 3037 - SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS
Required Education Course
- SWGEN 3066 - SEMINAR IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION
Elective Courses
In addition to the above core course requirements, the student selects a minimum of 18 elective course credits to pursue more specialized interests. These electives must be graduate-level courses and meet the following requirements:
- 3 credit Research Methods elective (select from offerings outside the School)
- 3 credit Advanced Data Analysis or Statistics elective (select from offerings outside the School)
- 3 credit Advanced Policy elective (select from offerings in or outside of the School)
- 9 credits of open electives
Although some doctoral elective courses may be offered within Social Work, students are encouraged to take relevant course work from graduate programs in other schools and departments at the University. Many social welfare-related fields are open: sociology, economics, women’s studies, political science, law, urban affairs, public health, and others. Students may take no more than two MSW courses for elective credit. All electives must be approved by the student’s advisor as contributing to the student’s area of specialization.
Certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work is one of a few schools to offer doctoral students the option to simultaneously obtain a certificate in Certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and a PhD in social work.
This certificate is based on a strong interdisciplinary program focusing on scholarship concerning women and gender. The University of Pittsburgh Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program provides opportunities for students to explore the historical development, cultural variations, and changing representations of gender and sexuality as they organize identities, interactions, and institutions and intersect in complex ways with sex, race, class, ethnicity, ability, age, religion, and nation.
Grades in Course Work
A grade point average of 3.00 or better in all course work is required in the PhD program. A student is automatically placed on probation whenever their cumulative GPA falls below 3.00. A student on probation is not eligible to take the comprehensive examination.
A student who receives a grade of B- or lower in a required course must repeat the course. Students with two grades of C+ or lower in elective and/or required courses will be referred to the doctoral program committee.
Programs
Doctoral
Return to: School of Social Work
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