What does the program consist of?

• A minimum of 36 course credit hours as follows beyond the MSW degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• 12 hours of required doctoral-level social work courses
• 12 hours of research methods and statistics 
• 3 hours of theory in a social science discipline
• 9 hours of directed electives 
• Obtain one year of residency (successful completion of 9 credits or 3 courses in each of 2 consecutive semesters, not including summer)
• After 18 hours of course work, write a qualifying examination, prior to the fall semester of the second year. 
• Form a graduate supervisory committee.
• Complete and pass a comprehensive exam within 12 months of course completion.
• Successful defense of dissertation prospectus within 18 months of course completion.
• Successful dissertation defense within 5 years of the prospectus defense.
• Not to exceed a maximum of 10 years enrolled in the program from the date of admission.

 
What is the Qualifying Exam?
After completing 18 doctoral-level credits as outlined in the curriculum, presumably at the end of the first year, students write a 5-hour, two-part qualifying exam. The exam is constructed by the Doctoral Program Committee and is based on the first year coursework taken by the student. 

If a research article or any other document is used for analysis, the student shall receive a copy in advance. Members of the Doctoral Program Committee evaluate the qualifying exam and results are provided within two weeks of the exam. 

What is a program of study?

All PhD students are required by the ASU Graduate College to have an Plan of Study (iPOS) on file once they enroll in 50 percent of the credit hours required towards their degree program. The Program of Study documents the students completion and planned completion of requirements for the degree. The Program of Study is filed online through My ASU.  If for any reason a student must make changes to the Program of Study, a Course Change Form must be submitted for approval by the School of Social Work and the Graduate College. The Plan of Study should be completed with the consultation of the PhD Program Coordinator.

What is a Comprehensive Exam?

Whereas the qualifying exam tests the student's knowledge of foundation content, the comprehensive exam tests the student's knowledge of his or her substantive area of interest. The comprehensive exam is written within 12-months of the completion of 36 hours of required coursework, and once the student has an approved Graduate Supervisory Committee on file with the ASU Graduate College. The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to assess the student's preparedness for developing the dissertation prospectus. There are two formats for the comprehensive exam, a three-day, school-based exam, or a 30-day take home exam.  Each exam is developed by the members of the student's Graduate Supervisory Committee, and is based on a reading list prepared by the student and submitted for approval to the Committee.  The areas of the exam are: substantive/intervention or practice, theory, and research methods.  Members of the Graduate Supervisory Committee grade the exam, and the student's chairperson notifies him or her of the results within 3-weeks after completion of the exam. 
 

What research interests do ASU School of Social Work faculty members have?
See Graduate Faculty
Please take time to explore the broad range of research interests of our large and diverse faculty. Please feel free to contact individual faculty members regarding research opportunities in their areas.

Who will advise you? 
The PhD Program Coordinator acts as the advisor to all incoming students. The PhD Program Coordinator is available to help students orient themselves to the program and to provide support and advising on any difficulties students may encounter. The PhD Program Coordinator helps to funnel information to students and keep them on track for academic success.

Who will mentor you?
The graduate supervisory committee is an essential element of the Ph.D. program and student success. The process of forming a graduate supervisory committee begins with you engaging with faculty to explore shared research or professional interests. You are advised to interact with more than one faculty member in a mentoring relationship, through joint work on research, publication, and teaching. Once you have passed your qualifying exam, you will begin to establish a mentor/mentee relationship with a faculty member who agrees to work with you on a research area of mutual interest, and who agrees to chair your graduate supervisory committee. Once a chair is selected, you should then discuss with your chair other faculty who may potentially serve as members on your supervisory committee for the comprehensive exam and dissertation. The PhD Program Coordinator is available to assist all students to develop mentorship relationships.

Some requirements to keep in mind when forming a Committee
You must have an odd number (3 to 5) total committee members who vote on committee decisions, with a minimum of three faculty members. At least two, but no more than four, committee members must be SSW faculty members. Other ASU faculty may also serve on your committee.

Click here for a list of approved faculty, including faculty eligible to chair dissertations.