Doctoral Program Structure & Requirements

Overview

The WVU PhD program in Social Work has a community-focused research theme that echoes University mission and intentionally promotes research that has significant impact on communities of West Virginia and beyond. The program provides strong support for cross-disciplinary training with a coursework plan that guides students in building toward their dissertation and provides practical preparation for academic and leadership careers. We maintain a strong emphasis on mentorship and opportunities to support students’ professional development and career placement. Our hybrid model of graduate training provides students with flexibility to latter portions of the program remotely (online)

The program provides a strong in-person first year foundation with intentional opportunities to build relationships and identify research mentors with increased flexibility for hybrid and remote learning as students move through the program.

Curriculum Plan A (Full-time)

• Year 1: In-person courses and first-year seminar provide a strong foundation and promote relationship building with faculty and fellow students. Courses are scheduled Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Year 2: Required courses are hybrid with 6 in-person meeting times spaced through each semester
  • Course schedules are coordinated so all required courses meet in-person the same weeks on Tuesdays
  • Elective courses (1 each semester) taken outside the School of Social Work have varying schedules
• Year 3: One course that is fully online (Integrative Seminar) and dissertation research work
• Year 4 (and beyond as needed): Dissertation work

Curriculum Plan B (Part-time)

• Year 1: In-person courses and first-year seminar provide a strong foundation and promote relationship building with faculty and fellow students. For part-time students, all courses are on Mondays.
• Year 2: In-person courses are all scheduled on Tuesdays
• Year 3:
• One required course each semester that is hybrid with 6 in-person meeting times spaced through each semester, all on Tuesdays
• Elective courses (1 each semester) taken outside the School of Social Work have varying schedules
• Year 4: One course that is fully online (Integrative Seminar) and dissertation research work
• Year 5 (and beyond as needed): Dissertation work

The PhD Program conforms to all University policies regarding academic integrity, registration, grading, degree requirements, and enrollment. See the Graduate Catalog website for a full description at Graduate Enrollment and Registration and Graduate Advising. Students should also consult the Academic Calendar for dates of registration, drop/add periods, and class withdrawal.

Coursework and Curriculum Plan

See the WVU Graduate Catalog PhD Social Work for a summary of curriculum requirements.

Required & Elective Coursework (41 credits)

• SOWK 690 First Year Seminar I & II (2 credits total)
• SOWK 731: Philosophy and Theories of Social Sciences (3 credits)
• SOWK 732: Advanced Social Work Practice Theories (3 credits)
• SOWK 735: Advanced Social Work Research Methods (3 credits)
• SOWK 736: Community Focused Research Methods (3 credits)
• SOWK 741: Statistics & Data Analysis I (3 credits)
• SOWK 742: Statistics & Data Analysis II (3 credits)
• SOWK 750: Advanced Social Policy and Programs (3 credits)
• SOWK 761: Research Practicum I (3 credits)
• SOWK 762: Research Practicum II (3 credits)
• SOWK 770: Issues in Social Work Education (3 credits)
• SOWK 780: Integrative Research Seminar (3 credits)
• Elective (at 600 or 700 level, taken outside of SW - 3 credits)
• Elective (at 600 or 700 level, taken outside of SW - 3 credits)

Elective Options – Students should work with their advisors to determine elective courses that best support their plan of study. These courses should be taken outside of the SSW to foster interprofessional learning and collaboration. Note that while required SSW Year 2 courses are delivered in a hybrid format, elective options outside the SSW may not be. The departments of Psychology, Sociology, and Public Administration welcome PhD in Social Work students and will assist students identifying appropriate course offerings. Other departments will also likely be supportive. Students should work with their advisor and the PhD program director to request permission to enroll.

Comprehensive Exam/Dissertation Proposal

The Comprehensive Exam, in the form of a dissertation proposal (written and oral components), is approved by the student’s dissertation committee. The comprehensive exam is expected to occur near the end of Fall semester or the beginning of Spring semester of Year 3. The bulk of PhD coursework is completed by Spring of Year 2. In Fall of Year 3 students are taking one, 3-credit course, Integrative Research Seminar, that is designed to provide students with faculty and peer feedback in the development of their comprehensive exam in the form of a dissertation proposal.

The exam (proposal) assesses students’ knowledge of their area of study and demonstrates their ability to develop and engage in independent research in this area. The exam (in the form of a dissertation proposal) requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the literature and the theoretical foundation in their area, identify specific research questions, describe and support their choice of methodology to answer those questions, and provide a description of the three articles that will comprise Chapters 2, 3, & 4 of the dissertation. The articles will form a cohesive body of work that supports a theme(s) as described in the introduction to the dissertation (Chapter 1). At least two articles should present empirical research based on data analyzed by the student, while one may be a systematic literature review or focus on a conceptual, theoretical, or policy approach to the substantive area.

In the oral defense, students will answer questions about the integration of theory, policy, research, and methodological issues in their proposed study and address implications for social work research and practice.

The proposal will serve as the foundation for Chapter 1 of the dissertation (which is the introduction under the three-article model).

Once the dissertation committee has approved the written proposal and oral defense, the committee will recommend that the student should be advanced to candidacy.

Dissertation (12 credits)

The WVU SSW PhD program’s banded dissertation is a series of three written works of scholarship that are conceptually linked. Articles included must not have been previously submitted or published and must be of publishable quality.

The dissertation is a coherent body of work. It consists of three articles suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals, an introduction chapter, and a conclusion chapter. The articles are conceptually linked and form a cohesive body of work that supports a theme(s) described clearly in the introduction (Chapter 1).

At least two articles should present empirical research based on data analyzed by the student, while one may be a systematic literature review or focus on a conceptual, theoretical, or policy approach to the substantive area.

The format of the dissertation is as follows:

Chapter 1 – The dissertation proposal (which serves as the comprehensive exam) forms the foundation for this Chapter as the introduction to the banded dissertation. It includes:

• Statement of the problem
• Rationale for the dissertation as a whole
• Importance of the problem (Why research? How important to social work? Policy implications?)
• Theoretical foundation
• Overview of important literature (each article will include a more specific literature review)
• Research questions (and hypotheses, if applicable)
• Methodology

Chapter 2 – article of publishable quality

Chapter 3 – article of publishable quality

Chapter 4 – article of publishable quality

Chapter 5 – Conclusion that synthesizes and summarizes the dissertation’s major findings, addresses limitations, and provides recommendations for research and practice. The student should clearly demonstrate how the three articles fit together and form a cohesive body of work. The conclusion chapter should discuss knowledge gaps that may not be apparent when each article is considered separately and should articulate an agenda for future research in the area addressed in the dissertation.

The defense of the dissertation is parallel to the proposal defense of a traditional dissertation. The three-article dissertation alters the format, but not the expected content of the research.

The Dissertation Committee

Students start the proposal and dissertation process by obtaining consent of a full-time social work graduate faculty member to serve as the major advisor for their dissertation work. Ideally this should happen by the end of the first year of study. The student and advisor identify at least three other committee members, including one from an academic unit outside of the WVU School of Social Work. Committees should be formed by the end of the second year of coursework. Students are encouraged to develop a brief dissertation plan of 2-3 pages for review by faculty members asked to serve on the committee. The majority of members, including the committee chair, must be regular members of the graduate faculty.

Expected Timeline of Progress Toward Degree

Timeline for Full Time Students

Timeline for Part Time Students