Social Work (PhD)
Faculty
Dr. Joanna Almeida, Assistant Professor
Dr. Julia Burns Riley, Associate Professor of Practice
Dr. Tamara Cadet, Assistant Professor
Dr. Abbie Frost, Associate Professor
Dr. Anjali Fulambarker, Assistant Professor
Dr. Paul Gould, Associate Professor of Practice, BSW Program Director
Dr. Dana Grossman Leeman, Associate Dean for Online and Continuing Education
Dr. Melinda Gushwa, Associate Professor, MSW Program Director
Dr. Johnnie Hamilton-Mason, Professor
Dr. Denise Humm-Delgado, Professor
Dr. Katherine Jungreis, Associate Professor of Practice
Dr. Hugo Kamya, Professor
Dr. Peter Maramaldi, Professor
Dr. Kimberly McManama O’Brien, Assistant Professor
Dr. Michelle Putnam, Professor
Dr. Jennifer Putney, Assistant Professor
Dr. David Robinson, Director, Center for Applied and Community Research
Dr. Beverly Sealey, Associate Professor
Dr. Kristie Thomas, Assistant Professor
Description
The Ph.D. in Social Work is designed for experienced practitioners to develop applied scientific methodological skills to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and populations. The Ph.D. Program is offered on a full-time basis, with all coursework offered on Thursdays during the regular academic semesters. No clinical practicum is required. A total of 45 credits (15 courses) are required for graduation.
Learning Outcomes
The Ph.D. program prepares students to become talented and effective educators. They receive formal training in the pedagogy of adult learning — in the classroom and through a teaching practicum — and are offered opportunities to teach with our seasoned professors.
The Ph.D. Program advances student research competencies through required and elective courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods and advanced statistical analysis. Students are required to take five research courses. In addition, students have opportunities to participate in research initiatives through practice and assistantships, internal and external to Simmons College.
Requirements for entry into program
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with an appropriate distribution of liberal arts courses. In addition, they must hold a master’s degree from a program in social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
Costs
Including financing and fellowships / assistantships
$1010 per credit hour
Activity Fee $52 per semester
Delivery Mode or Modes Available
The Ph.D. program is offered on a full-time basis, on-site, with all coursework offered on Thursdays during the regular academic semesters. No clinical practicum is required
Degree requirements
Graduation requires a total of 15 courses (45 credits), one research and one teaching practicum, the successful completion of a comprehensive qualifying written and oral exam, the submission of at least one manuscript for peer review in a scientific journal, and the completion of the dissertation, which may take the form of three additional manuscripts submitted to peer review journals.
Course offerings are listed below:
Concentrations, specializations, etc.
Determined by Students’ dissertation topics
Licensure, certification, etc.
N/A
Other degree options
One-year MPH Degree with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health Concentration. Requires separate admission application to HSPH, and LOA from Simmons during the one year at HSPH.
Other program information
Qualifying exam for Candidacy:
Upon successful completion of the first two years of coursework, students will take a written and oral exam on curricular content from required coursework. In order to qualify for candidacy students must pass both the written and oral exam, and also submit an empirical manuscript to a scientific peer-reviewed journal approved by the faculty. Upon meeting these requirements, the student will move into candidacy, and be eligible to participate in the dissertation seminar.
The Dissertation
Successful completion of the dissertation will demonstrate the candidate's ability to join the academy as an independent scholar. Specifically, the candidate will demonstrate empirical and conceptual knowledge, the ability to apply rigorous scientific methodology to a substantive area of study, and the capacity to articulate the applied relevance of the findings to the field. The doctoral candidate has the option to complete a traditional dissertation or three-paper dissertation.
Fall 2016*
| SW 633 | Survey Research Methods | 3 |
| SW 654 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| SW 670 | Integrating Public Policy Issues &_Outcomes Into SW Research | 3 |
Spring 2017*
| SW 624 | Intervention Research | 3 |
| SW 634 | Comparative Social Work MacRo Practice_Models | 3 |
| SW 635 | Qualitative Data Analysis | 3 |
*first and second year students take the same course work together
Additional Requirements for 2015 Student Cohort
Summer 2017
| | Teaching Practicum/Independent Study | No Credit |
| | Comprehensive Exam and Paper Submission Requirements * | No Credit |
| | Research Practicum ** | No Credit |
* Required for 2015 Cohort only at completion of two years of coursework..
**Research Practicums are required starting with the 2015 cohort and all cohorts thereafter. Research and teaching practicums may be scheduled during Fall or Spring semesters during any academic year prior to graduation.
Academic Year 2016 – 2017
2014 and earlier Student Cohorts
Required Courses
9 Credits
Cumulative Credits ≥45
Fall 2017
Spring
One of the Following Elective Courses TBD:
| SW 638 | Advanced Research Design & Methods | 3 |
| SW 636 | Logistic Regression | 3 |
| SW 628 | Apld Secondary Data Analysis | 3 |
For All Cohorts: After Attaining Candidacy
Continuance course registration is required until time of graduation. (Note: if elective courses are needed but not taken during any given semester, the SW690 continuance course is required to retain matriculation and Simmons College benefits such as access to professors, email, and library privileges.)
Fall 2016
Spring 2017
Academic Year 2017 – 2018
2016 (second year) and 2017 (first year) Student Cohorts:
Required Courses
Credits = 18
Fall 2017
| | Quantitative Scientific Methods | 3 |
| | Introduction to Statistics, Data Analysis and STATA | 3 |
| | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
Spring 2018
| | Social and Behavioral Theory 3 Credits | |
| | Introduction to Multivariate Statistics | 3 |
| | Critical Analysis of Clinical Practice | 3 |
*first and second year students take the same course work together
Additional Requirements for 2016 Student Cohort
Summer 2019
| | Teaching Practicum/Independent Study | No Credit |
| | Comprehensive Exam and Paper Submission Requirements * | No Credit |
| | Research Practicum ** | No Credit |
* Required for 2016 Cohort only at completion of two years of coursework..
**Research Practicums are required starting with the 2015 cohort and thereafter. Research and teaching practicums may be scheduled during Fall or Spring semesters during any academic year prior to graduation.