Ph.D. Program

On behalf of the Dean, faculty, staff, and students at The University of Alabama School of Social Work, I am pleased to welcome you to our Ph.D. program website. Within these electronic pages, I trust that you will find whatever information you seek about our School. If you do not find the information you seek, please contact the School of Social Work.

The purpose of this doctoral program is to prepare students for research careers in social work by advancing their knowledge and increasing their skills in theory-building, research methods, and the critical evaluation of social work policies and practice. The Ph.D. program in Social Work builds on a base of professional knowledge and practice in social work. It provides all students with advanced knowledge of research, social policy, and practice. In addition to grounding in research methodology, the program offers students the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of a selected area of concentration and, through the dissertation, to contribute to knowledge development in that area. To supplement this concentration area, students will select a minor area in a single academic discipline or develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary minor. As soon as they enter the program, students are assigned to a Ph.D. Faculty Adviser for program planning and guidance.

This social work Ph.D. program is notable among social work doctoral programs for the range and depth of its research courses and electives. Exceptional opportunities are available for students interested in research in such areas as mental health, aging, and child welfare. There are opportunities for overseas experiences as well as for collaboration with the research centers and institutes and other colleges and departments of the University, and with various units of The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Students in the social work Ph.D. program obtain a thorough grounding in research skills, including research design; data management, entry, and analysis; and writing for publication. This social work Ph.D. program provides one of the strongest methodological curricula found in the helping professions. UA School of Social Work is also one of a handful of social work Ph.D.programs that include historical and qualitative research in the curriculum.

Thank you for visiting our web site.

James A. Hall, Ph.D.
Endowed Chair of Social Work
Interim Chair, Ph.D. Program