Students in our PhD program benefit from small class sizes, a supportive learning environment and excellent resources. Located less than hour from the Birmingham metro area and surrounded by rural counties, UA’s School of Social Work is the destination for research focusing on:
- Disparities in health, services, and social policies
- Economic and social barriers
- Services to military families
- Aging and end of life
- Matters of racial and social justice
Goals
The goals of the PhD program are to:
- Provide a rich, supportive environment that enables a diverse group of students to pursue and attain their academic and professional goals
- Prepare social work scholars committed to social justice, advocacy, and the social work profession, and its clients
- Equip our students to produce quality research and engaged scholarship that effects meaningful change
- Prepare students to translate research for use by relevant stakeholders
- Prepare graduates to be successful educators of future social workers
Mission
The University of Alabama’s social work PhD program prepares social work scholars who develop and disseminate knowledge.
PhD Students on the Job Market
Learn more about the School’s PhD candidates, their experience and career goals.Why Our PhD in Social Work?
Earning a PhD in social work from UA prepares you to solve important social problems with research and to teach future social workers.
Our students gain knowledge in:
- Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
- Statistics
- Practice Theory
- Social Welfare History and Policy
- Social Work Education
Faculty research areas include:
- Aging and End of Life
- Child Maltreatment and Child Welfare
- Health and Mental Health
- International Social Work
- Social Welfare Policy
PhD Handbook
Learn more about our PhD Program and program policies.(pdf)Our core PhD courses are offered Mondays and Tuesdays during the day on campus in Tuscaloosa. As part of our course of study, PhD students work closely with faculty researchers who are national experts in their fields and who have a wide range of research interests.
PhD students also benefit from our program’s student-focused environment. As soon as a student enters the program, they are assigned to a PhD faculty advisor for program planning and guidance throughout their academic career.
PhD Curriculum
Our PhD program is notable among social work doctoral programs for the range and depth of its research foundation courses and electives. In addition to coursework, Ph.D. students are exposed to research and teaching experiences, publish with faculty in leading journals, and present research findings with faculty at national conferences.
See PhD Degree CurriculumStart the Admission Process
Start exploring our program. You’ll find that our commitment to excellence in graduate education is reflected by our doctoral students’ excellent completion rates and success in securing faculty and research positions in social work programs throughout the country.
Students must meet admission requirements for the UA Graduate School and the School of Social Work.
The University of Alabama School of Social Work encourages submission of application materials by Nov. 1 to be eligible for consideration of nomination for University level fellowship and scholarship opportunities. An early decision on application may be offered if the School of Social Work believes the individual may be competitive for University fellowships and other University-level funding opportunities. If an applicant is not selected for priority admission, all remaining applicants will be reviewed after the final deadline for application submission of Feb. 1. Applicants are notified by email by the PhD Program Director of the recommendation to admit decision. Applicants will be contacted by the Graduate School regarding the final admission decision.
| When Should You Apply? | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Spring admission for fall start | February 1 |
Graduate School Financial Aid
Students receive three-years of funding, which includes tuition, health insurance, and a stipend. Some financial aid is also available from the School of Social Work, including the Ben Avis Orcutt and the Leslie J. Shellhase endowed scholarships, which are administered by the PhD program.
Financial aid commonly takes the form of graduate teaching, research assistantships, special grants or fellowships.
Start Earning Your PhD Today
Our PhD in social work could be within your reach. We encourage you to explore our program, learn about our faculty and speak to the PhD Program Director Dr. Debra Nelson-Gardell if you have questions.
Apply Today!
The University of Alabama School of Social Work is committed to making its web resources accessible to all users, and welcomes comments or suggestions on access improvements. If you are unable to access the contents of these documents, please contact (205) 348-7027 or ssw@ua.edu.