Ph.D. Degree Tracks1
Students who enter the Ph.D. program with a master's degree in social work and follow the program's standard course sequencing should be able to complete their degree in four to five years. Students who enter the program without a master's degree must plan on an additional one to two years to complete the program and must select from among the following:
- Track I:MSW/Ph.D. program for students without a bachelor's degree in social work (students complete the equivalent of the two-year master's program while in the doctoral program)
- Track II:MSW/Ph.D. program for students with a bachelor's degree in social work (students complete the equivalent of the one-year master's program advanced generalist specialization in an area of focus; requires that students have a BSW from a CSWE accredited school of social work)
- Track III: Program for students who do not have a social work degree and who do not want an MSW (requires that students complete MSW generalist foundation courses and a 2-credit internship)
| 1 | These tracks are internal to the program and represent different pathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Track names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript. |
The doctoral program has four special features: an emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary research and training that seeks to promote optimal functioning in individuals or families across the life course; it stresses that social welfare problems are best understood in individual, family, community, economic, and cultural context; it conceptualizes research as a catalyst for social action and change; and it emphasizes methodological and statistical training and their applications to studying social problems and processes.
About the School of Social Work
The School of Social Work at UWMadison is consistently ranked among the best schools of social work in the country. Faculty prepare social work professionals at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Through the preparation of social work practitioners, scholars and educators, faculty and students explore and seek to understand the nature of social problems, their impact on vulnerable populations, and ways to critically analyze and promote the achievement of a just, equitable, healthy, and productive society.
Social work faculty are noted for their scholarly work in developing a conceptual understanding of social work practice and policy, and in producing research in important social problem areas. For example, faculty took a leadership role in the development of the generalist model of practice now used by most social work programs. Faculty members have made valuable research contributions in the fields of aging, child welfare, developmental disabilities, and family and intergenerational caregiving, as well as in educational attainment and life-course decision-making, end-of-life care for older adults and palliative care, health disparities, homelessness, poverty, social policy, welfare reform, and child support. Drawing on strong faculty, excellent students, and the resources of a world-renowned university in a community rich with social and human service programs, there is much to offer prospective students: individualized, faculty-taught field education for master's students, nationally renowned faculty with a strong interdisciplinary focus, and hands-on research training in a highly individualized program of study for doctoral students.
The school offers unique opportunities for students to receive state-of-the-art professional training through its field education program. Student practice opportunities range from experiences in institutional and community-based settings to working with families and other significant care-givers, with individuals and groups, and in policy and service delivery issues.
Mission.The mission of the School of Social Work is to enhance human well-being and promote social and economic justice for people who are disadvantaged to achieve an equitable, healthy, and productive society. The school aims to:
- Create, advance, strengthen, and integrate interdisciplinary knowledge for students and the profession through research, scholarship, and practice.
- Educate students to become highly-skilled, culturally-competent and ethical practitioners who will provide leadership for the profession of social work within the state of Wisconsin and nationally.
- Promote change at levels ranging from the individual client to national, including empowering communities and populations that are disadvantaged and developing humane service delivery systems.
- Create and disseminate knowledge regarding the prevention and amelioration of social problems.
The School of Social Work is one of five professional schools in the College of Letters & Science. As part of the college, the school maintains relationships with the other social studies and professional schools within the university system through interchange of faculty and students and through joint research and publication endeavors.