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Program Requirements
A prototypical student's route to the Ph.D. in Social
Work generally requires the completion of between
45 and 48 academic credits. At a minimum, students
must complete 30 credits within the Columbia University
system, 18 credits of which must be attained within
the School of Social Work. This section provides a
quick reference and overview of the program curriculum.
For the complete descriptions of courses and program
policies, click here.
Doctoral Resource Guide
For a PDF of the 2010-11 Edition, click here.
Course Work
Doctoral Proseminar in Social
Work Research
0 credits.
Required of all degree candidates, the proseminar
introduces incoming doctoral students to the research
process and a range of research studies as well as
the faculty conducting them at Columbia.
T8801 Comparative Histories of Social Work & Social Welfare
3 credits.
Required of all degree candidates. Taken in the first semester, this course provides a comparative historical and
philosophical perspective on the development of social welfare and social work institutions, concepts, issues and
paradigms in the U.S. and two other nations or parts of the world.
2-3 courses in a social
work method
6 to 9 credits.
These courses form the framework
of the student's introduction to and mastery of a
social work method: Advanced Practice, Social Policy
& Policy Analysis, or Social Policy & Administration.
Advanced Practice students take three of these core
courses at CUSSW. Social Policy & Policy Analysis
students take two courses at CUSSW and Social Policy
& Administration students take two of these courses
at CUSSW.
7 courses in research methodology
and statistics
21 credits.
Students must take three courses in research methods,
three courses in statistics, and a seventh course
which may be taken in either area.
To satisfy the research methods requirement, all students
(unless granted a course waiver) are required to take
the introductory Research Methods in Social Work course
(T8502). In subsequent semesters, students may choose
to take advanced courses covering various historical,
qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Often
the advanced courses are taken in other departments
of the University. Students who waive out of T8502
must still complete at least 9 credits in the research
methods area. Students in the policy concentration
may count one of their microeconomics courses toward
the research methods requirement.
All statistics courses are taken in other departments
of the University. Students in the practice concentration
usually take their first course in the department
of biostatistics at the School of Public Health. Students
in the policy and administration concentrations usually
take their first course at the School of International
and Public Affairs. Advanced course topics include
measurement, applied regression analysis, structural
equation modeling, and advanced analytic topics suitable
for diverse research designs and data types. Such
courses are available at a number of departments in
the university. Students who waive out of introductory
level statistics courses are still required to take
at least 9 credits in the statistics area.
3 courses in social or behavioral
sciences
9 credits.
Within the first year, students designate a chosen social/behavioral science concentration and take courses to gain exposure to the discipline's theoretical approach. Relevant concentrations include anthropology, economics, geography, history, organizational theory, political science, psychology, and sociology. In general,
students should take all of their social or behavioral
science courses within the same discipline (with exceptions
requiring justification). The choice of social science
area should be particularly relevant to each student's
dissertation themes and career objectives.
Note: Students in the policy concentration who elect to concentrated in economics may count
one of their microeconomics courses toward this requirement.
1 field of practice tutorial
3 credits.
Each doctoral student is required to demonstrate expertise
in a field of practice related to their substantive
interests and career goals. Students either complete a field
of practice tutorial (course T8003) with a social
work faculty member during their third semester or enroll in a program-approved course related to their area(s) of substantive interest. Previous
T8003 fields of practice tutorials have included
topics ranging from family and child policy, social
work in the workplace, mental health services, comparative
social policy and HIV/AIDS. Students receive a letter
grade for this course, and may not take it for R credit.
Examinations and Other Milestones
A 360-hour research practicum
(not taken for course credit)
The purpose of the research practicum is to link classroom learning to the dissertation process by providing students with an applied research internship in conjunction with a current faculty research project. The practicum, typically taken during the student's second through fourth semesters, involves 8-12 hours of work per week for 30-45 weeks. The practicum is designed with concrete objectives in mind and may lead to the development of a publishable paper.
Comprehensive examinations
When a student has completed all required course work, they
may sit for the comprehensive examinations. Students usually sit for the exams during their 3rd year; however, their preparations for the individualized exams will begin earlier, with the formulation and approval of a reading list and appointment of a 3-person Comprehensive Exam committee. The comprehensive exams, which aim
to help students synthesize and integrate the knowledge they have developed in their substantive area(s) of research interest, from the perspective of their social work method and social/behavioral science, are taken in two stages:
a written examination (in the form of either an 8-hour in-house or 3-day take-home exam) and an oral follow-up examination
conducted by a faculty panel.
The Dissertation
The successful defense of the dissertation is the
final eligibility criterion for the Ph.D. degree.
Dissertation planning begins early in the course of
studies, but becomes more focused after the three
social work method courses and field of practice tutorial
have been completed. Students take a required Dissertation
Seminar course with their peers during the third year
and receive faculty advisement through the required
Dissertation Research Instruction course. In this
course faculty guide the degree candidate through
the processes of selecting a study topic, developing
an approved proposal, implementing the research, and
writing the dissertation. Students defend their dissertation
proposal and the completed dissertation in front of
a five-member interdisciplinary committee. They are
evaluated on the basis of their potential for independent
scholarship and, optimally, on the contribution of
their work to the social work discipline.
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences permits students
a maximum of 7 years to complete all requirements
for the Ph.D. However, with timely and proficient
progress through the doctoral program's curriculum,
most students can finish their degree in 3-5 years.
Credit Requirements
In the process of earning the Ph.D., most
doctoral students will accumulate 45 - 48 credits.
Nonetheless, students should note the following stipulations
when they are planning their academic schedule:
- At least 30 credits taken toward the Ph.D. must be
earned within the Columbia University system.
- At least 18 of these 30 credits must be taken within
the School of Social Work.
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