School of Social Work Offers Ph.D. Program
Flexible, part-time, online program will provide social work professionals with skills to advance their careers
Sacred Heart University’s School of Social Work is excited to offer a doctoral social work program.
The part-time Ph.D. program suits social work professionals currently working in community or governmental organizations and higher education institutions. It will prepare candidates for careers in academia, social work research, community-based leadership, grant writing and program evaluation. Upon completion, students will have new opportunities to advance issues of social and racial justice, develop their pedagogical approach and fill gaps within social work research in their communities and globally.
“Traditional Ph.D. programs often present barriers for social work professionals,” said Jennifer Wilson, clinical assistant professor. “The full time, place-based requirement of most Ph.D. programs is out of reach for social workers in the field or working in higher education.” A flexible, part-time program offered online makes a doctoral degree possible, she added.
Students can expect to finish the program’s online coursework in two years, followed by their dissertation, which can take anywhere from one to five years. Online delivery will include a combination of asynchronous coursework and synchronous meetings. Courses emphasize social and racial justice and integrated practice, which are aligned with the University’s mission. Students can look forward to graduate teaching assistantship opportunities and the possibility to conduct research across disciplines or abroad at one of SHU’s international campuses.
An annual required week-long, on-campus, summer residency enables students to meet faculty face-to-face and learn about the Sacred Heart community and other resources available to them, Wilson said. The program also includes plans to offer a for-credit writers’ retreat on campus.
"We want to develop a cohort that feels connected and has a community,” said Patricia Carl-Stannard, clinical associate professor and director of the School of Social Work. She said the Ph.D. program will equip professionals with leadership abilities and provide them with an expanded level of marketability.