Our PhD in Social Work Program
The Columbia School of Social Work’s
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program has produced many of the world’s most influential leaders in social work and social welfare scholarship since its inception in 1950. The program is offered by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and administered by the School of Social Work. It prepares candidates for careers as researchers, scholars and educators. Doctoral students can choose from three concentrations:
- Advanced Practice
- Social Policy and Policy Analysis
- Social Policy and Administration (currently not accepting new applications)
Candidates will also take advanced social work courses and a wide range of courses offered in other Columbia professional schools.
A PhD in Social Work candidate will complete approximately two years of full-time coursework, master content in a social work method, a related behavioral or social science, and a substantive field of practice, and prepare and defend a dissertation. To learn more about the concentrations, coursework, registration, and dissertation stages at Columbia School of Social Work, check out to the
Doctoral Program Resource Guide.