Additional Program Information
Application and Admission
Admission is open to those who hold a Master of Social Work degree or who hold a master’s degree from an allied discipline or profession and who have practice-related experience relevant to the objectives of the program. Applicants are required to submit the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Applicants should have a background in basic inferential statistics. Applicants are accepted for September admission.Completed applications for admission and financial aid should reach the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences office no later than January 15.
Financial Assistance
Financial support is available to both incoming and continuing students. The Graduate School awards graduate student fellowships on a competitive basis. Research assistantships are frequently available through grants awarded to members of the program faculty. Teaching fellowships are awarded to students who have demonstrated competence in areas of the curriculum where teaching assistance is needed.
Curriculum and Course Requirements
Students must meet all University and program requirements for the PhD. Full-time residence for all three semesters’ coursework is recommended. A minimum of 12 courses (48 credit hours) is required for the post-master’s PhD degree, as indicated below.
Core Program
All students must complete two courses in sociological theory—GRS SO 701 Advanced Sociological Theory (Classical) and GRS SO 708 Contemporary Sociological Theory—and two courses in social work theory—SSW WP 901 Sociology of the Social Work Profession and SSW WP 903 Perspectives on Social Welfare Policy. All students must complete three courses in research methods/statistics—GRS SO 702 Proseminar in Research Methods, SSW SR 906 Qualitative Research Methods, and CAS MA 684 Multivariate Analysis.
Specializations
Specialized study is required in two fields, with one to be an established area of concentration in sociology and the other to be a related area in social work. Students must complete two courses (8 credit hours) in their sociology specialization and three courses (12 credit hours) in their social work specialization. Sociology concentrations may be selected from the substantive specializations in the Department of Sociology, including deviance, social stratification, and urban studies, among others. Social work specializations may be selected from social welfare policy or from clinical research, and substantive foci may include aging, child and family welfare, and substance abuse, among others.
Qualifying Examinations and Critical Essay
There is a written examination requirement in social work theory. A critical essay is also required. The essay is to be an assessment and synthesis of the student’s two specialized subfields within sociology and social work. Upon completion of the essay, the candidate must pass an oral examination in the indicated specializations.
Residency Requirement
Each student must satisfy a residency requirement of a minimum of two consecutive regular semesters of full-time graduate study at Boston University. Full-time study in this context is full-time commitment to the discipline as determined by the department. Without necessarily implying full-time course enrollment, this commitment permits access to libraries, laboratories, instructional staff, and other academic facilities of the University, including the department of concentration. Doctoral students holding appointments as teaching fellows or research assistants are considered full-time students for purposes of the residency requirement provided that the time beyond that required by their appointments is devoted fully to their graduate program. In order to graduate, students must be registered part- or full-time in the semester or summer term in which they complete degree requirements, as well as in the preceding semester.
Dissertation
Program approval of the dissertation proposal is obtained through a prospectus consultation examination. Two or more members of the affiliated program faculty supervise the candidate during preparation of the dissertation. This written document is to be a scholarly contribution to knowledge, presented clearly, precisely, and in good literary style. Candidates are encouraged to publish selected parts of their dissertation in professional journals and the entire dissertation as a book.
Final Oral Examination
Candidates, upon completion of the dissertation, present themselves for a final oral examination before a committee of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. The examination is based primarily on the dissertation and related issues in the field of concentration.
Social Work Doctoral Course Offerings
- SSW SR 904 Quantitative Clinical Research Methods in Social Work Practice
- SSW SR 906 Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Data
- SSW WP 900 Social Program Analysis and Evaluation
- SSW WP 901 Sociology of the Social Work Profession
- SSW WP 902 Implementing Social Policy
- SSW WP 903 Perspectives on Social Welfare Policy
For detailed course descriptions, please visit www.bu.edu/ssw/academic/msw/curriculum/descriptions/index.shtml.
