Graduate Faculty
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Pre-Doctoral Exploration Option Program
Ph.D. Minor in Social Work
Courses
Ph.D. Courses
School of Social Work
Indianapolis
Director
Professor Gerald T. Powers
Graduate Faculty
Professors
William Barton, Barry Cournoyer,* Roberta Greene, Graffton Hull, Jr. (Northwest), Gerald T. Powers, Paul Sachdev, W. Patrick Sullivan
Associate Professors
Margaret Adamek, Valerie Chang,* Gail Folaron,* Eldon Marshall,* Paul Newcomb (South Bend), Linda Anderson Smith,* Irene Queiro-Tajalli*
Academic Advisor
Professor Gerald T. Powers, Indiana University School of Social Work, 902 W. New York Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202; (317) 274-6724, gpowers@iupui.edu
Degrees Offered
Doctor of Philosophy. The School of Social Work also offers the Master of Social Work degree on the Indianapolis, IUN/Gary and the first year of this program may also be completed on the South Bend campus. For further information on the M.S.W. program, see the Bulletin of the School of Social Work.
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Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Admission Requirements
All applicants to the Ph.D. program must have a masters degree in social work or a related field of study. Admission to the Ph.D. program is based on evaluations of (1) the applicant’s professional resume, (2) professional experience beyond the M.S.W. degree, (3) undergraduate and graduate transcripts, (4) three letters of reference, (5) an example of the applicant’s scholarly writing, (6) a 500-word statement of purpose, (7) Graduate Record Examination General Test scores.
Application Deadlines
Applications are accepted at any time, but a deadline of January 1 is required in order to be considered for a University Fellowship. All applications must be received by April 1 in order to be considered for admission to the program for the following fall semester. Application materials and further information may be obtained from the program director.
Course Requirements
A total of 90 credit hours, including dissertation and research internship. Up to 30 graduate credit hours may be counted toward the minimum 90 credit hours required for the Ph.D. degree. All courses credited toward the Ph.D. degree must have a minimum grade of B and must receive written approval of the School of Social Work Ph.D. Program Committee and the dean of the University Graduate School. Specific program requirements include: (1) professional social work component-27 credit hours, (2) specialization component-18 credit hours, (3) research component-27 credit hours, (4) research internship-6 credit hours, (5) dissertation-12 credits. See also the “Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy” discussed in the first section of this bulletin.
Advisory Committee
All students in the Ph.D. program, with the approval of the program director, will select an advisory committee of three faculty members, one of whom will represent the student’s area of specialization outside the School of Social Work.
Qualifying Examination
Comprehensive; specific focus and scheduling determined by the student’s advisory committee.
Research Proposal
After nomination to candidacy, the student, with the approval of the program director, will select a research committee of no fewer than three faculty members, including an outside member. This committee must approve the proposed dissertation topic.
Final Examination
Oral defense of dissertation.
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Pre-Doctoral Exploration Option Program
This program is designed to provide prospective Ph.D. students with an opportunity to explore their interests in research and doctoral education before making formal application to the Ph.D. program. Qualified students are admitted under a “special student” status (M9) and are permitted to enroll in up to three of the school’s regular Ph.D. foundation courses (9 credit hours) before having to decide whether they intend to apply to the Ph.D. program. If later accepted to the Ph.D. program, credits earned during the pre-doctoral phase will automatically apply toward the Ph.D. degree. Participation in the Pre-Doctoral Exploration Program does not guarantee acceptance into the Ph.D. program. Applications for the Pre-Doctoral Exploratory Option program must be postmarked by June 16 for fall admission and by October 27 for spring admission. All inquiries regarding the pre-doctoral option should be directed to the academic advisor listed above.
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Ph.D. Minor in Social Work
A minor in social work requires the completion of at least 12 credit hours of graduate course work. Students must complete either S730 or S740 and at least one additional course from among the 700 level courses listed below. Remaining course requirements may be taken from among the school’s 500 and 600 level courses with the approval of the Director of the M.S.W. Program and the course instructor. The choice of courses comprising the minor must be made in consultation with the Ph.D. program director and have the approval of the student’s identified faculty advisor.
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Courses
S500 Social Welfare and the Social Work Profession (3 cr.)
S510 Human Behavior and Social Environments: Individuals, Families, and Groups (3 cr.)
S511 Human Behavior and Social Environment: Organizations, Communities, and Societies (3 cr.)
S520 Evaluation Processes for Social Work (3 cr.)
S530 Social Policy and Service Delivery I (3 cr.)
S540 Social Work Practice I: Theory and Skills (5 cr.)
S541 Social Work Practice II: Individuals, Families, Groups (3 cr.)
S542 Social Work Practice II: Organizations, Communities, and Societies (3 cr.)
S621 Social Work Research: Interpersonal (3 cr.)
S622 Social Work Research: Macro Practice (3 cr.)
S631 Social Policy and Services II (3 cr.)
S643 Social Work Practice III: Individuals (3 cr.)
S644 Social Work Practice III: Families (3 cr.)
S645 Social Work Practice III: Groups (3 cr.)
S646 Community Organization and Social Action (3 cr.)
S647 Program Planning and Development (3 cr.)
S710 Proseminar on Client Systems (3 cr.)
S720 Philosophy of Science and Social Work (3 cr.)
S723 Application of Research Methods (3 cr.)
S726 Advanced Social Work Research: Qualitative Methods (3 cr.)
S727 Advanced Social Work Research: Quantitative Methods (3 cr.)
S730 Proseminar on Social Work Policy Analysis (3 cr.)
S740 Interpersonal Social Work Practice: Theory and Research (3 cr.)
S790 Special Topics in Social Work Practice, Theory, and Research (1-3 cr.)
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Ph.D. Courses
In addition to the required courses listed below, all students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours outside the School of Social Work related to their area of specialization. An advanced course in measurement and statistics is also required and is typically taken as part of the student’s area of specialization. All students must enroll for 6 elective credits, which may be taken within or outside the School of Social Work with the approval of the student’s advisory committee.
Required
S710 Proseminar on Client Systems (3 cr.) This seminar focuses on the converging forces that have shaped the development, dissemination, and utilization of the human-behavior knowledge base of social work. It specifically examines the social and behavioral science theory and research that provide the foundation for social work practice across a variety of system levels.
S720 Philosophy of Science and Social Work (3 cr.) This course examines the nature and sources of social work knowledge and considers a range of epistemological issues involved in the selection, development, evaluation, and use of knowledge for social work.
S725 Social Work Research Internship (3 cr.) P: S720, S726, S727 or a foundation statistics course, and at least one of the following: S710, S730, or S740. This supervised field internship provides practical experience in conducting research relevant to social work practice. Students participate in a new or ongoing, faculty supervised research project involving the design and implementation of a study, including the collection and analysis of data, and the development of appropriate research reports. Internship may be registered for up to three times.
S726 Advanced Social Work Research: Qualitative Methods (3 cr.) P: S720 and foundation statistics course. This course provides an opportunity for students to initiate a research project using qualitative research methods. Topics covered will include developing the research question, exploring the literature, writing an interview guide, interviewing, analyzing data, computer analysis, writing reports, subjectivity and bias, ethics, role of theory, trustworthiness, and audits.
S727 Advanced Social Work Research: Quantitative Methods (3 cr.) P: S720 and foundation statistics course. This advanced quantitative research methods course prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively engage in independent research, including: literature review, theory development, hypothesis testing, research design, data analysis, and report writing. It includes related computer applications and use of online data sources.
S730 Proseminar on Social Work Policy Analysis (3 cr.) This seminar focuses on the development and application of analytical tools necessary to critically examine and evaluate social policy theory and research germane to social work, including the values and ideologies that undergird social problem construction, social policy creation, and social program design. Specific attention is devoted to the application of these schemata for diverse populations.
S740 Interpersonal Social Work Practice: Theory and Research (3 cr.) This seminar provides an in-depth orientation to the place of research in social work. It focuses on epistemological, methodological, practical, and ethical issues which affect the way in which research relevant to the profession of social work is conducted and used.
S800 Dissertation Research (1-12 cr.)
Electives
S723 Application of Research Methods (3 cr.) This elective seminar provides students with an opportunity to engage in a guided research project that builds upon the qualitative/quantitative methodologies developed during the S726 Advanced Social Work Research: Qualitative Methods course. Students gain experience in all phases of the scientific process and receive individual and collective critique of their research efforts.
S790 Special Topics in Social Work Practice, Theory, and Research (1-3 cr.) P: approval by appropriate instructor. This course provides students with an opportunity to engage in focused study of a substantive area of social work practice directly related to the student’s identified area of theoretical and research interest. It is completed with the approval and under the guidance of a member of the Ph.D. faculty.
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