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Ph.D. Degree

UNC School of Social Work has offered studies leading to a Ph.D. in Social Work since 1993. Our goal is to develop social work scholars and educators who are prepared for careers in academic, research, and policy settings — individuals who will advance the knowledge base of our profession on national and international levels.

Our doctoral program is rigorous. Our graduates are highly skilled in designing and evaluating social interventions, in analyzing the data produced by their evaluations, and in communicating their discoveries. Many accept appointments to faculties of public and private universities; others choose to pursue leadership roles in policymaking institutions. To date, more than 100 students have earned the Ph.D. in Social Work at our School.

Our faculty has chosen to organize our doctoral program around the theme of social intervention — policy, program, and direct practice interventions that impact the entire field of social work and social welfare, recognizing that levels of intervention are interrelated and cannot be viewed separately from one another. This theme offers considerable latitude toward our students in designing programs of study that are responsive to their individual areas of interest.