The University of GeorgiaSchool of Social Work

Advocates for Positive Social Change

www.ssw.uga.edu

Ready to apply? For the most comprehensive information and the online PhD Program application, please visit our web site: www.ssw.uga.edu. Click on Prospective Students, then PhD Program.

If you have any additional questions after visiting our web site, contact the PhD Program Office at 706-542-5461 or sswphd@uga.edu.

The University of GeorgiaSchool of Social Work

The PhD Program

The PhD Program of the University

of Georgia School of Social Work

began in 1990 and has produced over

100 graduates, most of whom have

gone on to assume academic, research

or administrative positions. The program

prepares social work professionals for careers

in academic research settings and for practice in

program evaluation and other forms of scientific

research in the public and private sectors.

The overall goals of the program are to help

students acquire the research skills necessary to

develop original research studies that have direct

applications to social work practice. In addition,

we emphasize learning about teaching so that our

graduates are able to provide quality instruction to

the next generation of social work students.

Thinking PhD?Think Georgia!

My doctoral experience at the

UGA School of Social Work has been

exceptional. I have been most impressed

with the collaborative learning environment,

interdisciplinary opportunities, and

research concentration. The

School also offers multiple

opportunities for teaching

and research, which have

provided me with a

solid foundation

for a career in

academia.

— Denise L. Levy, PhD, Class of 2008

Athens – a great place to live! Warmly referred to as the “Classic City”, Athens is a reflection of the new south, filled with southern charm while progressively developing in cultural and industrial areas. Over the years, Athens has grown from a small college town to a cosmopolitan city of over 100,000 people and provides all the luxuries and convenience of a booming metropolitan area, without the urban congestion. Great restaurants, art museums, performance venues, recreational opportunities, historical sights, a diverse population, and of course Georgia Bulldog athletics make Athens an exciting place to live. Athens is also world renowned for its vibrant music scene. It is the home of R.E.M., Widespread Panic, the B-52s, and countless other bands on the rise.

Living in Athens is relatively low cost compared to other cities of its size. One of the many cost of living comparison calculators on the internet can help you determine if living in Athens could save you money. And Athens is only 70 miles from all that the capital city of Atlanta has to offer!

T h e U N I V e R S I T Y O F G e O R G I A

SChOOL OF SOCIAL WORk PhD PROGRAm

students also sign up for course hours that match the following events: Comprehensive Examinations, Prospectus Defense, and Dissertation Defense. While there has been great variance in the length of time needed to finish the program, future full-time students should plan to complete the PhD Program in 3-4 years.

Part-Time Students We now offer a Part-Time Option for in-state students that uses individual advisement to plan the student’s program of study. This option is perfect for students that have full-time employment and can only take one or two courses per semester.

Financing Students admitted as prospective candidates in full-time study are generally offered a research assistantship that provides a stipend of approximately $12,000 over two semesters, plus a tuition reduction to $25 (students are still subject to activity fees of roughly $700). The research assistantship requires the PhD student to work at least 14 hours a week with an assigned faculty member on a research project. In the second and subsequent years of study, students will be provided with various teaching, graduate and/or research assistantship opportunities, which provide equivalent stipends and tuition waivers, on a semester-by-semester basis. Historically the UGA School of Social Work has an exemplary record of providing financial support to students.

Our PhD students hail from all regions of the nation and different parts of the world such as Africa and Asia. Our graduates are practicing and teaching throughout the United States, as well as in countries such as Canada, Scotland, South Korea, India, and Iraq. While many of our graduates teach, others are program evaluators, administrators of social service programs, private practitioners, consultants, members of the Armed Services, and university administrators. Some are working as researchers in institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Career opportunities for social work PhD graduates are excellent. The number of social work doctorates produced nationally each year is not sufficient to fill the numerous positions open in academic social work programs across the nation.

The University of Georgia is America’s first state charted university and the birthplace of the American system of public higher education. It is also the state of Georgia’s oldest, most comprehensive and most diversified university. As a land-grant and sea-grant institution, UGA extends its professional knowledge and expertise to help people improve the quality of their lives. UGA’s motto—to teach, to serve and to inquire into the nature of things—reflects the university’s integral and unique role in the conservation and enhancement of the intellectual, cultural and environmental heritage of the state and nation.

UGA is tied for 20th in U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 list of the 50 top public universities in America. The rankings are based on such factors as academic reputation, student retention, faculty resources, student selectivity and financial resources. The University libraries, with more than 4 million volumes, are ranked

among the top third of the nation’s best 113 research libraries in ratings compiled by the Association of Research Libraries. To learn more about the University of Georgia, its history, mission and points of pride, visit www.uga.edu.

The School of Social Work Established in 1964 and accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the UGA School of Social Work is a leader among social work schools regionally and nationally. The School offers the following degrees: Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Social Work, and Doctor of Philosophy. The School also houses the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations which offers the Master of Arts in Nonprofit Organizations degree. We actively strive to create a collaborative, open learning environment for faculty, staff and students alike and emphasize recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The PhD Curriculum is a series of required research courses, two research practica, other courses in the School of Social Work, three courses in statistics and advised cognates taken outside the School. PhD