PhD Program in Social Work
Welcome to Carleton’s School of Social Work PhD Program. This program provides you with an opportunity to advance your research and teaching skills while digging more deeply into a topic that interests you. Through writing a dissertation, you can make an original contribution to social work knowledge.
The first two years of the program focus on in-person course work where you explore research methodology, theory, and pedagogy. After that, you complete a dissertation. The latter part of the program involves significant independent work where you research and write under the supervision of a committee of scholars.
When you are admitted to the PhD program, you usually receive funding for 5 years of study. It is important that you also explore Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funding to help finance your studies. The application season is the fall term of the year prior to the award take-up, should your application be successful. Students will fine tune their external award applications in their PhD Seminar courses.
Newly admitted students are advised to work through the checklist for new Graduate students and to read and understand the Terms and Conditions of Admission and Funding.
Link to PhD Admissions Information
Program Overview & Timeline
Although the program is designed to take 5 years to complete, the university allows an additional year in case you get behind. This 6-year period is referred to as your “time to completion”. While progressing through the program, the university expects students to achieve a series of milestones (i.e., aspects of the program need to completed by a particular stage in the process). Our program milestones are the 5.0 credits in course work plus the 0.5 credit in the Qualifying Examination be completed by the end of the first six terms(Fall, Winter, Summer, Fall, Winter, Summer); and the Thesis Proposal defended by the end of Year 3 (9th semester).
Here is what a usual timeline would reflect:
- YEAR 1 – The focus in year one is course work and the practicum in advocacy research. In your first term of the program, you have the opportunity to get to know faculty and colleagues. You also begin making a connection with a community partner where you can complete some research in an organization. In your second term of the first year it is helpful to begin having conversations with faculty to explore who you might want to have as your research supervisor. The mentor who you were assigned when you were admitted to the program and the graduate program supervisor can support you in terms of who you might want to speak to. Make an appointment to talk to them about possibilities.
- YEAR 2 – In year two you continue your course work and, starting in the winter term, your comprehensive exam. Your comprehensive exam is an opportunity to read material in your area of interest and develop your expertise in that topic by writing a paper consolidating and analyzing the materials that you read. You want to start planning for your comprehensive exam (i.e., the areas you want to explore and your reading list) in the summer following your first year in the program. This planning should happen with support from your mentor and the graduate supervisor. Make an appointment to talk to them at the end of your first year. It is helpful to begin the winter term of your second year with a plan for your comprehensive exam and to have your comprehensive exam committee established (i.e. a supervisor and two other faculty members who will support your work). It often takes the winter and spring/summer semester to complete the exam.
- YEAR 3 – In the fall of year 3, students should be planning to write and defend their dissertation proposal which is outlined in the Social Work PhD Thesis Guidelines. In the winter semester you also want to secure ethics approval for your research and start collecting data in the winter and spring/summer semesters.
- YEAR 4 – In your fourth year you should be moving from data collection to writing your dissertation. It is good to have a complete draft of your dissertation by the end of your fourth year. Remember that you do have an extra year if things have taken longer than expected.
- YEAR 5 – In your fifth year, you should be revising your first full draft based upon feedback from your supervisor and committee members. It often takes a full year of revisions before a dissertation is ready for defence.
We know that life often throws us unexpected turns so the university has built in an extra year into your completion time to provide you with the flexibility to deal with these events whether they are personal or academic. This said, it is important that you track your own progress and pay attention to the milestones outlined above. If you do start getting behind, reach out and talk to the program administrator, program supervisor and your research supervisor to understand your options and to put in place processes that can support your success.
Guidelines for Success
Completing a PhD program on the schedule outlined above requires full time focus. This can often be quite challenging. It is important that students in the course work phase of the program develop a sound proposal and apply for external funding to support their studies. Having external funding makes it a lot easier to weather the challenges of academic work and life.
Every year the university will ask you to report on your progress and whether you met the expectations (milestones) of that year. The reason for this is it provides an opportunity for you and your supervisor to reflect on what you might need to progress successfully. It is also intended to flag early if you are having difficulties.
It is also very helpful to take advantage of opportunities for research assistantships where you can learn about the research process while being involved in other scholars’ research projects. This can also provide you with the opportunity to have your name on scholarly publications. It is helpful that, upon completion of the program, students have been able to be part of additional research projects and to have some publications. To find out about these opportunities, reach out to faculty, participate in co-curricular events. There are also academic conferences that can be a helpful place for you to learn about research. A great place to start is the Canadian Association of Social Work Education that hosts an annual conference. You will also find a variety of graduate student conferences happening at Carleton and other universities in Ontario. There are some funds available to students who present at these conferences to offset some travel and accommodation expenses.
Course Sequencing
The PhD program is offered on an alternating cohort basis so that every cohort is able to take classes with an incoming cohort. This year, 2024-25, PhD students are entering as Cohort B and will take classes with last year’s Cohort A. Next year’s Cohort A will take classes with this year’s Cohort B.
PhD program requirements and graduate student regulations are outlined in the Graduate Calendar.
| PhD Program & Course Sequencing: 2024-25 (Cohort B) | ||
| Fall Term 2024 SOWK 6201 Theory & Methods (0.5 credit) SOWK 6301 PhD Seminar (0.25) Elective (0.5) Students will have a TA assignment (130 hours total – 10 hours per week) |
Winter Term 2025 SOWK 6202 Research Design (0.5) SOWK 6302 PhD Seminar (0.25) Elective (0.5) TA assignment (130 hours total – 10 hours per week) |
Summer Term 2025 SOWK 6600 Practicum in Advocacy Research (0.5 credit) Elective (0.5) If 1.0 credit in electives not complete SOWK 6800 – Qualifying Exam. Once registered in the Qualifying Exam, continuous registration is required every term until completion. |
| Fall Term 2025 SOWK 6101 Theoretical Foundations (0.5) SOWK 6303 PhD Seminar (0.25 credit) SOWK 6401 Critical Pedagogy (0.5) SOWK 6800 – Qualifying Exam. TA assignment (130 hours total – 10 hours per week) |
Winter Term 2026 SOWK 6102 Ethical Foundations (0.5 credit) SOWK 6304 PhD Seminar (0.25 credit) SOWK 6800 Qualifying Examination TA assignment (130 hours total – 10 hours per week) |
Summer Term 2026 SOWK 6800 Qualifying Exam (if not completed) or SOWK 6909 – Thesis if completed |
| Year 3 – Students register in SOWK 6909 – thesis in every term (including summers) until completion providing qualifying exam is complete. Thesis proposal is developed and defended in the 3rd year. TA assignments for fall and winter terms. | ||
| Year 4 – Students register in SOWK 6909 fall, winter, summer term. Thesis research, data analysis, and writing in progress. Aim to have a complete draft of thesis by end of this year. TA assignments in fall and winter terms. | ||
| Year 5 – Students register in SOWK 6909 fall, winter, summer term. Thesis editing and writing continues. TA assignments in fall and winter terms. The final approved thesis needs to be with committee in time to schedule defence a minimum of 2 months in advance. | ||
Elective Courses/Options
1.0 credit in elective courses is required at the 5000 or 6000 level. Non-SOWK electives require approval of the Graduate Supervisor. Students are advised to choose electives that will complement their research, and research methodology. If you are taking an elective outside of Social Work, send the course outline (once available) to the Graduate Programs Supervisor for approval.
A sampling of electives is below. These courses may not be offered every year, and the Department offering the course may restrict registration to students in their own programs.
AFRI 6000 – Thinking from Africa: Historical Perspectives, Contemporary Dimensions
ALDS 5480 – Critical Discourse Analysis
ALDS 5607 – Research and Theory in Academic Writing
CDNS 5002 – Interdisciplinary Methods
CDNS 5201 – Critical Perspectives on Canadian Feminism
CDNS 5400 – Space, Landscape and Identity in Canada
CDNS 5501 – Decolonizing Canada: Cultural Politics and Collective Identities
COMS 5209 – Climate Change and Communication
GEOG 5500 – Special Topics in the Study of Cities and Urbanization – Political Economy of the City
HLTH 6903 – Grant Proposals and Ethics
HRSJ 5303 – Critical Race Theory
HRSJ 5901 – Critical Approaches to Human Rights and Social Justice
HRSJ 5502 – Global Indigenous Knowledges
HSRJ 5902 – Critical Methodologies in Human Rights and Social Justice
SOCI 5401 – Critical Disability Studies
SOCI 5503 – Political Economy of Migration
SOCI 5805 – The Practice and Craft of Writing
WGST 5901 – F24:LatinAmer/Carib Feminisms
WGST 5901 – Queer/Feminist/Life/Writing
WGST 5902 – Advanced Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies
Once you find a course of interest to you, try to register for it. If blocked, submit a Registration Error Override Request and include any relevant background information about yourself and why you would like to take the course. If you do manage to register for it, send the course outline to your Supervisor (if known) and our Graduate Program Supervisor to ensure it is a good fit for your studies. Send their approval to Graduate Administrator in Social Work for your student record.
Students can choose to do a Directed Study as an elective option(s). SOWK 6405/6406 (0.5) is an individually-arranged independent exploration of selected areas of inquiry that are offered subject to the availability of faculty. Requires a written proposal with clear learning objectives and a study plan. Interested students are encouraged to connect with their program mentor, and/or Graduate Supervisor for advice and supervisory suggestions. Once a Directed Study Supervisor is determined, email the Graduate Administrator for the updated course outline template, and PhD Program Learning Outcomes. Sample (template)
Practicum in Advocacy Research – SOWK 6600
The practicum in advocacy research at the School of Social Work provides students with an opportunity to apply academic research skills outside the university. It is designed to enhance students’ knowledge translation skills in an applied learning experience hosted by a partner organization. The practicum is designed to be mutually beneficial with the student developing community-based knowledge translation skills, while organizations benefit from the doctoral students’ contributions. Practicums are usually 130 hours long and completed within one semester preferably in the first year. For students in the program who are looking for non-academic jobs after graduation, this advocacy practicum provides a unique chance to apply their scholarly skills outside the university. For those who want to work in the academy, research partnerships with community partners remains central to academic research and this practicum provides an opportunity to develop and implement such a partnership.
The focus of the research advocacy practicum is to engage in projects that integrate research and community while contributing to change through a variety of knowledge dissemination practices. Projects include those that emerge from scholarly literature; developing evidence-based learning opportunities; and report development. These placements can be housed within charitable organizations, governmental organizations, or non-profits. They can be national or local in scale; in person, or remote.
Some students come into the PhD program with connections to organizations with whom they want to partner for the research practicum. These students can discuss their interests with the graduate supervisor, their mentor, and the PhD seminar leader to assess whether such partnerships could be a fit for the course.
Other students look to faculty members, the graduate supervisor, and their mentor to help find them a practicum. This happens through informal conversations and brainstorming sessions.
It is important to start these conversations early in the fall as it can take some time to find a fit and for organizations to conceptualize a project and prepare for a student.
Some Examples of Practicums
Students have used their research skills to develop reports for national non-profit organizations in the areas of food security, Indigenous Issues, health care, and union organizing. Others have worked for political leaders to help translate research findings into educational materials for workers and/or the general public. Others have helped link scholarly literature to the development and implementation of research activities at an organization.
Prior to registration, students must submit a proposal to the graduate supervisor. The proposal must include a description of the organization, a description of the project, an articulation of the tasks involved in completing the project and an agreement for 130 hours of work. This proposal must be approved by the graduate supervisor and signed by the student and a representative from the community organization. Upon completion of the Practicum in Advocacy Research, students must submit a summary of the research completed and this must also include signatures of the student and the organizational representative. Please note: normally all 130 hours of the practicum must be completed within the term so that the graduate supervisor can submit a SAT (Satisfied) grade. Practicum in Advocacy Research: Agreement Template & Completion Summary Template
*** Insurance forms are required, please see Carleton’s information on Paid/Unpaid Work Placements and FAQs. Return completed forms to Graduate Supervisor and Graduate Administrator in the School.
** Note – option to choose 0.5 credit in an approved research course in another discipline at an equivalent level to replace Advocacy Practicum
Qualifying Exam Requirements
The Qualifying Exam is a critical assessment and demonstration of mastery in an area of inquiry related to the research project, involving theoretical, methodological and substantive components. Requires a proposal to the Exam Committee, the successful completion of a Qualifying Exam paper and an Oral Qualifying Exam. Social Work PhD Qualifying Examination (SOWK 6800) Guidelines
PhD Thesis – SOWK 6909
The PhD Thesis is an original scholarly research contribution constituting a significant contribution to the field of social welfare and the profession of social work.
The thesis must meet standards including a formal oral defense governed by the regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs: Graduate Student Thesis Requirements.
There are two options for completing the PhD thesis. One is a monograph, or extended research paper. The other is an Integrated Article Thesis Option. The option chosen must be approved by the student’s committee.
PHD Thesis Guidelines for Social Work Students
Integrated Article Thesis Option Guidelines
Students will find the Library’s Guide for Graduate Students in Social Work a helpful resource for thesis and research.
Other Information
Shared Office Space
Doctoral students will be assigned a shared office space. As a doctoral student, you are awarded a Teaching Assistantship and an office where you can meet with students, as well as to study and conduct research. You will have a mailbox for both internal and external post in the School’s mailroom DT 505. The mailing address is the same as the School.
Collaborative PhD in Political Economy
The School offers a Collaborative PhD with a Specialization in Political Economy. Several units in the university participate in this collaborative program, please see further information on the Institute of Political Economy website. Students admitted in the PhD in Social work program who are interested in this option would apply for admission to the collaborative program during the fall semester of their first year. If accepted to the Collaborative program, students are required to replace their Social Work PhD electives with PECO 6000 and one other course with political economy content. When you graduate the designation on your diploma will be “PhD in Social Work with a Specialization in Political Economy.”
PhD Teaching
Course teaching under Article 17 (without competition) is determined in consultation with the Director of the School of Social Work, once Qualifying Exam is completed.
To begin teaching in the fall term, Q- Exam is booked by April 15, and successful completion by July 1.
Winter term teaching start: Q-Exam booked by April 15 and completion by October 1.
Spring/Summer teaching start: Q-Exam booked by December 1 and completion by February 1.
Students with a teaching assignment will submit a ‘Leave from TA Duties” for relevant term.
That term of TAship will move to the next available term within program time limit (usually summer)
Graduate Professional Development
As a graduate student at Carleton, you have access to a variety of professional development resources. These include skill workshops, one-on-one career and writing consultations, career-oriented events, and even structured programs. Challenge yourself by acquiring new skills that can help you boost your employability. To learn more, visit the Graduate Professional Development website at carleton.ca/gradpd.