Doctoral Program Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "Joint" PhD program?
The Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Social Science is an interdepartmental program in the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan. It awards a joint PhD in social work and one of five social sciences: anthropology, economics, psychology, political science, or sociology. This means that when students apply to and are accepted into the Joint Program, they take courses and complete requirements in social work as well as in the discipline in which they have decided to specialize. Further, when they graduate they are awarded a joint PhD in social work and social science.
Why should I apply to the Joint Program?
If you are interested in pursuing a career that involves developing and using
knowledge to contribute to the amelioration of social problems and
to improvements in the quality of the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable
populations, it is hard to imagine a better choice than the Joint Program in
Social Work and Social Science. You will be studying at one of the world's
leading research universities with faculty located in the School of Social
Work and social science departments that routinely are ranked as among the
best in the United States. When you graduate, the quality and breadth of
your training will give you the flexibility
to work in a wide variety of settings, including schools of social work/social
welfare, other academic departments, governmental departments and agencies,
or the nonprofit or for-profit sectors.
What social science departments are available for joint program students?
Currently five social science departments are available for joint
program students: Anthropology, Economics, Political Science,
Psychology, and Sociology.
What kind of funding will be available to me?
The Joint Program in Social Work and Social Science provides all incoming doctoral
students with a multi-year funding package that should fund most, if not all,
of your of graduate career at the University of Michigan. We combine fellowship
awards, graduate student research assistant positions, and graduate student
instructorships to offer most students five years of full funding, which includes
tuition, stipends, and health care. Students may also apply for other funding
from sources within and outside of the University of Michigan. Students in
the program have received very competitive pre-doctoral fellowships from organizations
such as the National Science Foundation, Council on Social Work Education,
American Association of University Women, National Institute of Mental Health,
and Hartford Foundation. You may also fill out a FAFSA and apply for federal
aid through the Office of Financial Aid.
I am an international student. Am I eligible for funding?
Yes, you are eligible for the funding package described above. You are not eligible for certain fellowships and scholarships offered at the University of Michigan, or for training grants supported by the federal government.
May I apply to the Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Social Science without having an MSW degree?
Yes. If you are accepted into the Joint Program, you will earn your MSW degree
in the process of completing your PhD.
May I apply as a transfer student?
No, unless you are already in a PhD program at the University of Michigan
in one of the five social sciences allied with the Joint Program.
Do I need to apply separately to the discipline in which I am interested as well as to the Joint Program?
No. You only need to go through the application process for admission to the Joint Program. If you are accepted into the Joint Program, you are also accepted into the discipline you selected.
Do you offer a part-time or an online PhD?
No. You must be registered as a full-time student studying on campus to receive
our funding package. Students are expected to devote full time to their studies
and are supported financially to enable them to do that.
When is the application deadline?
All applications and supporting materials must be received by the application
deadline of December 1st each year, for admission the following fall term.
We admit students only once a year, and all applications are considered at
the same time.
How do I send in my GRE or TOEFL scores?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test is required for all applicants. For information about GRE registration and preparation, please see gre.org. Please contact Educational Testing Services (ETS) and have them forward an electronic copy of your scores directly to us. Only official results will be accepted, and scores that are more than five years old will not be considered valid. For the GRE, the school code for University of Michigan is 1839 and the department code is 5001. For the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the school code is 1839 and the department code is 95. TOEFL scores are required from all applicants educated in countries whose native language is not English unless they have earned a degree from an institution where the language of instruction is English exclusively. TOEFL scores that are more than two years old will not be accepted.
What can I do to improve my chances of admittance?
The best thing you can do is begin planning in advance to present a complete
and high-quality application. This means doing research to find out who the
faculty are in both the School of Social Work and the discipline in which you
are interested, and thinking about how their interests line up with yours.
Also, prepare well for the GRE and/or TOEFL tests and leave yourself enough time for a retest if you feel you have not done your very best.
In this same vein, start well in advance contacting current and previous universities and colleges about submitting grade transcripts. We cannot consider your application without them. Finally, think about who you will ask to write letters of recommendation for you. Try to get at least two of the letters from a current or former professor. If possible, talk with the people who will be writing letters for you about your plans to apply to the Joint Program. It is important for them to know what your career goals are and why you are applying to a doctoral program.
When submitting your application, it is crucial to write a clear, concise personal statement outlining your professional, intellectual, and research interests and career goals and how they connect to the professional and intellectual commitments of social work and your preferred social science. Take time in preparing this statement, and include an assessment of how your interests connect to the interests of the faculty.
What are my chances of securing employment upon
graduation from the Joint Doctoral Program?
Because of the quality and breadth of their training, graduates of the Joint Program are heavily recruited nationally and internationally. In the past four years, the majority of graduates have secured tenure-track positions in colleges and universities. Recent graduates have also taken post-doctorate fellowships in leading universities, and have gone to work in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.