Requirements and Curriculum

This page provides an overview of the Social Work PhD curriculum. For detailed course requirements and sequence information, please visit the official course catalog.

Requirements

  • Completion and defense of the three research articles that constitute the dissertation.
  • All University requirements as stated in The University of Tennessee Graduate Catalog.
  • A minimum of 67 semester credit-hours beyond the MSSW, including
  • Completion of 34 credit-hours of required course work,
  • Completion of 9 credit-hours of advanced electives, and
  • Completion of at least 24 credits of dissertation research.
  • Successful completion of the comprehensive examinations.

Requirements and Curriculum for the PhD Program

SOWK 601 – Research for Social Work Practice I

Epistemological foundations of, and methods for, quantitative and qualitative research for social work practice, including formation of research questions and hypotheses; basic measurement; sampling; research design; and introduction to the research proposal.

SOWK 677 – Teaching Practicum I

Face-to-face classroom teaching experience under the supervision of a social work faculty teaching mentor. Demonstration of independent teaching, student assessment, and classroom management.

SOWK 603 – Research III: Funded Research and Grant Writing

Funded research and grant writing. Sources of funding, including federal and private foundation, for social work research; writing a competitive grant proposal, including the narrative, budget, budget justification, and IRB review application.

SOWK 604 – Community Engaged Social Work Research

Explores the theory and practice of engaging diverse communities, organizations, and relevant stakeholders in social work research. Students will explore community-based research models and learn skills relevant to centering participant research goals in the design and implementation of social work research.