Ph.D. in Social Work

Earning a Ph.D. in social work at the University of South Carolina will prepare you to provide leadership for social change by conducting transdisciplinary, community-engaged research into key issues and educating the next generation of social workers. The College of Social Work’s Ph.D. program is a rigorous program that combines two and one-half years of coursework with transdisciplinary scholarship.

To drive meaningful change for people and communities in South Carolina and beyond, you can leverage the college’s broad faculty research portfolio, engage with various research centers and tap into diverse research opportunities with partners across the Carolina campus. Most program graduates accept positions in colleges and universities as social work professors, while some seek to research, policy-making, or leadership positions in government, research, or charitable organizations.

Since our inception in 1969, the College of Social Work has operated as an institution of the highest quality. The Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education has awarded unconditional accreditation to the college’s programs after every review. As the college continues to grow and develop to meet the needs and emerging challenges, it will maintain a commitment to quality in every endeavor.

Faculty and students from the college and our five centers and institutes work on leading evidence-based research. While working in cooperation with local, state, and national agencies and organizations, we collect data to help solve social policy and family and community development issues.