Assessment Details
Academic Year: 2020-2021 Level: Graduate
Campus Department: School of Social Work [Grad]
Program Type: Major [UG] / Program [Grad]
Program Name: Social Work PhD (Link)
Description of Data Collection:
The program has structured a number of opportunities for the students and members of the faculty to assess student progress.
Comprehensive Exams: As stated in the Doctoral Student Guide, “The purpose of the examination is to assess the student’s analytical ability to synthesize and integrate the course materials and apply them critically to social welfare problems and issues…”
“Doctoral students are required to complete a written comprehensive examination at the end of the first year of study. The content of the examination is based on first year required courses. To be eligible to sit for the comprehensive exam, a student must have completed the core seminars by May 21 with a minimum cumulative average of 3.0 and cannot have any incomplete courses…”
“The examination is evaluated by at least two faculty members and is graded on a pass/fail basis. In the event that a student fails the examination, a notice is sent to the Academic Standards and Review Committee (ASRC). The members of the ASRC make a decision about whether the student will be allowed to continue in the program and retake the examinations and the student must develop a written remedial work plan with their advisor…”
Research Assistantship: During the second year of the doctoral program, all students are required to engage in a research project for at least 6 hours per week (75 hours per semester) under the tutelage of a faculty member. The student and the supervising faculty member complete a learning contract that specifies the learning objectives, research tasks, and expected deliverables associated with the research assistantship. While the student does not receive academic credit for this requirement, the students do submit an assessment of their progress at the end of each semester.
Publishable Paper: The publishable paper assignment is considered to be the second part of the comprehensive exam. It is typically completed at the end of the second year of study.
The Doctoral Student Guide specifies that, “The overall purpose of the paper is to demonstrate a capacity to integrate theory and research bearing on a social welfare problem. The student demonstrates this competence by articulating a significant social welfare question, using the most relevant social science theory and empirical research to elucidate and frame the problem, implementing an appropriate analytic procedure to extend knowledge about that problem, and by presenting and discussing the results of that inquiry.”
Each student has an advisor for the publishable paper. Two different faculty members review the manuscript submitted using the metrics of a selected academic journal. The successful defense of the publishable paper serves as the oral qualifying examination and advances the student to candidacy.
Teaching Assistantship: During the students’ third year of study, they are required to devote approximately 150 hours to: 1) assisting faculty members who teach the masters level research methods course (taught in the fall) and the program evaluation course (taught in the spring); and 2) providing tutoring assistance to the students. Although the doctoral students do not receive course credit (and, therefore, are not graded on this experiences), the teaching assistantships provide the SSW faculty with an opportunity to assess the doctoral students’ competencies and skills related to teaching.
Dissertation: The Doctoral Student Guide states, “The [student’s] proposed dissertation should: (1) Be a substantial, scholarly undertaking that will significantly contribute to the social work body of knowledge; (2) Demonstrate originality; (3) Build on the foundations of a substantive area of social work and social and behavioral science; (4) Reflect analytic integrity; and (5) Utilize a sound research methodology that engages rigorous research skills: [” Before work is officially undertaken on the dissertation, the candidate shall submit a proposal to the dissertation committee for its review and approval…Passing the oral defense [of the proposal] is official when the committee signs the Endorsement Form…The result of the defense [of the dissertation] is official when the committee signs the Dissertation Signature Page…].
Review Process:
As indicated by the table below, there are numerous opportunities for different faculty members to assess the student’s progress (See Table 1). Given the structural flexibilities built into the SSW Doctoral Program, there are several times during the student’s educational career when it is possible to consider program modifications. [See table attachment]
Resulting Program Changes:
Recruitment: Given the School’s commitment to diversity, we made it a priority to recruit a strong applicant pool including persons of color and international students. We convened a special session for current MSW students, encouraging them to consider a doctoral program after they have had a year or two of practice experience. Working with the School’s Communications & Marketing team, we developed a recruitment flyer specifically designed to target possible applicants of color.
Publishable Paper Seminar: Several students felt they would benefit from regularly scheduled, structured group sessions where students were expected to present progress made on their own work and also critique the work of their fellow students. Students also indicated that they had not had sufficient opportunity to become familiar with the body of knowledge related to their substantive area.
Result: The Director of the Doctoral Program piloted a non-credit, bi-weekly, 1 hour seminar during the fall and spring semesters. Feedback from the students suggested that this informal seminar helped the participants to accelerate their readiness to submit their publishable papers for review.
Date of Most Recent Program Review:
Recruitment: Given the School’s commitment to diversity, we made it a priority to recruit a strong applicant pool including persons of color and international students. We convened a special session for current MSW students, encouraging them to consider a doctoral program after they have had a year or two of practice experience. Working with the School’s Communications & Marketing team, we developed a recruitment flyer specifically designed to target possible applicants of color.
Publishable Paper Seminar: Several students felt they would benefit from regularly scheduled, structured group sessions where students were expected to present progress made on their own work and also critique the work of their fellow students. Students also indicated that they had not had sufficient opportunity to become familiar with the body of knowledge related to their substantive area.
Result: The Director of the Doctoral Program piloted a non-credit, bi-weekly, 1 hour seminar during the fall and spring semesters. Feedback from the students suggested that this informal seminar helped the participants to accelerate their readiness to submit their publishable papers for review.
Attachments (if available)