PHD IN
SOCIAL WELFARE
Bring your intellect, curiosity, and creativity to tackling complex social challenges.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare (PhD) Program will transform you into a scholar well-equipped to identify and solve social problems – both close to home and around the world. Grounded in innovation and academic rigor, the SP2 PhD allows you to explore diverse perspectives and approaches to social work, social welfare research, social policy, social theory, and social justice
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Director’s Welcome
“ Our program offers a confluence of diverse philosophies and approaches to social work, social welfare research, social policy, social theory, and social justice.”
The SP2 Difference
A highly selective program
Instruction and mentoring from world-class faculty researchers
Access to Penn’s vast research resources, and access to everything our world-class Ivy League university has to offer
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Financial support in the form of tuition, fees, individual health insurance, and a nine-month research or teaching stipend
A diverse global alumni network
World-Class Faculty
The PhD program faculty are here to help you shape your specific area of expertise, drawing on their own decades of scholarship, teaching, and experience in areas including mental health, queer studies, sex work, homelessness, incarceration, gerontology, and foster youth.
Curriculum
First Year
Fall Semester
- SOCW 8030: Advanced History and Philosophy of Social Welfare
- SOCW 8520: Social Welfare Research Methods
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- SOCW 6300/MSSP 6330: Quantitative Reasoning
Spring Semester
- SOCW 8110: Social Theory
- SOCW 8550: Advanced Research Methods
- SOCW 8610: Policy Analysis or elective
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- SOCW 8970/MSSP 8970: Applied Linear Modeling
Second Year
Fall Semester
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- SOCW 6680/MSSP 6680: Economics for Social Policy
- SOCW 8610: Policy Analysis or elective
- Theory course or elective
- Advanced methods course elective
Spring Semester
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- Theory course or elective
- Advanced methods course or elective
- Elective
Third & Fourth Years
Fall & Spring Semesters
- Dissertation research & writing
- Proseminar until student passed their dissertation proposal defense
FEATURED ALUMNI
Micheal L. Shier, PhD
“I received a really high level of support and mentorship during my PhD. The faculty demonstrate a genuine concern for the students in the PhD program and prepare them for the next steps that follow once they’ve completed the program.”
Your Experience
Research
You’ll devote 15 hours per week to a research apprenticeship during your first year and 20 hours per week during your second through fourth years. You typically begin by working with your first-year advisor to identify research experiences that align with your skills and interests. To develop a broad range of methodological skills, we encourage students to work on multiple faculty projects as well as their own research.
Advising
Each student is assigned a doctoral advisor upon entering the program. At the end of their first year, students are encouraged to assess the arrangement and decide whether to continue with that faculty member or to choose another advisor from among the Graduate Group faculty. The advisor helps the student prepare an individual educational plan, choose courses, form a dissertation committee, and become familiar with SP2 and Penn’s wide array of educational resources. Students are responsible for initiating meetings with their advisors at regular intervals.
Please see University guidelines and the Advisee and Advisor Guide for SP2 PhD Students (see pdf link below) for best practices around academic advising and building strong mentor relationships.
Exams
After completing the initial six core courses – SOCW 8030, 8110, 8520, and 8550, and MSSP 6300 and 8970 (or an approved equivalent sequence of statistics courses) – students must take a qualifying exam. All sections must be passed in order to continue in the program.
After completing the required coursework and passing the qualifying exams, students defend their dissertation proposal. Upon a successful defense, students become PhD candidates.
A dissertation defense serves as the program’s final examination. Passing this defense completes all degree requirements.
Recent Awards & Honors
Federal Research Awards
Shana Merrill
- American Board of Genetic Counseling, up to $50,000
Alexandra Schepens
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31), National Institutes of Health, 9/1/2014 – 8/31/2017, $105,409
- Yoga Intervention for Substance Use and ART Adherence in Community Reentry.
Stacey Barrenger
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31), National Institutes of Health, 1/1/2012-12/31/2013, $83,600
- Mental illness and prison reentry intervention in a high-risk context
National Research Honors
Michael L. Shier, PhD’15
- Received the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) for the Doctoral Dissertation Award for 2015-2016. Each year NAGS recognizes an outstanding dissertation that has been produced by a PhD candidate at one of its member institutions. The $1,000 award is presented at the annual meeting.
Staci Perlman, MSW’01, PhD’10
- Selected by the American Psychological Association Section on Child Maltreatment to receive the Early Career Award in the Field of Child Maltreatment. This award recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to the field within eight years of receiving a terminal degree and who have demonstrated the potential to continue such contributions. One award is made each year to a practitioner or researcher whose work has demonstrated an influence on the field of child maltreatment.
Sara Wiesel-Cullen, PhD ‘11
- Awarded honorable mention for the best dissertation from the Society for Social Work Research. Her dissertation chair was Professor Phyllis Solomon. Washington, DC: January 2012.
Joanna Bisgaier, PhD ’11
- Received the 2012 Student Research Award for Social Work Research from GADE (Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education). Shown are Jill Duerr Berrick, awards committee chair; Joanna Bisgaier; Karin Rhodes, Joanna’s dissertation chair; and Kia Bentley, Chair Elect of GADE. Washington, DC: January 2012.
Awards
The Hal Levin Award
Presented to a meritorious doctoral student who is continuing the process of completing coursework. All students enrolled in classes at the time of award nominations and who have passed their preliminary exams are eligible to be nominated. The recipient is chosen by nomination and voting of the SP2 faculty. Dr. Herman (Hal) Levin was a professor in the School of Social Work.
Recent Recipients
- 2021-2022: John Gyourko
- 2020-2021: Jessica Cho Kim
- 2019-2020: Michelle Mullen
- 2018-2019: Viviana Chiu-Sik Wu
- 2017-2018: Allison Russell
Penn Healthcare Innovation Challenge
Frank R. Bruel Memorial Prize
Social Service Review recently announced that the 2022 Frank R. Bruel Memorial Prize has been awarded to Aaron Gottlieb and SP2 graduate Kalen Flynn MSW ’09, PhD ’18. The prize honors their article, “The Legacy of Slavery and Mass Incarceration: Evidence from Felony Case Outcomes.”
- Sharon Zanti
- Jessica Kim
- Rebecca Pepe
- Mira Phillips
- Christopher Wodicka
Career Success
Our PhD graduates go on to hold prestigious positions in academia, government, nonprofit organizations, think tanks, research firms, and more. Here are just some of the places where our recent graduates have found full-time employment:
- American Federation of Teachers
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorney
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center to End Homelessness
- Columbia University, School of Nursing
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, School of Social Work
- Hong Kong University, Department of Social Work
- McGill University, School of Social Work
- National Institute on Poverty
- New York University, School of Social Work
- Rutgers University, School of Social Work
- Temple University, Graduate School of Social Work
- University of Massachusetts, School of Public Policy
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice
- University of Toronto, School of Social Work
- Yonsei University
Ready to join the PhD community?
Related News
Student Life
05/15
SP2’s 2023 Commencement highlights need “to improve the well-being of all people”
Themes of joy, humanity, and justice took center stage at the 2023 Commencement of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2). In an evening ceremony at the Palestra on Saturday, May 13, graduates and their families and friends heard from SP2 Dean Sara S. Bachman and Commencement Speaker Amber Hikes, MSW’08, before cheering on the presentation of graduates across SP2’s five degree programs.
Alumni
05/11
SP2 celebrates five accomplished changemakers at Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Five distinguished alumni of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) spoke about their aims of creating justice, community, and hope at the 2023 SP2 Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The evening event on Thursday, May 11, marked the fifth year that the School has honored alumni through the SP2 Hall of Fame.
Faculty & Research
04/26
Faculty tribute: SP2 Professor Irene Wong retiring in 2023
Although she will retire as a standing faculty member this spring, Professor Irene Wong is determined to continue her research to reduce the stigma of mental illness in Chinese society and beyond.
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