FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University’s School of Social Work is excited to offer a doctoral social work program.
The part-time Ph.D. program suits social work professionals currently working in community or governmental organizations and higher education institutions. It will prepare candidates for careers in academia, social work research, community-based leadership, grant writing and program evaluation. Upon completion, students will have new opportunities to advance issues of social and racial justice, develop their pedagogical approach and fill gaps within social work research in their communities and globally.
“Traditional Ph.D. programs often present barriers for social work professionals,” said Jennifer Wilson, clinical assistant professor. “The full time, place-based requirement of most Ph.D. programs is out of reach for social workers in the field or working in higher education.” A flexible, part-time program offered online makes a doctoral degree possible, she added.
Students can expect to finish the program’s online coursework in two years, followed by their dissertation, which can take anywhere from one to five years. Online delivery will include a combination of asynchronous coursework and synchronous meetings. Courses emphasize social and racial justice and integrated practice, which are aligned with the University’s mission. Students can look forward to graduate teaching assistantship opportunities and the possibility to conduct research across disciplines or abroad at one of SHU’s international campuses.
An annual required week-long, on-campus, summer residency enables students to meet faculty face-to-face and learn about the Sacred Heart community and other resources available to them, Wilson said. The program also includes plans to offer a for-credit writers’ retreat on campus.
“We want to develop a cohort that feels connected and has a community,” said Patricia Carl-Stannard, clinical associate professor and director of the School of Social Work. She said the Ph.D. program will equip professionals with leadership abilities and provide them with an expanded level of marketability.
To learn more and to apply to the program, visit: https://www.sacredheart.edu/majors--programs/social-work---phd/.
###
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland and offers online programs. More than 9,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 385 Colleges–2020 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 252 Business Schools–2019 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theater. www.sacredheart.edu