Dear Prospective Applicant to the Doctoral Program,
I welcome your interest in the Ph.D. program in Social Welfare at UCLA. Studying for a doctorate with us is a unique and exciting educational experience. After completing the first year foundation seminars, you pursue your own intellectual interests, drawing on the truly rich interdisciplinary environment of this world-class university. For many of our students, this is the first time in their life that they design their own advanced education. Using the multitude of resources available, students develop a study plan and select the courses they want to pursue, as they prepare for careers as researchers and teachers.
From the time of your admission, the faculty will work with you to ensure your success. At UCLA the social welfare faculty consider doctoral students as colleagues, and because of the individualized nature of our program, you will work closely with faculty by participating actively in research projects and by co-authoring articles for publication. We make every effort to provide you with financial assistance, especially in the first two years, and subsequently through research and teaching assistantships. In addition, we have a supportive learning environment that includes office space, computer support, and access to a superb research library. As a result, almost all of those admitted to our program graduate with their Ph.D., usually within five years.
The transition from a role as a practitioner to a scholar/researcher is more than a change in job title. It signifies a major change in the nature of the contribution you will make to social work and to society. UCLA doctoral students are tomorrow’s social work scholars, researchers and professors, responsible for training the next generation of practitioners.
We seek students for our Ph.D. program whose career interests fit with our program and faculty. In this website we provide information about the program’s mission, curriculum, admission requirements, and financial aid. Also, profiles of our students, recent graduates and doctoral faculty suggest the diversity of our academic interests. I encourage you to review this material to see if UCLA is the right program for you.
Sincerely,
Laura Abrams, Ph.D.
Director, Doctoral Program in Social Welfare
Links:
[1] http://luskin.ucla.edu/school-public-affairs/social-welfare