The UCLA Doctoral Program in Social Welfare is among the finest in the nation, training the next generation of scholars to envision solutions for inequitable systems. The program provides students with the tools to conduct rigorous research, advocate for individual and community well-being, and make positive social change. Whether your interest is in service delivery or scholarly research, you will design your own advanced education aimed at pursuing your own intellectual interests.
With world-class faculty as your partners, you will benefit from a scholarly community of depth with breadth. 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.
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 Social Welfare doctoral students are tomorrow’s social work scholars, researchers and professors, responsible for advancing knowledge and training the next generation of practitioners.
National Leadership: A premier program for social work scholarship and research.
Interdisciplinary Focus: Connection to allied disciplines across the entire UCLA campus.
Full Funding: Packages typically include tuition plus stipends for the first four years.
Mentorship Model: Personalized instruction and expert guidance from world-class faculty.
The program has several significant features. Research training, both formal and experiential, is at the core of the program. Flexibility is provided to help students attain in-depth competence in a substantive area of social welfare. Students progress from a common foundation in scholarship and research methods toward a high degree of individualized specialization. This common foundation emphasizes the acquisition of analytic tools needed to understand, appraise and advance knowledge in social welfare. With these analytical tools, the students select a specific area of specialization and develop expertise in that area. Considerable emphasis is placed on the individualized instructional relationship between students and faculty mentors. The learning process involves more than classroom instruction. Students are expected to work closely with faculty in their roles as scholars and researchers. The program is interdisciplinary and students are encouraged to use the rich learning resources of the entire University.
Full-time students usually will be expected to enroll in twelve units of study each quarter. There are approximately two years of coursework prior to the dissertation. Although diversity of backgrounds makes it difficult to predict, students are expected to complete the program in about four years.
Meet UCLA Luskin Social Welfare Ph.D. candidates and recent graduates who are seeking tenure-track faculty and postdoctoral opportunities. Explore their research interests, teaching experience, and academic profiles. View Candidate CVs.
Deep dives into specific social problems or populations.
Advanced training in research tools consonant with cutting-edge scholarship.
The ability to take courses in allied UCLA disciplines like Medicine, Public Health, Psychology, and Sociology.
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