PhD Programs

Boston College Graduate School of Social Work is home to a highly productive community of scholars whose research advances the field of social welfare and the practice of social work. Join this unique community, and our curriculum will prepare you to excel as a researcher and teacher in leading academic and social welfare institutions worldwide.

We nurture independence and original thinking to let you craft innovative research and constructive policy agendas for social change. You will develop expertise in:

• A Substantive Area of Social Work providing the foundation for your advanced research.
• A Social or Behavioral Science with theory and empirical findings of causes, dynamics, and outcomes of social work interventions.
• Research Methods necessary to effectively advance knowledge in the field.
• Teaching Methods to pass knowledge and skills to the next generation of scholars and practitioners.
• Communication Skills to impart the results of your scholarship, through writing and speaking, to the social work community.

Learn more:
PhD Curriculum

Financial Aid & Fellowships

Most students at the Boston College Graduate School of Social work receive a three-year financial aid package worth more than $100,000. These fellowships provide $18,000-per-year living stipends plus tuition remission. Boston College also awards a diversity fellowship each year. Doctoral students are also eligible for research and teaching assistantships. Some students are employed on faculty research projects while others hold formal part-time teaching appointments at Boston College and other Boston area colleges and universities. Students also receive mentoring on how to successfully compete for national dissertation grants.

Learn more:
PhD Financial Aid
PhD Fellowships

Consortia & International Partnerships

You can explore diverse learning opportunities available through our partnerships with outstanding universities in the education-rich environment of Boston and in other parts of the world.

Learn more:
Consortia & International Partnerships

MSW/PhD Program

If you don't yet have a master's degree in social work, our combined MSW/PhD Program will let you work toward both degrees simultaneously and finish in significantly less time than it takes to pursue each separately.

Learn more:
MSW/PhD Program