Joint PhD in Social Work and Social Science FAQ

A student may change their advisor at any time during their study in the program. The signature of the new advisor must be obtained and the following form must be completed and submitted to the Doctoral Office.

The most up to date Rackham requirements and forms can be found at the Rackham website.

• http://www.rackham.umich.edu/current-students/
• https://rackham.umich.edu/academic-policies/

Because of the quality and breadth of their training, graduates of the Joint PhD Program are heavily recruited nationally and internationally. In the past four years, the majority of graduates have secured tenure-track positions in colleges and universities. Recent graduates have also taken post-doctorate fellowships in leading universities, and have gone to work in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

The best thing you can do is begin planning in advance to present a complete and high-quality application. This means doing research to find out who the faculty are in both the School of Social Work and the discipline in which you are interested, and thinking about how their interests line up with yours. Also, prepare well for the GRE and/or TOEFL tests and leave yourself enough time for a retest if you feel you have not done your very best.

All applications and supporting materials must be received by the application deadline of November 18th each year, for admission the following fall term. We admit students only once a year, and all applications are considered at the same time.

No. You must be registered as a full-time student studying on campus to receive our funding package. Students are expected to devote full time to their studies and are supported financially to enable them to do that.

No. You only need to go through the application process for admission to the Joint PhD Program. If you are accepted into the Joint Program, you are also accepted into the discipline you selected.

The Joint PhD program does not accept transfer students or credits to the program unless a student comes directly from one of the five departments aligned with the Social Work and Social Science PhD. Students wishing to join the Joint PhD program from one of the five social sciences must go through the application process just as any other student applying to the program.

Yes. If you are accepted into the Joint PhD Program, you will earn your MSW degree in the process of completing your PhD.

Yes, you are eligible for the funding package described here. You are not eligible for certain fellowships and scholarships offered at the University of Michigan, or for training grants supported by the federal government.