Mentoring

Research and mentoring within the PhD program in Social Work and Social Science places a primary emphasis on preparation of graduate students for careers as leading faculty members at research universities in the field of Social Work. Each student in the joint Social Work PhD program is assigned an advisor at the time of acceptance into the program. Advisor assignments are based on both fit with faculty within the SSW and a commitment by those faculty to be more than academic advisors but mentors. The selected faculty advisor is expected to advise the student academically, provide advice on course selection and planning towards the PhD degree, help prepare the student for their Preliminary Examination, provide guidance within the specific area of expertise toward a PhD dissertation, help the student publish, provide mentoring on fundamental research skills, as well as help the student prepare for the academic job market. To ensure accountability, each advisor/faculty mentor and the student will sign a mentoring agreement at the start of the student’s first semester in the PhD program. In addition, students will create and regularly update their Individual Development Plan (IDP) and discuss their IDP with their faculty advisors during formalized mentoring meeting every term. The advising/mentoring relationship is the lynch pin of the PhD degree in Social Work. This is because the mentor assists the student in building their professional, education, and leadership potential.