University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work prepares PhD graduates for careers in research and university-level teaching. Through classroom instruction and close collaboration with nationally and internationally recognized faculty, our PhD students immerse themselves in the crucial work of advancing the knowledge base of the social work profession. We strive to provide students with hands-on research experiences where they work closely with faculty mentors who are leading experts in military social work, suicide, self-care, and child welfare. In addition to research training, the program also offers coursework and mentored teaching experience to develop and strengthen students’ skills as social work educators.

Program highlights include:

• Mentorship from faculty with expertise in gerontology, suicide, child welfare, health disparities, trauma, and military behavioral health
• Coursework in research design and methods, statistics, theory and social work pedagogy
• Teaching opportunities in both face to face and online courses
• Flexible program delivery to accommodate student needs – most courses are taught on Fridays
• Small cohort sizes to promote a high level of faculty-student interaction and supportive, collaborative relationships among students
• Peer mentoring and connection with the CoSW PhD Student Organization to provide support, encouragement, and information to incoming PhD students