Ph.D. Program

Financial support for Ph.D. students

Graduate Research Assistantships, university fellowships and full- or partial-tuition assistance are usually available to most full-time Ph.D. students in their first two years of course work. Some traineeships and scholarships are also available to full- and part-time students and are awarded based upon availability and student qualifications and interests. In general, no guarantee can be made for multiple year support. The school is constantly seeking additional sources of aid for students and regularly supports the applications of students for outside grants or foundation monies. More specific information is available from the Ph.D. program director.

Teaching opportunities for Ph.D. students

Most Ph.D. students are provided with an opportunity to teach in our B.S.W. or M.S.W. programs during the time they are a doctoral student. Doctoral students are paid as adjunct faculty members if they are contracted to teach a class in the School of Social Work. This payment may be in addition to any other form of financial assistance they may be receiving. VCU also currently offers adjunct faculty the opportunity to apply for a tuition waiver benefit. Decisions concerning classroom teaching are made in conjunction with the M.S.W. and B.S.W. program directors.

Hans Falck Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded annually to a Ph.D. candidate to help defray the expenses of conducting dissertation research. The Hans Falck Doctoral Scholarship is named for one of our emeritus faculty who is well known nationally and internationally for his commitment to Health Social Work and the development of the “membership perspective.”

Eligible students will be notified by the Ph.D. program director regarding the application deadline for the current year. Registered doctoral students who have completed all course work requirements for the Ph.D. in Social Work at VCU are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Applicants must have successfully passed their comprehensive examinations, and be actively engaged in conducting their dissertation research. To apply for the scholarship, students should submit the following items to the Ph.D. program director by the designated deadline:

  1. An up-to-date vita
  2. A cover letter that describes their dissertation research, including a timeline for completion of the research, and discusses how the scholarship dollars will be used in the conduct of the research
  3. A letter of support from the applicant’s dissertation chair that includes an assessment of the Ph.D. candidate’s progress toward the completion of the degree

Application materials must be submitted to the Ph.D. program director by the designated deadline to be considered for the award.

McGrath Morris Doctoral Fellowship

Created in fall 2007 by VCU 2005 alumna Patty McGrath Morris and her husband James Morris, the McGrath Morris Fellowship provides a two-week writing retreat in a peaceful, creative environment for thinking, conceptualizing and creative problem-solving necessary to move a dissertation project forward. The vision for the experience is to provide an opportunity for breakthrough thinking and creative writing. Data collection and analysis should be completed prior to beginning the residency.

The residency takes place at the Morrises’ casita in Tesuque, N.M., near Santa Fe. The peaceful adobe-style guesthouse, with beautiful views of the Jemez Mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, is the perfect writing retreat for a social work student in the process of writing his or her dissertation. In addition, the fellowship provides a $1,000 stipend to cover travel and other expenses.

The residency will be offered once a year in the fall or spring semester, with the application process occurring the semester prior. A call for applications will be made to doctoral candidates by way of a memo from the Doctoral Program Director.

Procedures
Eligible doctoral students will be notified by the Doctoral Program Director regarding the application deadline for the current year.

Application submissions must include the following:

  1. A brief statement describing why the residency will be helpful.
  2. A complete discussion of the dissertation status including data collection and analysis, along with the timeline for dissertation completion; a timeline and writing goal(s) for the two-week period (including the proposed dates for residency which must include a 12 day minimum stay in Tesuque. Note: the residency is not available in July and August), and explication of the student’s plan that addresses the fellowship’s criteria for selection (see next section for additional information).
  3. If data collection and preliminary analysis are not as yet complete, the student must provide a letter from the dissertation chair stating that both will be accomplished prior to the date of residency.
  4. Provide a statement of willingness to prepare and present results of the residency both in Tesuque and the School of Social Work.

Selection criteria
The resident will be selected by a committee consisting of two faculty members and one recent (within two years) graduate of the doctoral program, with preference given to a recent recipient of the residency, if possible.

Criteria for selection:

  1. Feasibility of the plan and timeline
  2. Degree to which the plan advances critical thinking and creative writing
  3. Degree to which the plan demonstrates innovation, creativity and potential for breakthroughs related to dissertation completion.

Expectations of the resident

The following expectations apply to fellowship recipients:

  1. Residency is not available during July or August.
  2. Dinner will be provided in the main house each night, if the resident wishes.
  3. Once during the stay, the resident will give an informal presentation of their work at a dinner arranged for that purpose.
  4. Resident will have full access to the Morris’ facilities such as phone, computer, printer and internet service.
  5. Resident will receive $1,000 to support the cost of air travel, car rental and other expenses.
  6. Upon return from the residency, the resident will provide to the Doctoral Program Committee (DPC) a brief (one to two page) reflection on the experience. This reflection will include how well the goals for the residency were met (advancement of critical thinking, creative writing, and breakthrough related to dissertation completion, and provide a brief discussion on the next steps for the resident in the dissertation process. At this time, the resident will also indicate a date of availability to speak (approximately three to five minutes) at an upcoming doctoral program Brown Bag Lunch to share reflections on the experience.