Ph.D. Program

Policies and regulations

Due process

All appeals to decisions based on this document are made to the program director. In the event that satisfactory resolution is not attained, the next level of appeal is the dean of the School of Social Work. Students in the program are governed by the University Student Due Process Policies and Procedures. Exceptions to any of the policies and procedures identified in this document require the written consent of the program director and, where necessary, the dean of the School.

The School of Social Work Academic Standards Committee has the responsibility for reviewing all doctoral student grade appeals; requests for readmission from students who have been terminated from the program; and, reviewing formal charges of violations of professional or ethical conduct lodged against a student. 

» Review the entire Due Process Policies and Procedures

Back to top

Exceptions

Exceptions to graduate policies must be approved by the dean of the Graduate School.

Back to top

Extensions

According to university policies, the time limit for the doctoral degree is eight years. Refer to the Graduate Bulletin for more information concerning the university’s policy on dissertations.

Students are expected to enroll continuously and make satisfactory progress every semester (fall and spring) from matriculation to graduation. It is the student’s responsibility, in collaboration with his or her adviser, to plan for and implement a program of study that achieves those goals.

Back to top

Governance

The Ph.D. program is an integral part of the School of Social Work, being represented in the School Assembly by faculty and doctoral students. The program director oversees the development and implementation of Ph.D. curricular matters in cooperation with the faculty, the dean of the school, and the Doctoral Program Committee (current teaching faculty and student representatives).

Back to top

Guidelines for funding Ph.D. student travel

The School of Social Work has established the following guidelines for making decisions related to funding Ph.D. students to travel to conferences where they are presenting a paper. Although the school will try to give students who meet these criteria some dollars to defer their expenses, there is no guarantee that money for student travel will always be available. The dean of the School of Social Work reviews all travel requests and makes decisions regarding funding.

  1. The presentation must be based on a paper, and the student must be first author or share equal authorship.
  2. It must be a juried presentation. Whatever format the presentation takes (e.g., paper presentation, poster session), there has to be a competitive selection process.
  3. The presentation must concern something that was done in conjunction with the student’s Ph.D. work.
  4. The student must be a major participant in the presentation.

Procedure for requesting funding:

  1. The student must complete a travel request form, which specifies the travel information and costs.
  2. Attached to the travel request form should be a letter requesting funding which specifies how the student meets each of the criteria outlined above. The student also must indicate if, and when, they have previously received funding for conference travel from the school.
  3. Each student request must be accompanied by a letter of support from a faculty member. This letter must make some statement about the significance and quality of the student's presentation, and the benefit to the student for attending this particular conference.
  4. These materials must be submitted to the dean’s office.

In the event that there is not enough money to support all students who meet the minimal criteria, students who have not previously been funded would have the highest priority.

Back to top

Incomplete grades

When an I grade is assigned by the professor, an incomplete grade assignment contract must be developed and signed by the student and the faculty member. Incomplete grades must be removed by the end of the semester following the semester in which they are given. A copy of this contract must be placed in the student's file in the Doctoral Program Office. A student with six hours or more of I remaining for more than one semester (excluding Summer semester) will not be permitted to register for additional courses until all I grades are removed. Students are not eligible for their Comprehensive Exam prior to removal of all I grades. For more information about this policy, refer to the Graduate Bulletin. 

Back to top

Internship/practicum

Students who do not have formal experience in human service programs may either desire or be required to complete an internship (SWKD 794) in a human service agency where the opportunity for policy or clinical work will be afforded.

In instances where a practicum experience is needed by a student, arrangements are worked out between the student, the adviser and the supervising faculty member. When an outside institution is involved, a contractual agreement must be signed by the student, the outside institution's representative, the supervising faculty member, and the Program director establishing the expectations for the student’s participation and the basis for earning the assigned number of credits. Where resources permit, practical experiences may be funded. 

Back to top

Leaves of absence

In general, a leave of absence relieves the student’s obligation to be continuously enrolled in the university and also should be used only under extenuating personal or financial circumstances. A request for a one-semester or one-year (maximum) leave of absence must be made in writing and directed to the Ph.D. program director. Letters must include sufficient detail of the reason for the leave and any relevant documentation. Students who do not receive prior approval for a leave of absence and do not register are dropped from the program and must reapply for admission. In order to avoid termination, during the semester following their leave students are expected to register for appropriate credits/courses and submit a revised program of study/timeline approved by their adviser within the first two weeks of classes. Refer to the Graduate Bulletin for more information about the university’s policy. 

Back to top

Readmission of Ph.D. students terminated from the program

Readmission for Ph.D. students is guided by the following policies and procedures:

  • Students who are dropped from the Ph.D. program may petition the dean of the School of Social Work in writing for readmission to the program after a minimum absence of two academic semesters, (i.e., would be fall/spring or spring/fall; summer does not count). Readmission is not guaranteed.
  • A student may be readmitted only once.
  • Students must submit their written request for readmission to the dean no later than April 1 for fall readmission, and Oct. 1 for spring readmission.
  • The written request for readmission must include documentation (e.g., supplementary materials) of how deficiencies and/or problems which resulted in termination have been remedied and a plan for continued remediation. The student’s statement must explicitly discuss the circumstances which led to the termination from the program.
  • Applications for readmission from formerly disqualified students are reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee. Prior to its review and/or recommendation, the committee may request additional information from faculty members regarding the issues and problems which resulted in the student's termination (e.g., academic performance issues that resulted in a C grade). A student may request to meet with the Academic Standards Committee for the purpose of adding new information, clarifying information submitted, and answering questions in support of their application for readmission.
  • A student who is readmitted from the program after being dropped for academic reasons will additionally be bound by the following stipulations.
    • A student who has earned a C or lower in two or more Ph.D. courses may, upon readmission, repeat one or more of the courses in which the C or lower grades were earned, based upon the committee’s recommendation, with input from the Ph.D. program director.
    • Once readmitted, if a student earns an additional C or below, he/she will be dropped from the program and will not be considered for readmission.
  • The Academic Standards Committee submits their recommendation to the Dean within 30 days of the student’s request for readmission. The dean makes a final decision and within 10 days of receiving the Academic Standards Committee recommendation, communicates his/her decision in writing to the student and the appropriate university office, with copies to the associate dean, the Ph.D. program director, the chairperson of the Academic Standards Committee. A copy of the decision and all documentation will be retained in the student’s file.
  • The decision of the dean is final.

(Revised March 2000)

Back to top

“Residence” requirement and part-time study

While part-time study is possible for some part of the doctoral education experience, one year of full-time study is required at some point during the course work phase of the program. “One year” is specifically defined as two semesters in a row with at least nine credits each. There is no requirement to actually “reside” in Richmond.

Back to top

School of Social Work Academic Standards Committee

Academic standards policies in the School of Social Work include those related to classroom performance and attendance, as well as ethical and professional conduct. Learn more.

Back to top

Student progress and continuation evaluation

As noted above, planning for a program of study to acquire content area knowledge is done by the student in collaboration with a faculty adviser. This planning is completed prior to the completion of the 20 core curriculum credit hours and is recorded on the Ph.D. Program Planning/Assessment Form [PDF]. A copy of the form is forwarded to the Ph.D. program director and becomes a part of the students’ permanent file.

Students must maintain a B grade-point average to remain in good standing in the program. In addition, if two C grades are earned in the program, the student cannot continue in the program. Termination for nongrade related reasons and readmission of students terminated from the program are guided by the School of Social Work’s Academic Standards Policy.

Back to top