PhD in Social Work: Part-Time Student Schedule

June 1, 2021

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Social Work PhD Course Planning Schedule

Program Schedule by Term
Year/Term	Fall	Winter	Spring
Courses Offered	SK790 SK791 SK820(A) SK894 FSW PhD Elective*	SK704 SK805 SK820(B)	SK801 FSW PhD Elective*
Year 1	Term 1	Term 2	Term 3
Year 2	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
Year 3	Term 7 By the end of term 7, part-time students are expected to have: Their Comprehensive Examination Committee established and approved by PhD Program Committee; and Defended their Comprehensive Examination proposal. Required form: PhD Comprehensive Proposal Approval Form	Term 8 SK893 (1 of 4 terms) By term 8, part-time students are expected to begin SK893.	Term 9 SK893 (2 of 4 terms) By term 9, part-time students are expected to submit Paper 1.
Year 4	Term 10 SK893 (3 of 4 terms)	Term 11 SK893 (4 of 4 terms) By term 11, part-time students are expected to submit Paper 2 and defend both papers. Required form: Results Report of PhD Comprehensive Examination form to FGPS	Term 12 SK899** Following SK893, students register for SK899: Dissertation. It is recommended part-time students develop, submit, and defend their dissertations proposals within two terms. Required form: PhD Student – Committee Membership Notice of Change Form to FGPS
Years 5-7	Terms 13-21 SK899***

*Note: For their required elective, students may organize an independent studies/reading course with a faculty member (proposed syllabus and Directed or Independent Studies Form/Letter of Agreement form submitted to the Associate Dean). They may also complete a doctoral-level elective course within the FSW, an MSW course, or a master's or doctoral course offered outside of the FSW. Starting in the 2021/22 academic year, the FSW may offer one doctoral course as an elective per year. The course maybe scheduled for the Fall or Spring terms. If completing a master's-level course as an elective, some adjustments (e.g., an additional/alternate assignment) maybe required to reflect PhD program standards; Associate Dean approval required). During Year 1, part-time students are encouraged to prioritize completing required courses over elective courses.

**Note: SK899 begins with the student developing their dissertation proposal followed by defence. Once the proposal is defended (including submitting the Dissertation Proposal Approval form and electronic copy of proposal to FGPS), the student proceeds to the dissertation stage.

***Note: The FSW recommends that part-time students complete their programs within 7 years, but it is possible to have up to 12 years before a petitioning for an extension.

List of Required Courses / Course Codes

SK704: Applied Quantitative Research Methods
SK790: Social Work Thought and Theory Development
SK791: Epistemology and the Nature of Social Work Knowledge
SK801: Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis
SK805: Applied Qualitative Research Methods
SK820: Doctoral Seminar
SK894: Writing for Publication
SK893: Comprehensive Examination
SK899: PhD Dissertation

Relevant Academic Calendar Policies

Each course is 0.5 credit. Part-time students can take up to 1.0 credits per term.

Full-time doctoral students will be required to complete the program requirements, including the dissertation defence, within 12 terms of acceptance from a master's degree. Three terms of part-time registration will be considered equal to one term of full-time registration for the purpose of calculating degree program time limits. (Therefore, part-time students can officially have up to 36 terms.)

Students who require an extension to their degree program time limits must petition to the Graduate Student Appeals Committee (Petition to Graduate Student Appeals Committee (GSAC) form to FGPS). If the petition is not approved or if a student fails to submit a petition, they will be withdrawn from the program and will have to apply for readmission.