Wanting a Phd in Social Work-Need Advice

[FUTUREMSWGIRL]

Hello,

I want to get a Ph.D. in Social Work and need some advice. I start my MSW program in January, have some time left to get things straight. I have Cerebral Palsy, as far as my dissertation goes I would want to do a narrative study about the prejudices/ stereotypes my population faces. The word terrified does not describe how I feel as my GRE score was abysmal. I don't foresee doing any better if I retook it because I took a prep course and have never been able to conquer those types of tests. A bad test score should not shatter my dreams. However, I have research experience and plan on trying to get an article published within the year. I also plan to get certified as an HIV Counselor/Leader in Executive and Administrative Development.

Posted below is my working  resume thus far, the formatting got messed up because of copy/paste/removed identifying info. Will I have a chance anywhere?

 

 

OBJECTIVE

 

I am a highly motivated student, seeking a Masters of Social Work degree with a clinical concentration at University.

 

EDUCATION

 

 University (May 2013 - Present)

Bachelors in Social Work

·         3.83 Cumulative GPA

 

Community  College (August 2010 – December 2012)

Associate of Arts

·         3.75 Cumulative GPA

 

INTERNSHIP Experience

 

08.2015- Present         

                                DISC VILLAGE, INC

                                        Case Manager

§  Conducted case management services for clients and families, which included making referrals, setting appointments, and monitoring treatment recommendations.

§  Provided individual sessions for clients dealing with substance abuse.

§  Facilitated educational groups

§   Administered assessments

§  Maintained case files/ documented all activity through case notes

 

RESEARCH Experience

 

08.2014 – 04.2015       

                                Language & Cognitive Development Lab

                                        Research Assistant

§  Administered KBITT & PVVT tests

§  Scored tests to measure verbal and nonverbal  cognitive ability

§  Assisted with the “Feature Production Norms Project.”

 

10.2015-Present         

                                Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program - Senior Learning Project

                                        Research Assistant

 

Volunteer Experience

                  

08.2013 -12.2013          Westminster Oaks

                                        Volunteer

§  Assisted residents with several activities: aerobics, board games, and making greeting cards

 

TeAching Experience

 

  04.2015                     university

                                        Guest Lecture

§  Provided a guest lecture to a Policies and Programs in Social Welfare class entitled “Disability Issues in Social Welfare”. April 2015

 

  06.2015                    university

                                        Guest Lecture

§  Provided a guest lecture to a Human Sexuality class entitled “Persons with Disabilities, Yes We Can Have Sex Too!”. June 2015

HONORS/AWARDS

 

§  Dean’s List 1 semester

§  President’s List 4 semesters

§  Clayton Holmes Disability Support Scholarship

MEMBERSHIPS

 

§  Golden Key International Honour Society

 

 

 

 

 

[pickfights]

[olayak]

You start your MSW in January?  Then you are still a long way off from a PhD. Unlike in other fields,  a MSW is a terminal degree and so is REQUIRED before you apply to doctoral programs. And most PhDs in Social Work or Social Welfare require you to have AT LEAST TWO YEARS of work experience AFTER you finish your masters.  So you already have over four years before you can even apply.  By then you may not even be interested in a PhD.

Social Work is one of the few fields where you can do A LOT with your masters.  You can still do research.  You can still teach as an adjunct.  You may also want to consider a DSW instead of a PhD. For many DSW programs they don't require the GRE but use the MAT (Miller Analogies Test) instead.  

Check out the other programs.  But in the meantime you have AT LEAST FOUR very busy years before you can even apply.  So,  I suggest focusing on the moment, on your current work. You'll get to the PhD eventually.  But right now focus on the NOW. Because you never know what might change in the future. 

[pippapants]

While I agree with the above poster that you still have some to sort some things out, it is NOT true that 1) you need an MSW, or 2) you are required to have 2 years post-MSW experience.  Many programs offer joint MSW-PhD options (look, ma! no post-MSW experience!), and there have been students known to obtain a PhD in social after transitioning from a related discipline or field (someone in my cohort has a MS and work experience in a related field and is not being required to go through the MSW program).  There are no *rules* that apply across programs.

There are lots of ways to get that post-MSW experience if you want it.  Some people work while they are dissertating.  Some people work for a year or two before.  Some people, I don't understand them, work for 10 years, start families, have mortgages, and are able to take the financial hit to go back to school.  The bottom line is that it is a personal choice based on what your goals for your career are, where you are in the trajectory of your life, and what is best for you.

[OneMoreDegree]

Eh. You really don't need 2 years post msw. I have just as many friends who did as didn't. (granted, they haven't started looking for work yet, but...). generally though, if you don't want to get the 2 years, you are planning to work in the community or straight quantitative work.

[pippapants]

Other things to consider:

• A doctoral program is not an achievement in and of itself.  It's training for a completely different career - research and academia (and people wash out because of the pressure, the stress, and the criticism).  In that sense, your dissertation is not the culmination of your career, it launches your career, sets you on a path, etc. 
• You can't really look at your research as something you want to do simply because it's personally relevant to you -- it has to fill a gap in the the scientific literature for you to get anywhere with 1) publication and 2) funding.  Your productivity and ability to secure funding will in large part determine your attractiveness as a researcher, though you can boost that with expertise in clinical experience or even quantitative research methods.  It's very important that you can convince other social scientists (potential colleagues, journal reviewers, funders, etc.) that your research is novel and innovative.
• Following from that, use your time in your MSW to immerse yourself in the scientific literature so that you know what has been established by other researchers in that area (and I would guess that there is a lot of research there) and what gaps exist.  At that point you'll have a better idea where your interests fit, the methods you'll need to learn, etc.  It's really too early to define your dissertation.
• I would encourage you to be open-minded about your interests, your methods, and your research agenda.  If you take a definitive approach to your research too early on, you may find yourself disappointed when it comes time to apply to a doctoral program.  You may find it difficult to identify a faculty fit (someone whose interests in content, population, or methods align with yours and who will mentor you) -- particularly if you are unwilling to re-locate for your PhD.  You may find that faculty tell that your stated research question 1) adds nothing significant or novel to the literature or 2) will be difficult to secure funding for, based on your stated interest in qualitative methods (sad, but true).  Be open-minded, and you will have a better experience.

[FUTUREMSWGIRL]

Thanks for the advice and more is welcomed.

 

That's exactly why I want to do more disability research! I don't feel like it is emphasized enough in the field, and what is focused on is the negative:health disparities, unemployment and  impairment. I believe that a narrative dissertation would add something to the field because it looks at our population, we are people not just a statistic. I don't want to do qualitative work for the entirety of my career, will be hard enough to fund my dissertation as is!

[pippapants]

My advice still stands.  Knowing you want to do disability research is one thing (many people begin a doctoral program with a general idea of their population or issue, either juvenile justice or child welfare or sexual violence, etc), but nailing down a research question and methods will be something you will want to wait on until wayyy down the road after you've amassed content expertise and made it through your research methods classes.  Remember, too, that your chair, and the rest of your committee, will almost certainly have something to say about the development of your proposal. They will assist you in choosing a dissertation topic that will hopefully set you up for success when you go on the job market.