Ph.D. in Social Work

Ph.D. in Social Work Program Earn your doctorate in Social Work

school of social work phd graduates 2018

As full members of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education, the School of Social Work believes the purpose of the Ph.D. in social work is to prepare students to be scholars who function as “stewards of the discipline.”

Our program offers

Forward-thinking approaches to professional education, addressing critical social issues, and transforming professional practice and social policy
Interdisciplinary training and collaboration opportunities to enhance health and well-being across local and global community systems
Flexible full-time and part-time programs of study

Each student works closely with their adviser and graduate committee to develop their own learning agenda and dissertation proposal. The student’s background, experience, personal schedule, and learning goals are considered when developing the program of study.

CSU’s Social Work doctoral program is part of the WICHE/Western Regional Graduate Program exchange.

Social Work Ph.D. Program Overview Video

Hear directly from some of our faculty and students about the mentorship, community, research opportunities, and campus that make our program special.

Interdisciplinary Research Centers

You will have the opportunity to work with interdisciplinary research centers during your doctoral tenure.

Social Work Research Center

Creating partnerships that bridge the gap between research and practice, transform the human services landscape, and strengthen families and communities.

Human-Animal Bond in Colorado

Improving the quality of life for people of all ages through the therapeutic benefits of companion animals, via animal therapy programs, education, and research

Regional Economic Development Institute

Aiming to understand, analyze, and inform economic development strategies in struggling rural and urban areas through engaged research.

Prevention Research Center

Promoting health and well-being across the lifespan for individuals and families through coordinated, effective prevention services.

Institute for Research in the Social Sciences

Connecting and supporting social scientists with other researchers, and university, community, and industry partners.

Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging

Promoting research, education, and community engagement around current issues involved in healthy and successful aging.

Featured Faculty Research

Dr. Anne Williford

Ph.D. Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Anne Williford’s research focuses on identifying effective strategies to prevent bullying, violence, and peer victimization, and promote positive behavioral health outcomes among children and adolescents. She is currently the principal investigator of two projects funded by the Spencer Foundation aimed at testing the effectiveness of a high school-based prevention program, Sources of Strength. The projects include a qualitative process evaluation of the intervention’s underlying change mechanisms, and a longitudinal study investigating the impact of the program on post-high school trajectories.

Dr. Shelby McDonald

Dr. Shelby McDonald serves as the Sarama Bliss Endowed Chair in Human-Animal Interaction. In this role, Dr. McDonald’s research elevates our understanding of what makes our relationships with animals so unique and powerful. Their research focuses on human populations that experience health disparities and related social determinants of health. Much of their work has centered survivors of family violence, Latiné communities, and LGBTQ+ young people. McDonald has investigated how bonds and interactions with pets modify the relationship between adversity (discrimination, violence exposure) and mental health, as well as how one’s attachment to pets can operate as a barrier to health and well-being in the context of social inequalities.

Dr. Paula Yuma

Dr. Paula Yuma studies the effects of environmental, economic, and social characteristics of neighborhoods on the health and well-being of individuals, with an overall goal of eliminating health disparities. She has recently led funded research projects on equitable outdoor engagement for youth (Colorado Health Foundation), supporting healthcare and social service providers with coping and resiliency after disasters (The Americares Foundation), relationships between behavioral health and child maltreatment, including how access to care protects children at risk for maltreatment (The Colorado School of Public Health), and disparities in traumatic injury prevention and care in rural communities (Colorado State University Extension).

Meet Our Students and Alumni

Our students are building the future foundations of social work practice and research. View all of our current Ph.D. students.

Quinn Hafen: Holding social work to its own standards

From Patagonia to Fort Collins, a search for impact and fulfillment leads to work on whiteness in social work.

Quinn Hafen outside of the education building.

Graduate Fellowship awarded to Tiffany Banks and her dog, Abe

Doctoral Student in the School of Social Work, Tiffany Banks, was named a VPR Fellow for her dedication to animal-assisted intervention.

Social Work student awarded CSU Office of Vice President for Research fellowship

Shivani Kaushik has been selected for a fellowship from CSU’s VP for Research, which supports excellence in interdisciplinary research.

The CSU Social Work Ph.D. Student Experience

Learn what it’s like to develop your research interest, work with your faculty mentor, and what our community is like.

Social Work Ph.D. in Social Work