Social Welfare and Social Research — Ph.D.

Program director
Larry Ortiz

The mission of the Social Welfare and Research Program is to extend the distinctive principles of whole-person care beyond the individual to include interventions within communities and social institutions. The program's emphasis on an integrative approach to an advanced curriculum in social science, social welfare, Christian ethics, and social research provides students with the theoretical and methodological knowledge and professional skills needed to conduct innovative and interdisciplinary research. Graduates of the program are prepared for advanced administrative and research roles in national and international health and human services, policy development and analysis, and as university faculty members.

Program learning outcomes

In addition to institutional learning outcomes (ILOs), graduates of the program should be able to:

1. Integrate advanced concepts from social science theories, social ethics, and social justice values in oral and written scholarship. (ILO: 1,2, 5)
2. Utilize critical thinking to distinguish among the moral, ethical, and political differences that affect research, policies, programs, interventions, and their consequences. (ILO 5)
3. Meet conceptual and analytical requirements of research questions through the integration of behavioral, political, economic, and social and human diversity. (ILO 4, 5)
4. Independently define research problems and formulate appropriate questions and hypotheses. (ILO 3, 4)
5. Explain the rationale for particular qualitative and quantitative research methods. (ILO 3)
6. Select appropriate strategies for independent research and/or evaluation. (ILO 3)
7. Demonstrate competence in utilizing different methods of collecting, recording, analyzing, and interpreting data. (ILO 1,2,3)
8. Formulate research questions reflecting the global perspective of Loma Linda University that link the local with global. (ILO 4,5)
9. Demonstrate the role of social justice in transdisciplinary research and practice for transprofessional interventions addressing significant social problems.(ILO 5)
10. Prepare to join a faculty as a researcher, teacher, and mentor. (ILO 1,2)

Social welfare and research specialization

Students admitted to the program should have demonstrated evidence of interest in social values aligned with a commitment to social justice, and research interests compatible with the areas of expertise supported by the program's faculty. Information regarding faculty areas of expertise is available by contacting the program director. Years one and two are largely composed of coursework and shaping of one's dissertation question. 

While completing all required coursework, each student will choose a dissertation committee chair and committee with whom he or she will work closely to develop and defend a dissertation proposal following University guidelines. Upon successful defense of the proposal, students are admitted to candidacy and actively engage in dissertation research, culminating in the successful defense of their dissertations. Consistent with Faculty of Graduate Study policy, the department requires a two-publication dissertation. More information is available from the program director. 

The Ph.D. in social welfare and social research is designed to be a full-time program. Part-time attendance is discouraged as class scheduling does not support regular part-time enrollment.

In addition Loma Linda University admission requirements, admission to the program is governed by the policies and procedures established by the School of Behavioral Health. Admission requirements include:

1. Master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education. Examples would include disciplines such as social work (M.S.W.), nursing (M.S.), business (M.B.A.), public health (M.P.H.), education (M.Ed.), and theology (M.Div.).
2. Evidence of adequate academic preparation in graduate education. This includes a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) for graduate/postgraduate work.
3. Strong intellectual abilities, including background in social sciences and statistics.
4. Evidence of research and social welfare interests reflecting the values of social justice. Professional experience and achievement that demonstrate the competence, motivation, organization, and leadership to complete doctoral education in a timely manner. It is preferred that applicants have at least two years post-master degree experience in their professional area.
5. Personal interview.
6. Sample of writing in the form of a published article, academic or professional paper prepared for a research purpose, or an essay prepared for admission to the program.
7. Satisfactory performance on the Graduate Record Examination. Due to issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRE General Test is waived for all 2022-2023 applicants to doctoral programs in the School of Behavioral Health. Please do not submit GRE scores through ETS or report your scores in any application materials as they will not be taken into consideration.
8. Curriculum vitae or other description of education and employment history.
9. Three letters of recommendation including one from an academic source and one from a work supervisor.

The application process for the Ph.D. degree in social welfare and social research utilizes a pooled application process by which the top candidates meeting the admissions criteria are selected. The number of new candidates admitted each year ranges from three to four students, depending on the total number of students previously completing the program and the program’s ability to support potential candidates in their areas of interest.

 All course grades should meet the minimum B (3.0) standard, which by university policy indicates satisfactory performance. In some cases, conditional consideration of course grades below a B (3.0) may be given if the requirements for independent research and competency in consumer protection are not compromised.  Academic variances that document the rationale for acceptance of grades below a B (3.0), must be submitted to the dean’s office for approval.

¹

Course repeated to fulfill unit requirement

²

Fulfills service learning requirement

Noncourse requirements

Concept Paper

Prior to the beginning of SPOL 681 Dissertation Proposal I, students submit to the doctoral faculty a short concept paper, three to five pages in length, briefly describing their plan for dissertation research.

Candidacy

Students must successfully complete:

1. required coursework
2. the applied research requirements
3. the defense of the dissertation proposal before advancing to candidacy

End of year two deliverables

Publishable paper (from SPOL 665 Statistical Practicum Seminar)
Draft proposal (from SPOL 667 Research Methods Practicum Seminar)

End of year three deliverable

Defend dissertation proposal

Dissertation

The PhD degree candidacy is spent in full-time dissertation research, culminating in the successful defense of the completed dissertation. Dissertation research for Ph.D. degree candidates follows University guidelines. Details regarding these requirements can be obtained from the program director.

Normal time to complete the program

Four (4) years — based on full-time enrollment.