Doctoral Programs in Social Work and Public Health Sciences Viewbook

Doctoral Programs in Social Work

Preparing Leaders

Welcome to the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. We prepare leaders in social work, public health and social policy — complementary professions aimed at supporting healthy and productive individuals, families, communities and systems.

Our collaborative and entrepreneurial community is dedicated to equity and committed to impact. We equip our students to think critically as social work and public health scientists, to succeed as independent investigators and to understand and address challenges for the nation and world. The excellence and support of our faculty, the diversity and dedication of our students, and the unique opportunities available through our School and Washington University create an unparalleled academic environment.

We hope you will learn more and join us.

Sincerely, Tonya Edmond and Rodrigo Reis Interim Co-Deans

Program Faculty & Leadership

Leopoldo J. Cabassa , PhD, MSW

Director, Social Work PhD Program, Director, NIMH T-32 Brown School Training Program in Mental Health Services Research, Co-Director, Center for Mental Health Services Research

“For more than half a century, our doctoral program has established itself as a leader in preparing the next generation of social work scholars for impactful careers dedicated to social justice, equity, and rigorous research. Our students receive individualized mentoring and training by a multidisciplinary faculty dedicated and passionate to preparing the profession’s best social work scholars, teachers, and researchers to address the world’s biggest challenges.”

Patrick Fowler, PhD

Associate Professor, Director, Doctoral Education in Public Health Sciences

“The public health sciences doctoral program provides unique training and research opportunities for transdisciplinary problem solving. Doctoral students team with faculty to address complex public health issues locally, nationally, and globally. Training offers distinct hands-on experience with innovative science that promotes health, confronts disparities, and informs policies.”

Ruopeng An , PhD

Associate Professor, Faculty Lead, Public Health

“Brown School is the home for so many talented, passionate souls. Trained as a policy analyst, epidemiologist, and quantitative modeling practitioner, I enjoyed every minute of working with my students in solving real-world problems. Together, we hope to promote positive social change and make the community we serve a better place.”

Sheretta Butler Barnes , PhD

Associate Professor, Faculty Lead, Social Work

“The Brown School creates changemakers. To do this, we prepare our students to address the racial and social injustices that plague our communities. Our transdisciplinary approach prepares students to address these complex issues through research in policy, social work, and public health.”

DONNY GERKE,

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Excellence & Support

We are part of Washington University, one of the nation’s preeminent research universities.

Our top-ranked school of social work, groundbreaking program in public health, renowned medical school and Institute for Public Health provide doctoral students extraordinary opportunities for scholarship and integrated learning. The School’s transdisciplinary programs will allow you to explore your field in innovative ways and create new depths of understanding.

The Brown School is dedicated to providing our doctoral students:

Personalized and hands-on research experiences and mentoring by leading scholars

A transdisciplinary curriculum that builds methodological and analytical skills

Deep knowledge of their field’s theoretical and conceptual underpinnings, philosophy and history

Teaching practica focused on functional content and pedagogy to prepare for independent teaching at the graduate level

Professional growth, network building and successful placement throughout the world

Flexibility in choosing a traditional dissertation format or a three-paper format

Full-tuition scholarships, four-year stipends, subsidized health insurance and professional development accounts

Faculty Connections

The Brown School boasts top scholars and experts in their fields, committed to generating new knowledge and bringing that knowledge into both the classroom and the community. You and your work will receive the benefit of their mentorship and guidance.

Examples of faculty areas of expertise include:

Asset and savings building

Complex systems and systems science

Data science

Dissemination and implementation science

Epidemiology and biostatistics

Evidence-based interventions and policies

Family and child welfare

Global health and social work

Health economics and health insurance

Health disparities and social determinants of health

Health promotion and disease prevention

Housing and homelessness

Mental health and addictions

Physical activity

Productive aging

Reproductive and sexual health

Social and health policy

Qualitative and participatory research methods

Social and economic development

Social work in international settings

Urban design and the built environment

Violence and injury prevention Youth development

“My time at the Brown School has been such a transformational experience. From the very beginning of the program I was supported and encouraged by brilliant faculty, embraced by the local St. Louis American Indian community, and continually uplifted by the Buder Center. The impact of being surrounded by fellow Native scholars and faculty all while maintaining our connections to our cultures cannot be overstated. Nea'ese (thank you) for supporting my educational journey.”

AUTUMN ASHER BLACKDEER, PHD CANDIDATE IN SOCIAL WORK (pictured left, with the late Associate Professor David Patterson Silver Wolf)

During your first year, one of the doctoral program directors will serve as your primary faculty advisor. By your second year, you will identify a substantive faculty advisor who will then serve as your primary advisor for the remainder of your program. In your second year and following, additional faculty will serve as teaching and research mentors, as well as dissertation committee members.

To learn more about our renowned faculty, visit brownschool.wustl.edu/faculty

Innovative Research

The most vital and groundbreaking social work and public health research is being conducted at the Brown School and its numerous faculty-led research centers and institutes. You’ll have access to, and engagement with, the data, policies and strategies that are forging the future of these fields.

Centers include:

Centene Center for Health Transformation Center for Community Health Partnership And Research Center for Diabetes Translation Research Center for Dissemination and Implementation Center for Health Economics and Policy Center for Innovation in Child Maltreatment Policy, Research and Training

Center for Mental Health Services Research

Center for Obesity Prevention and Policy Research

Center for Public Health Systems Science Center for Social Development

Center for Violence and Injury Prevention Clark-Fox Policy Institute

Evaluation Center Health Communication Research Laboratory Implementation Research Institute Institute for Public Health Institute of Clinical and Transformational Sciences International Center for Child Health and Development

Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies

Prevention Research Center in St. Louis

SMART Africa Center

Social Policy Institute Social System Design Lab

Learn more about our research depth at brownschool.wustl.edu/research

Pre- & Postdoctoral Training

The Brown School currently supports two T32 training programs funded by the National Institutes of Health for PhD students enrolled in our social work program, and for scholars already holding doctorates in social work and related disciplines, who are interested in addictions and mental health research.

Transdisciplinary Training in Addictions Research (TranSTAR) T32 Program

Brown School's NIMH T32 Program in Mental Health Services Research

Both programs provide tuition fellowships and stipends, specialized coursework and mentored research training for eligible applicants.

Our trainees have been very successful in pursuing research funding through NIH and other competitive funding sources, and our alumni hold faculty positions at some of the nation’s top research institutions.

Find out more about these opportunities at brownschool.wustl.edu/PhDtraining

“As a Mental Health Services Research fellow, I was able to hone my grant writing and analytical skills. Additionally, the Race and Opportunity Lab within the Center for Social Development contributed to my growth in leadership and enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of research methodology for the study of Black emerging adults.”

ROBERT MOTLEY JR., PHD '21 Assistant Professor, Boston College School of Social Work

Program Curriculum

The curriculum at the Brown School emphasizes significant theoretical and methodological preparation.

Candidates for doctoral degrees must have and/or complete the following to graduate:

Previously obtained master’s degree

72 graduate credit hours for the Public Health Sciences program, which can include 21 master’s-level credits transferred from a relevant degree

74 graduate credit hours for the Social Work program, which can include 21 master’s-level credits transferred from a relevant degree

Two years of full-time coursework

An additional two to three years for dissertation completion

Three teaching practica for course credit

Three research practica for course credit

Completion of an area of specialization statement, qualifying examination and oral dissertation defense

The first year of study includes basic principles in research, statistics and measurement, as well as theoretical orientations and content fortifying the knowledge base of social work or public health. After the first semester, each student begins a more individualized program of study. A curriculum plan is developed in consultation with the faculty advisor to develop the substantive and methodological skills to support the student’s area of focus.

“When I was looking into schools for my PhD, I knew I wanted a program that was grounded in robust quantitative and analytical methods. I chose the Brown School because it was clear that the faculty and leadership here feel the same way. Every semester, I’ve taken at least one quantitative methods course that has helped me to extract the most value from my research as well as my theory and substantive area courses.”

K ARISHMA FURTADO, PHD '20

Founding Staff, Director of Data and Research at Forward Through Ferguson

After the foundation semester, students customize their program from a wide array of courses available at the Brown School and across the university campus.

Agent-Based Modeling

Epidemiology of Psychiatric Disorders Across the Lifespan

Foundations of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the Applied Sciences

Generalized Linear Modeling

Global Burden of Disease: Methods and Applications Issues and Directions in Intervention Research

Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling Operations Management Politics of Education

Propensity Score Analysis Psychology of Aging

Qualitative and Participatory Research Methods

Social Network Analysis

Structural Equation Modeling

Survival Analysis System Dynamics

Transdisciplinary Problem Solving: Child Maltreatment Prevention

Other Brown School graduate courses in substantive and methods areas taught by faculty experts

Research Outcomes

STUDENT PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTS

Allen, P. C., Butler-Barnes, S. T., Robinson, H., & Jackson, A. (2022). Simply Put, I’m Tired: Efficacy to Combat Racism among African American Adolescent Boys and Girls. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31(2), 365-376.

Asher BlackDeer, A., Patterson Silver Wolf, D. A., Maguin, E., & Beeler-Stinn, S. (2021). Depression and anxiety among college students: Understanding the impact on grade average and differences in gender and ethnicity. Journal of American college health, 1-12.

Cohen, F. (2022) Cultural idioms of distress among crisis-affected individuals: a scoping review. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. https:// doi.org/10.1177/00207640221114742

Foell, A., Pitzer, K. A., Nebbitt, V., Lombe, M., Yu, M., Villodas, M. L., & Newransky, C. (2021). Exposure to community violence and depressive symptoms: Examining community, family, and peer effects among public housing youth. Health & place, 69, 102579.

Li, Y., Fabbre, V. D., & Gaveras, E. (2022). Authenticated social capital: conceptualising power, resistance and well-being in the lives of transgender older adults. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 1-16.

McLay, M. M. (2022). When “shelter-in-place” isn’t shelter that’s safe: A rapid analysis of domestic violence case differences during the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders. Journal of family violence, 37(6), 861-870.

Evers, E. C., Waters, W. F., Gallegos-Riofrío, C. A., Lutter, C. K., Stewart, C. P., & Iannotti, L. L. (2022). A sex-and gender-based analysis of factors associated with linear growth in infants in Ecuadorian Andes. Scientific reports, 12(1), 1-10.

Garg , R., Croston, M.A., Thompson, T., McQueen, A., Kreuter, M.W. (2022). Correlates of smoking discarded cigarettes in a sample of low-income smokers. Addictive Behaviors. 128, 107237. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107237

Gilbert, A., Beck, A., Serrano, N., & Brownson, R. C. (2022). Objective Measures of Physical Activity in Rural Communities: Factors Associated With a Valid Wear and Lessons Learned. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 19(4), 267-274.

McGuire, F.H., Carl, A., Woodcock, L., Frey, L., Dake, E., Matthews, D.D., Russell, K., & Adkins, D. (2021). Differences in patient and parent reports of depression and anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample of transgender and gender diverse youth. LGBT Health, 8(6), 404-411. https://doi.org/10.1089/ lgbt.2020.0478

Malone, S., Prewitt, K., Hackett, R., Lin, J. C., McKay, V., Walsh-Bailey, C., Luke, D. A. (2021). The Clinical Sustainability Assessment Tool: Measuring organizational capacity to promote sustainability in healthcare. Implementation Science Communications. 2, 77. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s43058-021-00181-2

Vahedi, L., Qushua, N., Seff, I., Doering, M., Stoll, C., Bartels, S. A., & Stark, L. (2022). Methodological and ethical implications of using remote data collection tools to measure sexual and reproductive health and genderbased violence outcomes among women and girls in humanitarian and fragile settings: a mixed methods systematic review of peerreviewed research. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15248380221097439.

Accolades & Outstanding Career Placements

Our students receive significant accolades for their work, and our graduates enter exciting postdoctoral, research leadership and tenure track positions around the globe.

RECENT STUDENT ACCOLADES

APHA 1038 Student Oral Session Award for Public Health Education and Health

AACR-Bristol-Myers Squibb Scholar-inTraining Award, American Association for Cancer Research

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Council on Social Work Education: Child Welfare Track Dissertation Award Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being

EPIC Scholarship

FOCUS-19 Project

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research Summer Diversity Scholarship

Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) NIA T32 Fellowship

National Association of Social Work: William E. Gordon Research Fellowship

National Birth Equity Collaborative: Birth Equity Research Scholar

Open Society Foundation Civil Society Scholar Award

R36 Award: National Institute on Aging

Research Resilience Training Fellow

Social Work HEALS Fellowship

Examples of positions accepted by our graduates in the past two years:

Postdoctoral positions: Research Training Program in Aging at Duke University; Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine

Research leadership: Data and Research Catalyst at Forward Through Ferguson; Health Science Administrator with the Indian Health Service; Research Scientist with Missouri Institute of Mental Health; Senior Associate at the Iris Group, Analysis Group, Forward Through Ferguson, Indian Health Service, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, Iris Group

Tenure track positions: Boston College, Brigham Young University, University of Hong Kong, Louisiana State University, Maryville University, North Carolina Central University, Rutgers University, SUNY Upstate Medical University, University of Denver, University of Georgia, University of Iowa, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Meet all PhD students and candidates at brownschool.wustl.edu/PhDstudents

Our Campus Community

The Brown School and its affiliated research centers fill three interconnected buildings in the heart of Washington University, creating a comprehensive “campus within a campus” where you’ll attend classes, connect with faculty members, study and explore.

Our facilities are designed to provide what you need to make the most of your days at the Brown School — including a café, study rooms, library and computer lab, and even lockers and showers for active commuters. Our tight-knit community provides easy access to the many trainings and one-on-one services offered by the Brown School. We frequently offer guest speakers, conferences, panel discussions and professional development trainings — valuable opportunities to connect with and learn from leaders in social work, public health and social policy.

“I have appreciated the countless number of opportunities to connect with students, staff, and faculty at the Brown School; the community is approachable and supportive! During my first year of doctoral studies, through engaging with faculty and staff, I became connected with the Social Policy Institute. I joined the food security research team, where I am currently involved in multidisciplinary projects. Joining the SPI is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my journey!”

TYLER FRANK , PHD STUDENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES

“My time at the Brown School was filled with stimulating coursework, relevant research opportunities, and invaluable mentorship. The Prevention Research Center created a fostering environment that led to my intellectual development, and overall growth in becoming an independent researcher in chronic disease prevention for disadvantaged communities.”

N AT SERRANO, PHD '21

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois Chicago

“My family moved to St. Louis from New York City and felt like we had landed in a paradise. We developed a wonderful connection with our neighbors, my wife volunteered in our local school district, our daughters loved their schools and we had a supportive faith community. The low cost of living and cultural opportunities were incredibly helpful. No place is perfect, and St. Louis has room to grow, but it was wonderful taking baby steps toward an even better St. Louis with our community.”

COLE HOOLEY, PHD IN SOCIAL WORK ’19 Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University

Discovering St. Louis

St. Louis offers big-city opportunities and a low cost of living, making it an accessible and desirable destination for students.

Our students live throughout the region and the city’s 79 distinct neighborhoods. They love WashU’s convenient location, served by several bus routes, bike paths and light rail public transit.

The award-winning expanse of Forest Park is just across the street from campus. It encompasses 1,300 acres of green space for you to explore by bike, on foot or via pedal boat or paddleboard — and it’s home to many of the city’s free, world-class museums and events.

Outside of school, our students are active citizens in St. Louis, whether through leadership on nonprofit boards or their neighborhoods’ community councils, or in part-time jobs in the city’s many health and service organizations. Local initiatives like Venture Café leverage the city’s vibrant startup scene to address inequities through collaborative solutions.

With its long history of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and approachable feel, there is so much to discover and enjoy in our great city.

Learn more at brownschool.wustl.edu/STL .

“The city has all you could want — museums, green spaces, good music and exciting new restaurants — plus that distinct Midwestern friendliness.”

Join Us

We invite you to learn more about what the Brown School can offer you and your career in scholarship and social impact. For questions, to schedule a visit or to get more information, contact:

PHD PROGRAM IN SOCIAL WORK

314.935.6605 phdsw@wustl.edu

Marissa Hardwrict, PhD

Social Work PhD Program Manager

SCHEDULE A VISIT OR TOUR

PHD PROGRAM IN PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES

314.935.3599 brown-phdphs@wustl.edu

Patrick Fowler

Public Health Sciences PhD Program Director

Schedule your virtual or in-person visit and learn about any updates to our visit protocols at brownschool.wustl.edu/visit

Application requirements include:

Personal statement

Undergraduate and graduate transcripts

Master’s degree in relevant discipline

TOEFL may be required for international applicants

Three letters of recommendation

CV Writing sample

All applicants must meet the admissions requirements of the Brown School PhD programs. Applications open September 1, and the application deadline for each program is December 1.

Social Work Applicants: Access our online application at applyweb.com/wustl.

Public Health Sciences Applicants: Apply through sophas.org.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

All students receive full-tuition scholarships and stipends for living expenses.

Other sources of financial support have included:

Brown School

National Institute of Mental Health

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Olin-Chancellor's Fellowship

McDonnell International Scholars Academy

John A. Hartford Foundation

Fulbright Scholar Program Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellows Program

Open Society Foundation Taiwan Ministry of Education

At the Brown School, doctoral students are immersed in a transdisciplinary environment that prepares them to become global scholars. Our worldrenowned faculty, dedicated staff and research centers work together to support hands-on learning. We invite you to join us.

Our Vision

A better and more equitable society.

Our Mission

To engage multidisciplinary faculty, staff and students to create a better and more equitable society through leading rigorous science, transformative education and authentic partnerships.

Our Values

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

Excellence in education and scholarship

Immerse students in an evidence-based learning experience with faculty who are driving new solutions to contemporary social, health and structural challenges in society. Connect students with practitioners who are leading efforts to address the root causes and consequences of inequities. Create an environment for students to co-create knowledge by collaborating with faculty on research studies and bringing innovations into practice.

High-Impact Scholarship

Generate rigorous, innovative and high-impact scholarship to build an evidence base vital to solving real-world problems. Guided by the highest ethical standards, forge and strengthen inclusive, authentic and multidisciplinary collaborations to move high-quality applied research into practice and policy.

Authentic Community Partnerships

Develop authentic community partnerships that are based on equity, transparency and mutually empowering relationships that are focused on achieving sustainable change in service of the public good.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Promote equity, racial and social justice through fair, inclusive, transparent, and sustainable practices and processes. Aspire to be catalysts for change and transformation, identifying barriers and co-creating solutions that will lead to greater justice.