Quality Indicators and Expected Outcomes for Social Work PhD Programs: Perceptions of Social Work Students, Faculty, and Administrators

This article presents and discusses the results of a national survey of social work PhD students, faculty, and administrators (n = 416), conducted by the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE), in December 2012. The survey was undertaken to inform the updating of GADE’s 2003 Guidelines for Quality in Social Work Doctoral Programs, which is intended to facilitate the development, evaluation, and improvement of social work PhD programs. Results indicate areas of agreement and divergence among key stakeholder groups regarding the perceived importance of various indicators of quality as well as their expectations concerning student outcomes. Implications for PhD program assessment and development are discussed.