columbia school of social work phd

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Pamela Paul

What Is Happening at the Columbia School of Social Work?

By Pamela Paul

Opinion Columnist

During orientation at the Columbia School of Social Work at Columbia University, the country’s oldest graduate program for aspiring social workers, students are given a glossary with “100+ common terms you may see or hear used in class, during discussions and at your field placements.”

Among the A’s: “agent and target of oppression” (“members of the dominant social groups privileged by birth or acquisition, who consciously or unconsciously abuse power against the members or targets of oppressed groups”) and “Ashkenormativity” (“a system of oppression that favors white Jewish folx, based on the assumption that all Jewish folx are Ashkenazi, or from Western Europe”).

The C’s define “capitalism” as “a system of economic oppression based on class, private property, competition and individual profit. See also: carceral system, class, inequality, racism.” “Colonization” is “a system of oppression based on invasion and control that results in institutionalized inequality between the colonizer and the colonized. See also: Eurocentric, genocide, Indigeneity, oppression.”

These aren’t the definitions you’d find in Webster’s dictionary, and until recently they would not have been much help in getting a master’s in social work at an Ivy League university. They reflect a shift not just at Columbia but in the field of social work, in which the social justice framework that has pervaded much of academia has affected the approach of top schools and the practice of social work itself.

Will radicalized social workers be providing service not just based on the needs of their clients but also to advance their political beliefs and assess clients based on their race or ethnicity?

When a student group, Columbia Social Workers 4 Palestine, announced a teach-in about “the significance of the Palestinian counteroffensive on Oct. 7 and the centrality of revolutionary violence to anti-imperialism,” Mijal Bitton, a Jewish spiritual leader, asked on X , “Imagine receiving services from a Columbia-educated social worker who believes burning families, killing babies, and gang-raping women is a ‘counteroffensive’ and ‘revolutionary violence [central] to anti-imperialism.’” Administrators barred the event from the school, but organizers held it in the lobby on Wednesday. Ariana Pinsker-Lehrer, a first-year student, set the protesters straight . “You’re studying to be social workers,” she told the group, “do better.”

Since the time of the pioneering activist and reformer Jane Addams, social work has been guided by a sense of mission. Social workers, who are the most common providers of mental health care, as well as the people who carry out social service programs, help the country’s neediest people. Whether social workers are caseworkers in government agencies or — as is the case with most Columbia graduates, I was told — therapists or counselors in private practice, their clients are often the elderly, the poor, veterans, homeless people, people with substance abuse issues and domestic violence survivors.

According to the National Association of Social Workers, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.”

Other leading schools, like the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice at the University of Chicago and the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan, have embraced social justice goals but without as sharp an ideological expression as Columbia.

The Columbia School of Social Work updated its mission statement in 2022 to say that its purpose is “to interrogate racism and other systems of oppression standing in the way of social equity and justice and to foster social work education, practice and research that strengthen and expand the opportunities, resources and capabilities of all persons to achieve their full potential and well-being.” What was once its central mission — to enhance the world of social work — now follows an emphatic political statement.

Melissa Begg, the dean of the Columbia School of Social Work, said that while the school’s mission has always been about social justice and “equitable access,” its mission has evolved because “racism is part of the country.” The school, she explained, is trying to build an awareness of and give students the tools they need to address a diverse range of needs. As she put it, “If you think of slavery as the original sin of the United States, it makes sense to center that reality as part of the school’s mission.”

In 2017 the Columbia social work school introduced a framework around power, race, oppression and privilege, which the school called PROP. This began as a formal course for all first-year students to create what Begg referred to as “self-awareness.” In subsequent years, the PROP framework was applied to the entire curriculum of the school, and the PROP class became a required course called Foundations of Social Work Practice: Decolonizing Social Work.

According to the course’s current syllabus, work “will be centered on an anti-Black racism framework” and “will also involve examinations of the intersectionality of issues concerning L.B.G.T.Q.I.A.+ rights, Indigenous people/First Nations people and land rights, Latinx representation, xenophobia, Islamophobia, undocumented immigrants, Japanese internment camps, indigent white communities (Appalachia) and antisemitism with particular attention given to the influence of anti-Black racism on all previously mentioned systems.”

As part of their coursework, students are required to give a presentation in which they share part of their “personal process of understanding anti-Black racism, intersectionality and uprooting systems of oppression.” They are asked to explain their presentation “as it relates to decolonizing social work, healing, critical self-awareness and self-reflection.” Teachings include “The Enduring, Invisible and Ubiquitous Centrality of Whiteness,” “Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People” and “What It Means to Be a Revolutionary,” a 1972 speech by Angela Davis.

This decolonization framework, in which people are either oppressor or oppressed, often viewed through the prism of American ideas around race, is by no means exclusive to the Columbia School of Social Work. But its application in the program illustrates the effects of the current radicalism on campus and the ways in which those ideals can shift an entire field of practice .

Addressing race should be an important part of a social worker’s education, as it is in many social sciences. The history and practice of psychotherapy, related to social work, was long infected with insidious and harmful ideas around race , which were often tightly bound to the eugenics movement and characterized African Americans and other minorities as mentally deficient and childlike; current practitioners are by no means immune to racism themselves.

Caregivers need to be sensitive to the effects of racism and other biases on their clients’ health and well-being. But professional organizations have become much more dogmatic about those concerns in ways that endanger the effectiveness of social work.

The National Association of Social Workers now stipulates that “antiracism and other facets of diversity, equity and inclusion must be a focal point for everyone within social work.” In October, Thema S. Bryant, the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association, published a column titled “ Psychologists Must Embrace Decolonial Psychology .” In it she wrote, “Decolonial psychology asks us to consider not just the life history of the individual we are working with but also the history of the various collective groups they are a part of, whether that is their nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion or disability.” The profession, she explained, needed to include a range of goals, from appreciating “Indigenous science” to shaping “systems and institutions” in addition to individuals and families.

Psychotherapy already carries a certain amount of political or ideological bias. A number of recent surveys have shown that mental health practitioners, including social workers, tend to be overwhelmingly liberal, progressive or socialist, according to a new book, “ Ideological and Political Bias in Psychology ,” edited by Craig L. Frisby, Richard E. Redding, William T. O’Donohue and Scott O. Lilienfeld.

“Until roughly five years ago, people seeking mental health care could expect their therapists to keep politics out of the office,” Sally Satel, a practicing psychotherapist and the author of “PC, M.D.: How Political Correctness Is Corrupting Medicine,” wrote in 2021 . “Mental health professionals — mainly counselors and therapists — are increasingly replacing evidence-driven therapeutics with ideologically motivated practice and activism.”

“White patients, for instance, are told that their distress stems from their subjugation of others,” Satel wrote, “while Black and minority patients are told that their problems stem from being oppressed.”

Take counseling, which is similar to social work in its focus on mental health but ostensibly focuses more on individual therapy and less on navigating support systems , for example, obtaining assistance from public agencies. The code of ethics adopted by the American Counseling Association in 2014 states that “counselors are aware of — and avoid imposing — their own values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Counselors respect the diversity of clients, trainees and research participants and seek training in areas in which they are at risk of imposing their values onto clients, especially when the counselor’s values are inconsistent with the client’s goals or are discriminatory in nature.” But the next year, the association’s governing council endorsed guidelines on “ multicultural and social justice counseling ” that stipulate “social justice advocacy” and divide clients and providers into “privileged” and “marginalized” categories meant to guide professional engagement.

Therapists are supposed to be able to listen and not be judgmental about feelings and ideas that are taboo, Andrew Hartz, a New York-based psychologist, told me. It’s not helpful for patients to feel judged by their practitioner: “Even if the goal is to make the patient less racist, it’s not effective.”

This past summer, Hartz founded the Open Therapy Institute to provide training without ideology so neither clients nor therapists would feel judged for their beliefs. “I was trained in the city and in city hospitals, so I saw mostly nonwhite patients,” he said. If he had used the current decolonization framework or categorized his patients by ethnicity and race, he explained, it would have distracted him from being an effective resource. “I’m trying to think about ‘What are they feeling and how can I help them?’ Not ‘I’m an oppressor, and they’re a victim,’ and so I’m walking on eggshells. That’s not going to be good therapy.”

Social workers help a broad range of populations, one in which race and systems of oppression often play less of a central role than individual counseling and support in navigating complicated social service systems — Syrian refugees in need of resettlement and Appalachian residents navigating health care insurance, foster children, survivors of domestic violence, teenagers grappling with substance abuse and poverty. They work with military veterans, victims of natural disasters, police officers suffering from workplace stress and the elderly. The job requires long hours dealing with populations that others have largely written off — the homeless, the formerly incarcerated, the infirm.

Like many helping professions — nursing, elder care, teaching — social work is not only one of the noblest vocations; it’s also one of the least remunerative. While the two-year residential program at the Columbia School of Social Work costs an estimated total of $91,748 a year with room and board, the median annual salary for its 2021 graduates, per a 2022 survey, was $62,000 . (The school does not provide full information on how many students receive financial aid.)

Many students go to social work school because it’s often a less expensive route to becoming a psychotherapist in private practice, which many do as a licensed clinical social worker. It’s less expensive and faster than getting a doctorate in psychology or psychiatry. It’s also hard to pay off those student loans working in a governmental agency. More students are entering private practice, Begg acknowledged, as did everyone else associated with the school; several characterized it as an overwhelming majority.

The intention of the current curriculum at the Columbia School of Social Work, Begg emphasized to me, is to prepare social workers for hard work, not to shut out prospective students with any kind of ideological litmus test. The glossary of terms handed out at orientation, she said, was created by students for students and was not a “public-facing document.” She wanted to “make a clear bright line between our curriculum and our glossary.”

It’s supposed to be used “internally by our community within the context of a conversation” and as a “jumping-off point for conversation” for students to “expand their horizons.”

That noble intention may not be matched in practice.

Social work education has always been tied to social justice, said Amy Werman, who graduated from the Columbia School of Social Work in 1982 and has been teaching clinical and research courses there since 2009, full time since 2015.

But in the past few years, she said, the student body has become more radical. “Many students see themselves as social justice warriors, and protesting is the litmus test of being a real social worker,” she told me. She said she couldn’t remember a single protest at the school when she was a student. “Now,” she said, “I feel it’s a rite of passage.”

On Nov. 8, about a month after Hamas slaughtered about 1,200 people in Israel, dozens of students occupied the school’s lobby, banging on drums and yelling “Intifada! Intifada!” from 10:30 a.m. until early evening. Several Jewish students told Werman they didn’t feel safe. Students I spoke with said they thought that the blatantly political slant of the PROP curriculum encouraged the radical tenor of recent student activism.

“I lead with my Jewish identity and my identity as a woman, my subjugated identities,” said Werman, who discusses in orientation and in class her experience in Israel providing social services to Bedouins, Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews, even after students have complained about her discussion of Israel in their evaluations of her.

“When Jews speak up in our school,” she said, “they are met with, ‘You have white privilege, so shut up. You are a colonizer. You are an oppressor. You are responsible for the deaths of innocent Palestinians.’”

When Asaf Eyal, a 2017 graduate of the school and now the director of a major New York City human services organization, arrived on campus, he said, he was bombarded immediately with messages from both the curriculum and from fellow students about his privilege as a white colonizer.

During the school’s required class in power, race, oppression and privilege (an earlier rendition of the course on decolonizing social work), Eyal, a former combat soldier from Israel, was shown videos of Israeli soldiers in which they were labeled the oppressor. In classroom lessons, the oppressed, he said, were always Black people. “Do you know there are Black Israelis, Black Jews?” Eyal, who had worked with Ethiopian Jews, asked his classmates.

“The school is infected with a political agenda that should not be in place, especially on Day 1,” Eyal told me.

Now, he said, he questions the education he got there. “I don’t come into my shelter every day and think about who is the oppressed,” he told me. “I think about helping people.” In October, after four years volunteering on behalf of the school, Eyal resigned from his role overseeing fieldwork assignments.

“Is this a school of social work or an indoctrination agency for extreme ideology?” Eyal said. “We’re missing the purpose. It’s not our purpose.”

Source images by 5second and Image Source/Getty Images

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Columbia University

School of social work.

Since its inception in 1950, the doctoral program at Columbia University School of Social Work has been at the forefront in preparing social work leaders to tackle the most challenging problems facing the profession. Doctoral students enter our program asking probing questions about the myriad of challenges and concerns facing vulnerable populations and the social workers who work with them, and they graduate well equipped to take on leadership in finding the answers that will advance the profession into the future. Doctoral students enjoy opportunities to learn from and conduct research side-by-side with nationally and internationally recognized scholars in their fields and not only within the School of Social Work, but beyond in the other social and behavioral sciences departments at Columbia as well. This interdisciplinary exposure within the program balances the best of social work’s professional concerns for highly complicated social problems, along with the state-of-the-science disciplinary methods and theory that can help shed light in devising effective responses. Only a world-class university like Columbia can put at one's fingertips such a rich selection of educational resources, research centers, collegial and interdisciplinary opportunities, combined with the unparalleled teeming social laboratory that is New York City.

• Where: New York City, New York
• Type: Private, Non-Profit
• Degree Offered: PhD in Social Work
• Program Type: In-Person Program Only
• Students: Full-time Enrollment Only
• Average Enrolled Students Yearly: 6-8 Students
• GRE Requirement: Yes
• TOEFL Requirement: Yes, with a cut-off score
• MSW Requirement: Yes, MSW or other master's degree required
• Two Years Post-MSW Experience Required: No
• Joint MSW/PhD Program: No

Substantive Research Areas of Faculty

• Addiction/Substance Use
• Adolescent and Youth Development
• Aging/Gerontology
• Child Welfare
• Children & Families
• Community Practice/Macro Practice
• Corrections/Criminal Justice/Restorative Justice
• Family Violence
• Housing/Homelessness
• Immigrants, Refugees & Displaced Persons
• International Social Work & Global Development
• LGBT Issues & Services
• Mental Health
• Organizations, Management & Administration
• Poverty/Disadvantaged Populations
• Race and Ethnicity
• School Social Work
• Social/Economic Justice
• Social Welfare Policy
• Social Work Education
• Social Work Practice
• Work/Family/Family Policy

For more information visit Columbia University .

To update your program's profile, please complete the Program Directory Update Form .

Social-Organizational Psychology PhD

Doctor of social-organizational psychology.

Welcome and thank you for your interest in the doctoral program in Social-Organizational Psychology. Our 75 credit doctoral degree combines practice and scholarship to prepare students for positions in academia, industry, and as independent consultants.

We invite you to explore our program , meet our world-class faculty , get to know your fellow doctoral students , and see what we're up to in terms of research .  If you'd like additional information please contact us at [email protected] .

We hope you like what you see!

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Points/Credits: 75
• Entry Terms: Fall Only

Application Deadlines

• Spring: N/A
• Summer/Fall (Priority): December 1
• Summer/Fall (Final): December 1

Supplemental Application Requirements/Comments

• Online Degree Application , including Statement of Purpose and Resume
• Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed
• Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable)
• $75 Application Fee
• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation
• GRE General Test Recommended
• Academic Writing Sample

Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2023-2024)

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (ORGD)

Students are required to take a minimum of 75 credits for the Ph.D. degree. Occasionally, students may transfer credits - up to a maximum of 15 points from previous graduate training at other institutions. Transferring the maximum is unusual, because courses transferred must be equivalent to courses that are required in our Ph.D. program.

Students are encouraged to design an individually meaningful course of study within the larger offerings of the Program. Opportunities for doing this are available through coursework, work with faculty members, independent research and study, and teaching activities. Students take a series of required courses that build a strong foundation in social-organizational psychology and may also select a series of more specialized courses depending on their specific areas of interest. Examples include managing conflict, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), organizational network analysis, group dynamics, and organizational change. 

Additional focus and expertise are developed through collaboration on major research projects with faculty members and practice-based or consulting activities under faculty supervision.

Research Training

The research training for doctoral students involves acquiring an understanding of underlying concepts and theories in social and organizational psychology and gaining experience in conducting research. The formal coursework provides a strong foundation in both social psychology and organizational psychology theories and their applications. A series of required research methods courses provides the foundation necessary for understanding and conducting scholarly research. Similarly, a series of required courses in measurement and statistics provides students with the strong statistical and analytical background necessary for the research process.

Research experience is furthered  through “workgroups.” Workgroups are research teams led by a faculty member. In workgroups, students participate in the design, execution, data analysis, and writing phases of research projects. All students are required to participate in workgroups each semester for the first four years in the degree program. The commitment to research training is an important part of the program and consumes a significant amount of students’ time.

Applied Aspects of the Program

The applied aspects of the degree program for doctoral students involve the development of skills and knowledge in the application of theory and research to practice and consulting activities. As such, students acquire an understanding of the systems approach, in particular, the dynamic interaction among individuals, groups, organizations, and their environments as well as an understanding of organizational diagnosis, organization development, coaching and managing conflict. A variety of opportunities are available for students to develop skills in conducting applied and action research and in providing consultation to groups and organizations. All of these activities are grounded in theory and research in social-organizational psychology. A series of courses are available which provide students with basic skills in interpersonal relationships, interviewing and information gathering techniques, and process consultation. In addition, supervised field experiences are conducted in which  students engage in an applied project with a local organization under faculty direction. It is assumed that students will undertake internships or work in organizations during summers or in the later years of the program.  The Ph.D. Program in Social-Organizational Psychology is a scientist-practitioner program and as such focuses on both research and practice.

The curriculum represents the dual emphasis of the program.

The following are six areas from which students select courses:

Research and Statistics

Theory and Practice in Social-Organizational Psychology

Integrative Experiences

Breadth Requirement (courses beyond those offered by program faculty but within TC)

Elective courses

Dissertation Advisement

Students take both required and elective courses for a total of 75-79+ credits. Variable-credit courses should be taken for the minimum rather than the maximum number of credits in order to have both the required number of credits and the desired distribution of courses.

For a more comprehensive description of the Ph.D. degree program requirements, please see the Ph.D. program handbook, located on the Social-Organizational Psychology student resources web page . The handbook should be considered the primary document with regard to degree requirements for the Ph.D. program, including information on requirements for the two Qualifying Papers.

1.) Research and Statistics (6 courses required)

ORLJ 5040 Research methods in social psychology

HUDM 4122 Probability and statistical inference

HUDM 5122 Applied regression analysis

HUDM 5123 Linear models and experimental design

HUDM 6122 Multivariate analysis I

Plus one of the following:

ORL 6500 Qualitative research methods in organizations: Design and data collection

ORL 6501 Qualitative research methods in organizations: Data analysis and reporting

ORLJ 5018 Using survey research in organizational consulting

ORLJ 5025 People Analytics

ORLA 6641 Advanced topics in research methods and design

HUDM 5026 Introduction to data analysis in R

HUDM 5059 Psychological measurement

HUDM 5124 Multidimensional scaling and clustering

HUDM 5133 Causal Inference

HUDM 6026 Computational statistics

HUDM 6030 Multilevel and longitudinal data analysis

HUDM 6055 Latent structure analysis

2.) Theory and Practice in Social-Organizational Psychology (12 courses required)

Courses in this section are sub-divided into theory/seminar and practice courses. Of the twelve required courses, there are five courses that are set (two pro-seminars, as well as three practice courses). Of the seven remaining courses, four must be theory/seminar courses taught by TC Faculty, while the remaining three may be selected from either the remaining optional theory/seminar courses or the remaining optional practice courses listed below.

THEORY/SEMINAR

ORLJ 5540 Pro-seminar in social psychology

ORLJ 5541 Pro-seminar in organizational psychology 

ORLJ 5115 Social networks & performance

ORLJ 6040 Fundamentals of cooperation, conflict resolution, and mediation in different institutional contexts

ORLJ 6045 Demography in organizations

ORLJ 6048 Teaching to cognitive & cultural complexities

ORLJ 6199 Special topics seminars

The social psychology of organizational futures

A systems psychodynamic approach to organizational life

ORLJ 6500 Stereotypes and stereotypic processes in organizational contexts

ORLJ 6502 Dynamic networks and systems

B 9506 Organizational behavior

ORL 5362 Group dynamics: A systems perspective

ORLJ 6343 Practicum in change and consultation in organizations

ORLJ 6349 Practicum in process consultation

ORLJ 4002 Functions of organizations

ORLJ 4010 Executive coaching

ORLJ 5002 Advanced functions of organizations

ORLJ 5003 Human resource management

ORLJ 5005 Leadership and supervision

ORLJ 5017 Small group intervention: Improving team performance

ORLJ 5090 Strategic talent management

ORLJ 5250 Equity, diversity and inclusion in teams

ORLJ 5340 Adaptive Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

ORLJ 5341 Effective Mediation

ORLJ 6350 Advanced practicum in conflict resolution

ORLJ 6540 Contemporary issues in organizational psychology

ORLD 5055 Staff development and training

ORLD 5061 The learning organization

ORLD 5821 Leveraging emotional intelligence to enhance organizational effectiveness

ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence

ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capability with cultural intelligence

3.) Integrative Experiences

Integrative experiences include participation in eight semesters of workgroups and colloquia, as well as graduate teaching assistantships.

The curriculum is designed to facilitate students’ completion of two qualifying papers, while enrolled in workgroups for the first four years of the program.

ORLJ 6341 Workgroup (Debra Noumair)

ORLJ 6344 Workgroup (Peter Coleman)

ORLJ 6345 Workgroup (Elissa Perry)

ORLJ 6346 Workgroup (James Westaby)

ORLJ 6347 Workgroup (Caryn Block)

ORLJ 6348 Workgroup (William Pasmore)

One workgroup per semester for a minimum of eight semesters is required from the time a student enters the Ph.D. program.

Students must take six of the eight workgroups for credit points (see Ph.D. Handbook for guidelines). An exception may be made for students who participated in a workgroup as a master’s student in the Social-Organizational Psychology Program, in which case, the student must take a minimum of four of the eight workgroups for credit.

Workgroup credits may not be substituted for required courses.

Students are required to actively engage in at least two different workgroups over the eight semesters that workgroup is required. Active engagement means regular participation in the design and conduct of research until it reaches a conclusion. Solely being present at meetings does not satisfy the requirement.

Each semester, the program holds a number of colloquia and related activities including invited speakers from academia and consulting, presentations from program members, and general meetings. These are important developmental experiences for learning about research, practice, and professionalism. Attendance is required throughout the first four years of the program.

ORLJ 6640 Social-organizational psychology colloquium

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS

Doctoral students are required to serve as a graduate teaching assistant for master's- level courses (in the Fall and in the Spring) for two years within their first three years of the Social-Organizational Psychology Program. The TA-ship requirement starts in the student’s second year, unless they are a graduate of our M.A. program. Students typically are expected to act as graduate teaching assistants for the Master’s level core courses (Human Resources Management, Organizational Psychology, Understanding Behavioral Research, to name a few). Beyond this, additional graduate teaching assistantship opportunities are available for more advanced courses (e.g., Organizational Dynamics, Leadership and Supervision, Group Dynamics, Executive Coaching, etc.).

4.) Breadth Requirement

Students must take a total of six credits of breadth courses. A breadth course must be outside of your program of study (in this case, non-ORLJ) and must also be a course at Teachers College. On the College forms, you are strongly encouraged to count your statistics/methods courses as breadth courses.

5.) Elective Courses

To fulfill the 75-credit program, electives can be taken in addition to required courses and the Breadth Requirement. Any ORLJ courses may be taken as electives. Below is a list of pre-approved elective courses outside of ORLJ, including courses at Columbia University. This list is NOT exhaustive.

If a student wishes to take a course not listed here, he/she must get written approval from the Ph.D. Coordinator (an email will suffice). If the student is at risk of being closed out of the course by waiting for approval, it is best to register for the course during the interim period and then drop it, if necessary.

ORLJ 5025 People analytics

ORLJ 5045 Organizational dynamics

ORLD 4051 How adults learn

ORLD 4085 Management and leadership skills in practice

ORLD 4827 Fostering transformational learning

ORLD 5821 Leveraging EQ to enhance org effectiveness

ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with SQ

ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capabilities with CQ

B 7553 Managerial decision making

CCPJ 4050 Microaggressions in institutional climates

CCPJ 5020 Racism and racial identity in psychology and education

CCPJ 5062 Career counseling

CCPJ 5563 Multicultural consultation in org development

CCPX 4035 Personality and behavior change

CCPX 5034 Developmental psychopathology

CCPX 6352 Cognition, emotion, & health

HUDK 5023 Cognitive development

HUDK 5029 Personality development across the life span

Certification After Completing Coursework

Certification Examination in Psychology: The Research Methods Examination (RME) in Psychology is part of the certification process for doctoral students in psychology degree programs at Teachers College. The examination measures students' knowledge in statistics, measurement, and research design and is developed by the Research Methods Examination Committee.

Qualifying Papers: All doctoral candidates in the Social-Organizational Psychology Program must submit two qualifying papers (Theory-based/Empirical and Applied). The primary purposes of the qualifying papers are integrative, diagnostic, pedagogical, and evaluative. The qualifying papers are examples of the kind of work students will be doing as social-organizational psychologists. The papers provide an opportunity for the faculty to help develop and evaluate the student’s skills in an ongoing and iterative process.

6.) The Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is a report of independently conducted research. In formulating and conducting this research, the student has available as consultants and advisors two or three members of the faculty. Students will need to register for dissertation‐related classes. There is a sequence of courses that vary with respect to course credit and fee. When actively working on the dissertation and meeting with one’s sponsor and/or committee, students are expected to register for ORLJ 7501 two semesters. This course is only offered for 1‐3 points and students can register for the minimum number of credits; it is offered for variable credit to accommodate the different needs of various students. Once the student has registered for two terms of ORLJ 7501, Ph.D. students are required to register for ORLJ 8900 for 0 credits and pay a fee for every semester until the term of the final defense when a student must enroll in TI8900, PhD Dissertation Defense. Please see the Office of Doctoral Studies for information regarding the fees.

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Visit the Columbia School of Social Work to explore our campus and learn more about our Social Work program. Browse the calendar to view our scheduled information sessions and register to attend. We offer both on-campus and virtual information sessions. Information sessions will cover our curriculum, faculty, application process, student life, financial aid and more. Additional information sessions will be added to our calendar soon! Please visit our website for more ways to connect .

• Bachelor of Social Work
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PhD Program

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work program at UBC Vancouver provides opportunities for advanced scholarship, contributing transformative knowledge through research relevant to social work theory, practice, policy, social development, and administration.

The PhD program is for students with a background in social work, giving them an opportunity for advanced scholarship and professional growth in the context of a research-intensive program.

The program provides critical components for professional practice in research, policy analysis, and human service management.

In addition to making an original contribution to social work knowledge, you will be prepared for university teaching and research (theoretical and applied), including program evaluation.

A research-based dissertation adding to the field’s knowledge base is the capstone of this program.

• Ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative research using a range of paradigms and methods which inform and advance knowledge and its application in the areas of social work
• Leading-edge substantive knowledge of an area of social work (defined by your research interests), including questions in the area that need to be addressed empirically
• Comprehensive understanding of professional, educational and policy issues in social work, with an ability to explicate the implications of research for the social good

Degree Requirements

The PhD program should be completed within a period of six years. It is possible to request a one-year extension to this time limit, but such extensions are not automatic.

Achieving Candidacy

All students are expected to be admitted to candidacy within two years of initial registration and must complete within three years. Exceptions to this can only be granted by the Dean of UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

To achieve candidacy, students must:

• Complete all required courses
• Pass their comprehensive examinations
• Have their thesis proposal approved

Course Work Requirements

Students in the program will be required to take at least 18 credits of coursework.

• SOWK 601 Advanced Doctoral Seminar (runs alternate weeks across both terms) (3 credits)
• SOWK 621 Social Theory, Ideology & Ethics (3 credits)
• Elective to be determined in consultation with supervisor (3 credits)
• SOWK 654 Advanced Qualitative Inquiry (3 credits)
• XXX Methods course to be determined in consultation with supervisor (3 credits)

Year 2 (6 credits minimum)

• SOWK 623 Advanced Data Analysis in Social Work (3 credits)
• XXX Theory course in relation to substantive area of study (sometimes a directed study) (3 credits)
• Preparation for comprehensive exams and thesis proposal

Academic Progress

A minimum of 68% (B-) must be achieved in all coursework taken for credit. Where a grade of less than 68% (B-) is obtained in a course and on the recommendation of the PhD Program Chair and the approval of the Dean of UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the student may repeat the course for higher standing or take an alternate course.

If the PhD Program Chair does not make such a recommendation, or if the recommendation is not approved by the Dean of UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the student will be required to withdraw.

A student who obtains a grade of less than 68% in more than one course can be required to withdraw.

If progress in research is unsatisfactory, a student will be required to withdraw.

The student will be informed of unsatisfactory academic progress in writing before any action regarding withdrawal is taken. In a course that is repeated, both marks will appear on the transcript.

Comprehensive Examinations

The comprehensive examination will take the form of two papers of not more than 7,000 words each.

One paper will focus on theoretical concepts relevant to the student’s proposed field of research, and the second paper will address a substantive topic related to the student’s research, for example, a critical literature review.

The student‘s supervisory committee will determine the specific subjects of each paper.

The student will have 28 days to complete each paper and submit it to their supervisor from the time of receiving the topic.

Both papers will be completed within 82 days at a time agreed upon by the student and their supervisor.

Where the supervisory committee feels it appropriate, students have the option of combining the two papers into a single submission which covers the areas noted above.

In this case, the student would have 56 days to complete with a further 28-day revision period if required.

Comprehensive papers are normally completed within the first two years of the program.

Within 28 days of the final paper submission, the student will undertake an oral defense of the papers to be organized by their research supervisor.

The comprehensive examination is conducted by members of the Supervisory Committee, plus one member who is external to the School and who preferably is a member of UBC's Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The extra member will meet similar eligibility for the Supervisory Committee as laid out in Graduate Studies’ policy.

If either paper is unsuccessful, the student will have a further 28 days to resubmit and defend the paper. Only one resubmission is allowed per paper.

Success of the papers will be determined based on the expectations set out by the committee when assigning the paper.

In general, papers will be expected to show a solid and comprehensive understanding of the relevant literature and an ability to critically analyze the literature presented. Normal scholarly expectations regarding style, presentation and grammatical correctness will also apply.

Upon completion of the defense the supervisor should inform the PhD Chair of the outcome on a Pass/Fail basis. Students who do not satisfactorily defend their comprehensive paper upon the second attempt will be required to withdraw from the program.

Thesis Proposal Evaluation

An examining panel will determine whether the proposal:

Proposal is:

• shows sufficient knowledge of the literature and methodological issue
• is feasible
• provides the basis for a dissertation which is original and scholarly

Requires deferral for revision

• generally acceptable but requires refinement in one or more of the above areas in order to be approved

Is to be rejected

Proposal is rejected due to one or more of the following:

• does not demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the relevant literature
• is methodologically unsound
• is not feasible
• does not provide the basis for a dissertation which is original and scholarly

In all cases the student will be provided with oral and written feedback from their research supervisor identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal, any advice the panel may have, and what is required of the student to successfully complete the proposal phase.

In the case of a rejected proposal a substantially revised proposal must be submitted addressing the areas indicated by the panel.

In the case of a deferred proposal, the panel will determine if a further examination is required or if the supervisor can approve the required changes alone. If rejected, a full defense of the new proposal will be required.

Students will be permitted two attempts to successfully defend their proposal. Students who fail to successfully complete the proposal defense within the required timeframe will be required to withdraw from the program. In exceptional circumstances, the Chair of the program can approve a third defense upon advice of the supervisory committee.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD)

Canadian immigration updates.

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Go to programs search

The PhD in Social Work at UBC is a research degree. Built around a small number of common courses, the program draws on the diverse range of courses available across the campus to advance the student's individualized plan of study. Part-time Doctoral Classification is available for domestic students.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

Our students come from around the world and are supervised by faculty with expertise in their particular field of study. No student is admitted without the commitment of a designated supervisor.

UBC is internationally recognized as an institution that values academic excellence, innovation in research, and transformative learning.

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 93

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

September 2024 intake, application open date, canadian applicants, international applicants, september 2025 intake, deadline explanations.

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

• 8 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 8 students was $5,177.
• 9 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 9 students was $12,743.
• 4 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 4 students was $15,094.
• 12 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 12 students was $12,483.
• 2 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 2 students was $35,000.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

8 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 7 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Typically our graduates become instructors or professors in other departments or schools of social work, though a number also work in social welfare administration, the policy arena, and social development.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Baines, Donna (Social work; Age-Friendly Cities; decent work and good care for older people in residential and home care; impact of neoliberalism on Indigenous social work education; impact of neoliberalism on non-Indigenous social work education)
• Bratiotis, Christiana (Social work; interventions in the context of hoarding; organizational processes involved in hoarding task forces; service utilization)
• Caragata, Lea (Social oppression and marginalization; Counselling, welfare and community services; Social policy; welfare systems; Poverty; labour markets; lone mothers; social policy; youth provisioning)
• Charles, Grant (Psychosocial oncology, intellectual disabilities, family interventions and at risk youth)
• Ibrahim, Mohamed (mental health; addiction among new immigrants and refugees; global mental health)
• Kia, Hannah (LGBTQ2S+ health; LGBTQ2S+ aging; social work and other professional practice with sexual and gender minorities; effective social work practice with trans and gender diverse people; poverty, sexual and mental health issues among diverse LGBTQ2S+ populations)
• Lee, Barbara
• Montgomery, H. Monty
• O'Connor, Deborah (family support to frail or mentally impaired seniors; formal support services, Dementia, the interface between living with dementia, family care, and the use of formal support services)
• Stainton, Timothy (Developmental Disability, Disability, Social Policy, History of Developmental Disability, Philosophy of Welfare)
• Wilson, Tina (Social work; social work and environment; history and philosophy of social work; critical social theories; generational standpoints; Social justice; social work rhetoric)
• Yan, Miu Chung (Issues related to settlement and integration of immigrants and refugees, labour market experience of new generation youth from racial minority immigrant families, and community building roles and functions of neighbourhood-level place-based multiservice organizations )

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• Reframing adolescent resistance to parents
• The violence of "best interests of the child" : social work in the ruling relations
• Cancer as interruption : exploring the experiences of adolescents who have completed treatment for cancer

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Social Work (MSW)

Further Information

Specialization.

Social Work provides students with backgrounds in social work, social policy, social development, opportunities for advanced scholarship, and professional growth in the context of research-intensive programs. Students are prepared for university teaching and research (theoretical and applied), including program evaluation. The program can also provide critical components for professional practice in research, policy analysis, and human service management.

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Darryl Gray

The decision to study at UBC was always my first choice in academic institutions. This is my own personal opinion, I wanted the opportunity to study and learn research from some of the best minds in the research field. At first, I was not entirely sure on my direction within the area of research at...

UBC is a recognized global leader in Social Work research. As the oldest school in Western Canada, I wanted to pursue a graduate degree at a well-established institution.

Andrea Johnson

UBC is an ideal research training environment. UBC has offered me an intersection of academic scholarship and clinical translation. As a clinician pursuing PhD research training, this was important to me. This intersection has been fostered by my supervisor and I am grateful to be in an academic...

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Led by dynamic teams of researchers and scholars who apply their knowledge to solve problems, the University of South Carolina College of Social Work is educating the next generation of professionals who will serve our communities.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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Our Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion works to create an inclusive environment that values diversity in academic medicine.

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Diversity and Inclusion Alliance

Patrice malone, md.

Patrice Malone, MD PhD  Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center; Assistant Director, Columbia Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Clinical Director, Columbia Department of Psychiatry; and Director of the Dr. June Jackson Christmas Medical Student Program.   Dr. Malone received her PhD in Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan and medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her general psychiatry residency at Columbia University and her child and adolescent psychiatry training at the New York-Presbyterian Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program as a public psychiatry track fellow.  Dr. Malone founded and is the Director of the Dr. June Jackson Christmas Medical Student Program (JJC), which exposes medical students from historically underrepresented groups to the breadth of what a career in psychiatry has to offer in hopes that they too will become psychiatrists.  She is also co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Alliance committee and a faculty member of CopeColumbia where she leads the Bold Conversations for Healing and Reshaping Our Medical Center series.  Dr. Malone is a member of AACAPs Substance Use committee and treats young people suffering from substance use disorders at the Smithers Center as part of Columbia’s Faculty Practice Organization. 

Alexandra Canetti, MD

Alexandra Canetti, MD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and a board-certified child and adolescent and adult psychiatrist with expertise in psychosomatic disorders, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety disorders. Her areas of interest include community psychiatry and culturally humble family-based care to children and youth with medical illnesses. She serves as the Program Medical Director of the Special Needs Clinic, where she treats the mental health needs of individuals and families affected by medical illness and is also the Director of Student Medical Education within the Columbia University Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  

Laila Abdel-Salam, PhD

Laila Abdel-Salam, PhD (she/her), is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Faculty Practice at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Abdel-Salam specializes in psychotherapy for adults and emerging adults who have experienced trauma, mood disorders, and personality disorders. She also has had extensive training in multicultural and relational psychotherapy, which she implements with all her patients.

Dr. Abdel-Salam believes that integrating various treatment approaches to best fit each individual's needs is essential. She is extensively trained in psychodynamic, relational, Dialectical Behavioral (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral (DBT) treatment modalities. Dr. Abdel-Salam believes in the importance of exploring how past relationships and early experiences, including cultural factors and family dynamics, influence one's understanding – and subsequently reactions – of oneself and the world. She aims to work with individuals to obtain their most actualized and integrated sense of self.

Dr. Abdel-Salam completed her master's and doctoral degree at Columbia University. She completed her predoctoral internship at Harvard Medical School, where she received focused psychodynamic and trauma training within the Victims of Violence (VoV) clinic co-founded by Dr. Judith Hermann. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Abdel-Salam has worked in various settings within New York, including college counseling centers, community centers, and outpatient and inpatient hospital settings.

Laurence Chan, PhD

Laurence Chan, PhD, is a licensed psychologist located at Columbia Doctors Midtown. He serves on the faculty as an Instructor of Medical Psychology (In Psychiatry) and provides services for individuals with substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions. His clinical duties involve conducting diagnostic and substance use level of care assessments, maintaining an individual therapy caseload, facilitating substance abuse groups within the Columbia Co-occurring Recovery Program (CCRP), and the supervision of psychology externs. Dr. Chan received his doctorate in Counseling Psychology and certificate training in College Teaching at the University of Iowa. He completed his internship at the Atlanta VA Health Care System and his postdoctoral residency at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

Christine Dufresne, MSEd

Christine Dufresne is passionate about increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.  She earned a Diversity and Inclusion certification from eCornell.  Along with being a member of DIA, Christine is one of the Columbia University Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Program Coordinators for Inclusion and leads the NYPH Pediatric Psychiatry Volunteer Practicum Program. Christine is a dual certified special education teacher with expertise in remedial reading instruction and educational advocacy.  She has a demonstrated history of working with students, schools, families and communities to provide a system of support for students who struggle academically as well as socially to become successful learners, leaders, or change agents themselves.

Elisabeth D. Huh, LMSW

Aaron malark, psyd.

Dr. Aaron Malark is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the intersections of gender, sexuality, and mental health. He is currently a psychologist at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medical Psychology with the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. Previously, Dr. Malark was the assistant clinical director of the Program for the Study of LGBT Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Malark leads the Gender, Sexuality, and Substance Use consult group at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital’s Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Department. Dr. Malark is also part of the leadership team of the psychology training program at NYP, where he supervises and coordinates the training of psychologists, focusing on training that addresses mental health disparities and the needs of underserved communities.  

Kareen M. Matouk, PhD

Dr. Kareen Matouk is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Assistant Program Director at the Columbia Gender and Sexuality Program, where she also completed her postdoctoral fellowship. Prior to that, she received extensive training in LGBTQ+ and gender-affirming healthcare from various institutions, including NYU Child Study Center's Gender and Sexuality Service, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, and the Ackerman Institute's Gender and Family Project. Dr. Matouk's clinical work includes comprehensive evaluations for gender dysphoria, individual and group therapy with children, adolescents, and adults, as well as support for families and parents of gender expansive folx. She is dedicated to providing consultation and trainings related to gender-affirming care across other departments and clinics. Dr. Matouk believes that integrating various treatment approaches and shaping her clinical practice to fit with the needs of each individual is fundamental. She values the importance of exploring how past relationships and experiences, as well as family dynamics and cultural factors, influence and shape one’s understanding of themselves and others. In this way, psychotherapy can help one evolve and deepen their sense of identity and establish an integrated and genuine sense of self as they move forward. Dr. Matouk has also been invested in understanding the intersectionality between culture, religion, sexuality, and gender, particularly for the Middle Eastern and North African queer communities. She can provide psychological services and support to Arabic-speaking clients and their families.

Megan Mroczkowski, MD

Dr. Megan Mroczkowski is the Program Medical Director of the Pediatric Psychiatry Emergency Service at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital. She is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and an Attending Psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Mroczkowski completed residency training in General Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell Universities. She served as Chief Resident from 2012 to 2013. She completed fellowship training in Forensic Psychiatry at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Mroczkowski is Board Certified in Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry. She has served an expert witness in both Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry in Criminal Courts across the country. She has an interest in international mental health and has worked in South East Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. She was awarded the prestigious Barbara Ann Liskin Award in 2013.

Jared K. O’Garro-Moore, PhD

Jared K. O’Garro-Moore, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at CUIMC. Dr. O’Garro-Moore specializes in the treatment of adults with mood and anxiety disorders as well as personality disorders. Integrating his advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dr. O’Garro-Moore is able to tailor his treatment to fit each individual’s needs. He also serves as the Assistant Clinical Director of the Columbia Day Program, an intensive outpatient group psychotherapy program for adults struggling with a range of psychological issues. 

Dr. O’Garro-Moore completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This was followed by a Master’s degree and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Temple University. His predoctoral psychology internship was at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. There, he honed skills in the treatment of adults with trauma, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, as well as serious mental illnesses (Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, etc.). In graduate school, Dr. O’Garro-Moore’s research was focused on the process by which manic/hypomanic episodes initiate and remit; as well as the extent to which comorbid anxiety disorders effect the course of bipolar spectrum disorders. He has also been an author and co-author on several papers on the mechanisms that contribute to the onset of mood disorders, providing him with expertise in addressing issues related to depression and bipolar spectrum disorders.

Adriana Rego, MD

Dr. Rego is an assistant professor of psychiatry in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and adjunct assistant professor at New York University (NYU) Child Study Center (CSC). She completed her general psychiatry residency training at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She served as the inpatient chief resident in her fourth year and completed an administrative psychiatry fellowship/Senior chief year after that. She completed her child and adolescent specialization at the NYU CSC. While in the program she co-created an undergraduate course called  Sex Matters: Identity, Behavior and Development  for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies Minor at the College of Arts and Sciences at NYU which she continues to teach to this day. Dr. Rego is a graduate of the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute having trained in child, adolescent, and adult psychoanalysis. She previously worked at NYU’s Student Health Center. Her first role at Columbia/New York Presbyterian was in the child outpatient clinic, emergency room, consult services, and in the school based health center (SBHC) program for the department of pediatrics. Apart from her continued work in the SBHC she is also currently the medical director of the Columbia University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders in Westchester and Midtown as well as the medical director of the Anxiety Day Program.  She currently serves on the Department of Psychiatry’s Diversity and Inclusion Alliance (DIA) Committee.

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Student - April 17, 2024

An Opportunity to Take a Deep Dive Into the Field of Technology Management On Columbia’s Campus

• Technology Management

By Abhijit Rajkumar Patharkar, candidate for an M.S. in Technology Management

Every semester, the Columbia University School of Professional Studies M.S. in  Technology Management program hosts a four-day residency on Columbia’s New York City Morningside campus that gives students in the executive cohort the opportunity to come together, further relationships developed in the program, and take a deep dive into the field of technology management. For the Executive M.S. students who choose to take courses online, this residency offers opportunities for in-person interaction with faculty, insightful sessions and panels featuring industry leaders, and collaborative activities such as group discussions and debates that enrich the overall learning experience.

“Our residencies are a cornerstone of our program. It’s all about our community,” said Art Chang, associate program director. “Residencies build the social fabric of our student community and extend it to other important communities. They also help students envision their future selves, as represented by successful alumni and leading professionals who use technology innovation to advance business and society.”

Throughout the last residency, held in January, participants explored a comprehensive array of topics spanning strategic advocacy, leadership through storytelling, cybersecurity, product-market fit, artificial intelligence (AI), and data engineering. The experience ended with a session in which all executive students delivered pitches about their innovative business ideas to a distinguished panel of evaluators, including lecturers Stephano Kim, cofounder of Qonsent; Trace Wax, AI product and engineering trainer; and Dawn Barber, the program’s industry liaison.

The diverse curriculum provided a holistic perspective, equipping the participants with a multifaceted skill set essential for navigating the complexities of technology management. Each of the four days focused on one theme related to the ever-evolving field.

Day 1: Shaping Digital Leaders

Conrad Fernandes, a program lecturer who teaches Accounting & Finance, provided a refresher on course concepts. He urged students to delve into daily business news amidst the advancing tech landscape for a holistic understanding of the field. Art Chang talked about digital strategy and leadership, emphasizing the power of storytelling in leadership. He also explored the lean startup principles and stressed the importance of empathy. Alexis Wichowski, program director, challenged students with a simulated scenario, prompting 60-second elevator pitches evaluated by the faculty members. 

Day 2: Crafting Product Molecules

Janice Fraser, lecturer in the program, led the Executive Seminar 2, guiding students through "the product molecule." Hands-on work involved perfecting pitches on product market fit and a group critical thinking activity. Lecturer Amy Radin delved into strategic advocacy and navigating critical concepts, while Art Chang offered a tech introduction on infra origins, monoliths, distributed systems, N-tier architectures, and Open-Source.

Day 3: Unveiling Legacies and AI Insights

Lecturer Lauren Goodwin, Ph.D., explored the question "What's your legacy?" prompting students to share their aspirations. “AI does not replace our creativity,” said Goodwin. “It empowers it.” Focusing on machine learning (ML) and AI, she shared practical applications, including AI in construction, and talked about data engineering and cloud concepts, along with hosting a session on how to effectively choose a cloud ML platform.

Day 4: Business Ideas Take Center Stage

The final day featured students presenting their pitches  to a panel. The presentations on topics including finance, security, data engineering, marketing, and AI illustrated the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit within the Spring 2024 Executive Residency.

“In the swiftly evolving business landscape of the 21st century, visionary technology leadership stands at the forefront of innovation,” said student Michael Nicholas Colella. “Our residencies are a chance to unite some of the world’s most forward-thinking technology leaders and practitioners in the same room to ideate on how to turn challenges into triumph and help businesses thrive responsibly.”

About the Program

Columbia University's  Master of Science in Technology Management is designed to respond to the urgent need for strategic perspectives, critical thinking, and exceptional communication skills at all levels of the workplace and across all types of organizations.

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