PhD Student Resource Portal

University of Denver Resources:

Here are some common resources for the PhD program. If you don't find a resource listed here, search on DU's primary website.

• Anderson Academic Commons (DU Libraries)
• DU Libraries Research Guides
• DU Campus Safety
• Disability Services
• DU Bookstore
• Emergency Financial Support
• Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX
• Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Veteran Services
• DU Research Integrity and Education

Health & Wellness Resources

• CAPE (Center for Advocacy, Prevention, Empowerment): Supporting survivors of sexual violence and promoting healthy relationships.

• Off campus and community resources

• Overview of DU resources

• Health & Counseling Center Group Therapy & Workshops

  • Health & Counseling Fee: Information for both new graduate students and returning graduate students

  • Health & Counseling Center Fees Chart

• Locate community providers within the new student insurance Anthem BC/BS network

• SOS (Student Outreach and Support): Helps students succeed by connecting them to resources, developing a plan of action to meet their goals, and navigating challenging situations. Staff, faculty and students can submit a referral or reach out directly for connection.
• If you or someone you know needs help in dealing with a suicidal crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• Leave of Absence: At certain times in graduate school, a student may need to take a pause in their program. You will find information on personal and medical leave options at the following links:
  • Personal Leave of Absence Policy 
  • Medical Leave of Absence and Reentry Policy.
  • GSSW Leave of Absence Guide

Committed to supporting all eligible [campus-based] students, the DU Health & Counseling Center (HCC) offers a range of confidential individual, couples and group mental services, including Same Day urgent appointments, tele-connections, and online resources. Call 303.871.2205 for support.

Student Technology Essentials

• 

  MyDU

  Check your MyDU portal for important documents, registration info and other student essentials.

  MyDU

• 

  Canvas

  Access our online learning-management system to find syllabi, assignments, deadlines and more.

  Canvas

• 

  Office 365

  Access your email account, Microsoft Word, OneDrive and other resources that can help you complete your schoolwork.

  Office 365

• 

  Zoom

  Host or attend virtual meetings or classes.

  Zoom

PhD Program Handbooks

• GSSW PhD 2024/2025 Handbook
• GSSW PhD 2023/2024 Handbook
• GSSW PhD 2020/2021 Handbook
• GSSW PhD 2019/2020 Handbook

PhD Program Benchmarks

PhD Programmatic Milestones

The Graduate School of Social Work expects students in the Ph.D. Program to make consistent progress toward completion of their degree. As such programmatic milestones have been established and eligibility for certain types of financial support is tied to completion of programmatic milestones.

• Year One

  At the end of the first year of the Ph.D. Program, students are expected to have: 
  a) Successfully completed approximately one-half of the course credits required for completion of their degree; 
  a) Received feedback from faculty supervisor of satisfactory work as GSSW Pre-Doctoral Fellowship(s), Graduate Teaching Assistantship(s), or Graduate Research Assistantship(s) (if awarded) as indicated on Student Development Plan; and the departmental annual review; and,
  a) Developed and received approval for their Educational Plan; 
  a) Successfully passed the Research Methods and Statistics qualifying examination; and, 
  a) Selected a permanent academic advisor.

• Year Two

  At the end of the second year of the Ph.D. Program, students are expected to have:
  a) Successfully completed all required course credits required for completion of their degree (75 credits beyond the MSW or 90 hours beyond their non-MSW master’s degree and no incompletes);
  b) Received feedback from faculty supervisor of satisfactory work as GSSW Pre-Doctoral Fellowship(s), Graduate Teaching Assistantship(s), or Graduate Research Assistantship(s) (if awarded) as indicated on Student Development Plan; and,
  c) Updated and finalized their Educational Plan
  d) Successfully completed and received approval on their comprehensive exam proposal by August 15th

• Year Three

  At the end of the third year of the Ph.D. Program, students are expected to have: 
  a) Successfully passed their comprehensive exam*; 
  b) Been moved to final candidacy; 
  c) Received feedback from faculty supervisor of satisfactory work as GSSW Pre-Doctoral Fellowship(s), Graduate Teaching Assistantship(s), or Graduate Research Assistantship(s) (if awarded) as indicated on Student Development Plan; and, 
  c) Completed and received approval for their dissertation proposal. 
  GSSW Doctoral Assistantships will not be awarded to students who have not completed their year three programmatic milestones by the end of the third academic year (see section on GSSW Doctoral Assistantships below).

• Year Four

  Students are expected to have successfully passed their comprehensive exam by the end of their fourth year in the program. Failure to have done so will result in termination from the program.

Annual Review Process

• Annual Review Process

  Each year that a student is enrolled in coursework, they will be required to participate in an annual review process; in addition, those who are serving in GRA roles in the 3rd and 4th years may be asked to complete an annual review at the discretion of the Associate Dean and/or at the request of the student or their advisor. Further details are available in the PhD Handbook.

• Comprehensive Exam

  The Comprehensive Exam is a written and oral exam designed to evaluate the student's work at DU. The purpose of the exam is to provide a means by which the student demonstrates capacities for independent and systematic scholarship in keeping with the educational objectives of the PhD program at GSSW.

  • Comprehensive Exam Proposal Approval Form
  • Comprehensive Exam Flowchart - overview of steps to take for Comprehensive Exam Proposal, Comprehensive Exam; contains links to forms you'll need
  • Comprehensive Paper Oral Examination Form
  • Rubric for Comprehensive Exam
• Dissertation

  The dissertation requirement is designed to afford students an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to 1) do competent research in social work, 2) organize materials logically, write clearly, and make sound interpretations and conclusions from the facts presented, and 3) make a contribution to the field.

  • Approval of Dissertation Proposal Form
  • Approval of Final Draft of Dissertation Form
  • Dissertation Flowchart - overview of steps to take for Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation; contains links to forms you'll need
  • Office of Graduate Education Dissertation Information
  • Thesis/Dissertation Oral Defense Committee Recommendation Form

PhD Registration Toolkit

GSSW Office of the Registrar Information: This page provides a general overview of important registration resources, including policies, procedures, handbooks, academic bulletins, forms, and calendars. You’ll also find information related to billing and tuition, student records, leaves of absence, withdrawals, and enrollment verification

The following information prepares you for registration each quarter. You will find a preparation checklist, registration dates, class schedules, troubleshooting guidance, frequently asked questions, and much more.

Three tools are needed to ensure a smooth registration period:

• PhD Registration Toolkit information below
• Academic Calendars
• Advising information-- coming soon!

Quick Links:

• GSSW Registration Frequently Asked Questions
• Common Registration Holds and How to Clear
• Registrar Course Plan Video: How to use the Plan Ahead feature in MyDU and then register. 

 

✅ Registration Checklist. Two weeks before registration, you need to start preparing. Follow the checklist below:

• 

  Check Your Student Profile for Registration Holds

  • Log into MyDU with your DU ID (87#) and password
  • Select “My Student Profile” under Academic Profile Widget
  • Select the correct registration quarter from the "Term" drop-down menu above your profile photo
  • Click "Holds" on the top right
  • Direct questions or concerns to the department that placed the hold. View common registration holds and how to clear.
• 

  Confirm Your Registration Day and Time

  • Log into MyDU with your DU ID (87#) and password
  • Select “My Student Profile” under Academic Profile Widget
  • Select the correct registration quarter from the "Term" drop-down menu above your profile photo
  • Click “Registration Notices” at top right of screen and review your registration day and time under "Time Tickets"

  If you do not see a time ticket, reach out to GSSWregistrar@du.edu with your name and ID number. We will ensure you get a time ticket. 

• 

  Plan Your Classes and Connect with an Advisor

  Coming Soon!

• Fall Quarter 2025 Registration

  Registration begins: Monday, May 12, 2025. 

  📅 Course Schedules for Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 now available!

  Great news! Course offerings for the entire 2025–2026 academic year (Fall, Winter, Spring) are now available in the Schedule of Classes and the Plan Ahead registration tool*

  • Meeting times and instructors may still change, but section-level info is accurate.
  • The traditional registration timeline remains unchanged.
  • The most up-to-date schedules are found in MyDU.

   

  The following is a list of the SOWK classes you can find in your MyDU for Fall Quarter 2025: 

  

   

  *Registrar Course Plan Video: How to use the Plan Ahead feature in MyDU and then register. 

• Winter Quarter 2026 Registration

  Registration Begins: Monday, October 20, 2025

   

  📅 Course Schedules for Winter 2026 – Spring 2026

  Great news! Course offerings for the entire 2025–2026 academic year (Fall, Winter, Spring) are now available in the Schedule of Classes and the Plan Ahead registration tool.

  • Meeting times and instructors may still change, but section-level info is accurate.
  • The traditional registration timeline remains unchanged.
  • The most up-to-date schedules are found in MyDU.

   

  The following is a list of your SOWK classes you can find in your MyDU for Winter Quarter 2026: Coming Soon!

• Spring Quarter 2026 Registration

  Registration Begins: Monday, February 16, 2026

   

  📅 Course Schedules for Spring 2026

  • Meeting times and instructors may still change, but section-level info is accurate.
  • The traditional registration timeline remains unchanged.
  • The most up-to-date schedules are found in MyDU.

   

  The following is a list of your SOWK classes you can find in your MyDU for Spring Quarter 2026: Coming Soon!

• Common PhD Registration Froms

  Add/Drop Form

  Continuous Enrollment (CE) Approval Form

  Directed Study Request Form 

  Grade Replacement Application  

  Incomplete Grade Application  

  Independent Study Request Form (PhD)

  Name Change Form

  Substitution Waiver Approval Form (PhD)

  Teaching Practicum Form

  Transfer Credit Form

Resources

• Job Market
  • Academic Job Market Process
  • Non-Academic Job Market Process
  • Join the GSSW Job Seeker Team: GSSW Job Seekers-g | General | Microsoft Teams

   

  Sample Documents

  • PhD Combination Resume Example
  • PhD Resume Guide
  • Sliva Infographic Example
  • Sliva Teaching Statement Example

   

  DU Specific Job Market Resources

  • University of Denver | Big Interview
  • Career Closet – Students can get interview attire for free
    • Located at the Burwell Center for Career Achievement
  • Non-academic positions are posted on the DU Career Platform, PCO
  • Students can create a profile on the DU Networking website, Crimson Constellation

   

  Helpful Articles and Documents

  • Writing a Good Letter - The Chronicle of Higher Ed
  • Writing a Job Letter - parezco y digo
  • Beyond the One-Page Cover Letter - The Chronicle
  • Curriculum Vitae Template - PhD Faculty Positions
  • Converting your CV to a Resume in 5 Easy Steps
  • Common Academic Interview Questions
  • Questions to ask schools during interviews
  • Surviving the Job Market

   

  Academic Job Boards

  • GADE Job Board
  • CSWE Job Board
  • Chronicle Careers Job Board