Successfully completing a doctoral program isn’t just about taking classes and writing a dissertation.

It’s about a larger shift in identity, a metamorphosis from student to independent scholar. Facilitating that shift is the goal of a robust professional development series Associate Professor Michael Hurlburt leads, as new director of the PhD program at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

“To me, doctoral studies are as much a personal and emotional transformation as they are an intellectual transformation,” he said. “You need to look at yourself differently. That takes a long time.”

To spur that transition, he is holding monthly gatherings with all PhD students at the school focused on professional and career development. Topics range from how to approach job interviews and negotiating the tenure process to competing for fellowships and grants.

However, the overarching goal is to send a strong message that as early as possible, students should view themselves as colleagues, contributors, and valuable members of academic and research teams, not primarily as students in a training program.

“They are going to be the next round of early career faculty and intellectual leaders. Although they don’t have all the skills yet, they soon will,” Hurlburt said. “They need to be prepared and thinking about how to wield them and what it means to be part of a collaborative environment where they take on intellectual leadership.”

Hadass Moore concurs with that mindset. The third-year doctoral student has found herself grappling with existential challenges such as defining her role as a scholar and determining how she can contribute to social work knowledge and theory.

The big picture

Although she has appreciated guidance from faculty members on specialized topics like creating an effective curriculum vitae, Moore said the professional development series also offers a forum to tackle those broader issues.

“It’s not just about the products,” she said. “It’s more than that. It’s really a discussion of how you portray yourself, what kind of things you want to communicate. Who am I? What am I doing in this world?”

The mandatory monthly meetings take the form of panel discussions, with several faculty members and current doctoral students offering opening remarks on the topic of the day, followed by a free-flowing exchange among attendees.

In addition to the bulk of each session dedicated to questions and answers, the gatherings are purposefully scheduled after an open forum lunch with Hurlburt during which PhD students can bring up any issue. Hurlburt said this approach encourages interaction and engagement.

“It’s an invitation for them to enter the dialogue,” he said. “I want our doctoral student colleagues to know that they are more than recipients of the doctoral program, but also contributors to what it takes for the program to run effectively.”

Specific topics during the fall semester included selecting publication outlets for research manuscripts, developing a teaching philosophy and pursuing a productive research career. Moore said guidance and advice on those topics has proved invaluable and made her more feel more equipped to pursue a tenure-track faculty position.

“The program makes us competent to be in a research position,” she said, adding later, “The tools I am receiving and ways of thinking are universal, and I can and will use them in my work.”

Foundations of success

Another subject that has proven popular is grant writing. In addition to hosting a session on identifying and competing for fellowships and grants, the program recently began offering a grant writing class. Students are strongly encouraged to pursue funding to support their dissertation research, and they receive substantial support from the faculty and others throughout the process.

That approach has paid off in recent years. Four PhD students secured grants and fellowships from federal sources last year. In the past few months, at least three more doctoral students learned that their applications had been approved.

Andrea Kennedy netted a one-year Social Work HEALS Fellowship from the National Association of Social Workers; Carolina Villamil secured a training grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse as a supplement to a project led by Associate Professor Alice Cepeda; and Amanda Yoshioka-Maxwell received the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health.

“This is a huge priority for me,” Hurlburt said of grant writing. “You need to transition from a place where you are a student who feels uncertain about these things to where you are an early career faculty member with confidence in your ability to apply for and get grants.”

“It’s extremely important to discuss these scholarship and grant funding opportunities,” echoed Taylor Harris, a third-year PhD student. “It can feel like a very dark and unknown place to go. It’s important to start building that knowledge very early.”

She encouraged her peers to take the grant writing course during the spring semester of their second year in the program, as they start to plan their dissertation. Harris began crafting her proposal for a predoctoral fellowship during her second year and will have plenty of time to refine and adjust her application materials before the submission deadline in her third year.

If her proposal is accepted and funded, she is confident that having secured federal funding as a doctoral student will give her an edge as she enters the job market in a few years.

“In any university with a strong emphasis on research, it’s definitely something they value,” Harris said of grant writing success.

Building a pipeline

In addition to the PhD professional development series, the school is emphasizing research and career development in its master’s program, including a recent seminar for MSW students interested in pursuing a doctorate. Hosted by the Phi Alpha Honor Society, the event featured a panel discussion with faculty members regarding expectations for incoming doctoral students and how to prepare a successful application to a PhD program.

First-year MSW student Stella Cuomo is planning to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology, but wasn’t sure if that was a good idea or even possible after she earns her master’s degree in social work. She received advice and encouragement from Hurlburt, who has a PhD in developmental psychology.

“He answered my questions about what you really need to do in a master’s program, whether it’s social work or psychology, to get into a PhD program,” she said.

Cuomo wants to conduct research on eating disorders and is also interested in social stressors in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. She said the seminar highlighted the importance of finding opportunities to participate in research at the master’s level.

“Research is an invaluable experience, and you really need that to connect to professors,” she said. “Going to that doctoral panel made me that much more confident going forward with research.”

As research liaison to Phi Alpha, Siying “Shelley” Wang is heartened by that feedback. The second-year MSW student is encouraging her peers to get involved in research, regardless of their future plans.

“It’s not just for people interested in doing research and entering the academic world,” she said. “It can also help their clinical practice.”

Phi Alpha is planning an event to highlight research opportunities for MSW students and is continuing its annual research symposium, during which students can present their work. Students can also apply for up to $500 in funding from the honor society to support their involvement in research at the school, including travel costs to present their findings at conferences.

“There is tons of research going on, not only in social work but also at other schools,” Wang said. “Many faculty members need help. Having some research experience can really put you ahead of other candidates, especially if you have some publications and presentation experiences. That will help you stand out from the crowd.”

As these types of professional development efforts continue at the school, whether at the PhD or MSW level, Hurlburt said he will encourage an atmosphere of transparency and clarity, drawing parallels to how parents should prepare a teenager for college and a more independent lifestyle.

“You can either have the conversation, so they are prepared and know how to handle their budget and cook for themselves, or you can do all of their laundry and cook for them and handle their problems,” Hurlburt said. “The better answer is to help them have full awareness of what the next phase will look like and experiences that enable them to be independent and successful.”