Straight Talk From Recent Grads: Tips for Successfully Surviving Your Doctoral Program

Abstract

Pursuing a doctoral degree represents a major life change for students, is incredibly demanding, and the process is complex. Although surviving the PhD process is difficult, it can be done. The authors are both recent graduates of a social work doctoral program and have compiled a brief list of inter- and intra-personal tips that they believe greatly promoted their successful completion of the process and attainment of the degree. They hope these 10 simple strategies are helpful to students pursuing doctoral studies and to social work faculty who currently teach and advise graduate students to promote a successful journey through doctoral education.