Person-In-(Dual) Environment: Reflecting on the Dual MSW/PhD Program

Students encounter various obstacles in the process of earning a doctorate, and these obstacles are often voiced in the literature (Brown, 1999; Chan, 2003; Chauvin, Rodenhauser, Bowdish & Shenoi, 2000). Most of the literature on the doctoral student experience is focused on the process of transition- from student to professional, professional to student and even the common familial, financial (Cusworth, 2001) and social (Leatherman, 2000) stressors faced in the process. However, there is a lack of literature on the experience of doctoral students in dual degree programs (Chauvin et al., 2000; Michael & Balraj, 2003). The bulk of existing dual degree literature focuses on interdisciplinary programs, with emphasis on administrative challenges such as ownership (Michael & Balraj, 2003), degree recognition cross-nationally (Rauhvargers, Bergan & Davis, 2003), budgetary control and publication credit (Mangan, 2001) and less on challenges faced by the students participating in these programs. The challenges related to intra-disciplinary dual degrees, such as the MSW/PhD dual degree are unique and have not been fully explored in the literature (Michael & Balraj, 2003). Role conflict theory can demonstrate how an intra-disciplinary dual degree such as the MSW/ PhD generates unique challenges. In this article, stages created by these unique challenges and implications for social work doctoral education will be discussed.