Transformative Social Change, Ph.D.

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Department Overview

We live in a time of transformative social change. All over the world, people are working for a more sustainable environment, seeking social justice and democratic reform, and creating new economic models that work for the many and not just the few.  Many of these changes are powered by new communication technologies that are making a powerful impact, from spreading innovation to toppling repressive regimes.

But we also confront crises of environmental devastation, economic displacement, social injustice, war, terrorism, and personal stress that threaten the well-being of life on earth and (arguably) our survival. Many of these crises are inter-related and can best be addressed by those with a deep understanding of the connections among such concrete matters as wealth inequality, drawdown of our planet’s resources, toxification of our bodies and environments, and centralization of media in the hands of powerful interests.

This program subsumes a range of fields under a relatively new disciplinary area, Transformative Social Change. There is a growing acceptance and development of this field of research, academic study, and social action, from sources including the United Nations, major foundations, and other universities. The new degree program in Transformative Social Change will prepare students to respond to current social, cultural, and political challenges of our time in a unique way, as reflective scholar-practitioners, able to create transformative changes in society, guided by humanistic values. 

Distinctive Features

The TSC degree program is purposefully differentiated from a standard comprehensive nonprofit management training program orientation.  Specifically, the TSC program focuses on preparing graduates to possess the skills and capacities needed for particular types of nonprofit organizations, those with a program focus in advocacy for, human rights, community building, peace, the environment and social justice.  To enable graduates to be successful participants and leaders in those types of NGOs, we emphasize development of the skills and capacities for employment positions in the program, policy and outreach areas.

PhD Learning Outcomes

1. Design environments that reflect and support participatory, democratic, collaborative leadership skills.       

2. Formulate interventions that are congruent with ethics and values.           

3. Synthesize and design social system transformation strategies.      

4. Formulate and evaluate dialogues that are inclusive of global, multicultural, multi-generational social and environmental viewpoints.  

5. Appraise models of compassion and connectedness with the larger community.

Degree Program Requirements

Residential Orientation (RO)

All new students in the M.A. and Ph.D. in Transformative Social Change degree programs begin their studies with our one-time, two-day Residential Orientation. Residential Orientations are held two days ahead of the Residential Conference at the start of the fall and spring semesters in California. Attendance at the entire RO is an academic requirement.

Residential Conference (RC)

All students are also required to attend a 5-day residential conference held off-campus at the beginning of each semester. These residential conferences offer didactic/topical, research, and practice-oriented seminars, in-person sessions introducing each core course in the program, and group meetings of the program as a whole. The residential conferences also involve informal exchanges with other students and program faculty for mentoring and socialization to the field.

Residential Conference Requirement

Master students are required to attend until formal enrollment in either master thesis or project. Doctoral students attend until they have advanced to doctoral candidacy (upon satisfaction of essay orals).

Academic Credit for RO and RC

No academic credit is given for attendance at the Residential Orientation or Residential Conference. Students who attend a seminar at an RC and wish to study the topic further may, with the permission of the seminar instructor and the degree program director, register for an independent study course (ALL 8100) following the RC and receive 1 academic credit upon completion. Each course is individually designed and negotiated with the seminar instructor. Not all RC workshops, courses, and seminars are eligible for the follow-up independent study credit.

RC Approved Absence Policy

If a student must miss an RC due to extenuating circumstances that include, but are not limited to documented medical hardship or family emergency, attendance at an RC must be made up at a later date, even if that is beyond the point where the student would normally not be required to attend RCs. In such cases, the student needs to notify the degree program director prior to the missed conference for approval Refer to the Student Refund Policy for additional information.

Residential Conference Substitution Process

Prior to the Start of the Residential Conference

If students would like to substitute attendance at a professional conference for attendance at one of the RCs, they need to identify a faculty member who will sponsor them in this request. The conference must be at least five days, in accordance with Saybrook’s Residential Conference. Students must complete the “Authorization Request to Substitute for Residential Conference” form and submit it for approval no less than 30 days before the RC to be substituted.

After Attendance at the Substitution Conference

Following the conference, students must complete the “Confirmation of Attendance at Substitute Conference” form and send to their faculty sponsor. After review and approval, the faculty sponsor will then forward it to the degree program director, who will complete the recording process. Tangible documentation of attendance for the entire event is required, along with a copy of the completed Authorization Request signed by the supervising faculty member and any other required academic work or learning product required by the supervising faculty member.

Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer credits based on equivalent graduate courses taken at another regionally accredited institution in the same or similar discipline where the student received a grade of B or better may be transferred and will reduce the number of course credits required to be completed at Saybrook. Allowable transfer credits must be suitable for transfer to the intended degree as determined by the Registrar and the degree Program Director. Transfer course credits do not affect the minimum number of credits required for the degree.

Transfer credit to be applied toward required electives:

• MA Transformative Social Change - May include up to 3 transfer credits, completed during a graduate degree program from an accredited university, non-degree Saybrook Certificate credits, or other non-degree credits taken at Saybrook University, within the last five years.
• PhD Transformative Social Change - May include up to 12 transfer credits completed in the related discipline, 6 of these credits may be from cognate fields, non-degree Saybrook Certificate credits, Saybrook CE credits, or other non-degree credits taken at Saybrook University within the last five years

Ph.D. Research Requirement

The Ph.D. degree program in Transformative Social Change requires a sequence of research courses designed to develop research competencies in key areas. The sequence begins with Level 1 research courses: Information Competency and Library Use (RES 1006) in the first semester of enrollment, complemented by the Methods of Research and Disciplined Inquiry Part I and Part II courses (RES 1005 during first semester; RES 1015 during second semester or when RES 1005 is successfully completed). The initial sequence concludes with a Level 2 research methods course and the Research Practicum (RES 1100A/RES 1100B) in order to advance through the Candidacy process. These research courses must be taken consecutively:

• Successful completion of RES 1006 and RES 1005 are required before the student may register for RES 1015.
• Successful completion of RES 1015 is required before the student may register for the Level 2 research course.
• Successful completion of the Level 2 research course is required before the student may enroll in the Research Practicum and essays.

Though not required, it is strongly recommended that the Research Practicum provides preparatory experience with the method to be employed in the dissertation research. Students who have not taken an advanced research course in the methodological area they plan to utilize for their dissertation research may be required by their dissertation committee to complete an additional advanced research methods course. An alternative Level 2 research methods course not offered in the current course list may also qualify if taken as an independent study with an available, qualified faculty member and a mutually agreed upon learning contract, pre-approved by the Director of Research, as well as the degree Program Director.

The remainder of the doctoral research sequence includes Qualifying Essay 1: Methodology Critique Essay (RES 9010), Qualifying Essays 2 and 3: Literature Review Essays (RES 9020 and RES 9030), successful advancement to Candidacy, completion and defense of the dissertation proposal, and completion and defense of the dissertation.