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Application Requirements

MSW Program Options TWO-YEAR (On-Campus and Online) The Two-Year Program consists of two academic years (four semesters) of full-time enrollment. Students in the Two-Year Program complete 60 credits and 1,200 hours of practicum learning, spending two days per week in the classroom and three days per week in a practicum placement. In the generalist year, students take foundational courses in social work practice methods, social work research, and psychological and social theory. In the specialized year, students select an area of specialization and field of practice for specialized courses and practicum. Students complete practicum hours during both years of the program. Throughout this program, students choose from a broad range of elective courses to best develop additional expertise in areas such as: family or group interventions, treatment of children, adolescents and young adults, responding to trauma, working with veterans and their families, and nonprofit management. Students leave the program fully prepared for entry into advanced social work practice in their area of choice. 16-MONTH (On-Campus Only) The full-time 16-Month Program starts in the spring term (January) and is not available for fall entry. Students in the 16-Month Program complete the MSW degree requirements in four consecutive terms by continuing full-time through the summer term. Requirements mirror those of the Two-Year Program: 60 credits and 1,200 hours of practicum learning, completed over four consecutive terms of full-time enrollment. ADVANCED STANDING (On-Campus and Online) The Advanced Standing Program is designed for individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Eligible applicants must have received their BSW degree within the past five years; if the BSW was earned more than five years ago, the applicant must apply for another MSW program option. Advanced Standing students complete their specialized year at Columbia School of Social Work and earn their MSW in one academic year. The program begins with a summer intensive that prepares incoming students to enter CSSW in the fall as specialized year students with advanced courses and specialized practicum. PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME (EXTENDED) (On-Campus and Online) The Part-Time to Full-Time (Extended) Program is a pathway for students who wish to combine part-time and full-time study. The program enables students to complete the coursework and practicum learning requirements in three or four academic years. In the first year, students take courses part-time and are not enrolled in practicum. In the final two years, students complete 1,200 hours of practicum while completing their courseload requirements.

NOTE: Once students begin practicum learning, they are considered full-time students, and must be at their placement site three days per week (21 hours total). Weekend and evening placements are not available. PART-TIME (Online Only) In this pathway, students complete the same amount of coursework and practicum as the Two-Year pathway: 60 credits of coursework and 1,200 hours of practicum. The difference is that they complete fewer credits per term and fewer practicum hours per week, allowing for more time to fulfill the degree requirements. ONE-YEAR RESIDENCY FOR WORKING PROFESSIONALS (REDUCED RESIDENCY) (On-Campus and Online) The One-Year Residency for Working Professionals (Reduced Residency) Program offers students who are currently employed in social services or nonprofit agencies the opportunity to earn the M.S. degree while counting a portion of their employment toward the practicum learning requirement. Students in this program fulfill the same 60-credit degree requirement as other students enrolled in the School, and complete their degree through a combination of part-time and full-time study over a period of no fewer than four terms and no longer than four years. To be eligible for the OYR program, you must have completed two years of full-time, or four years of part-time, direct practice professional experience at the time of application. You must also be able to complete the residency requirement outlined below within your agency. The OYR program is structured into two periods: the pre-residency period (usually two years of part-time enrollment while continuing to work full-time at a social services organization), and the residency period (a year of full-time enrollment). In place of their generalist year practicum learning placement, students enroll in a practicum learning seminar in which they integrate classroom learning with their employment experiences. In their residency year, students complete a 28-hour per week practicum placement at their place of employment, of which 14 hours of their usual employment activities may be counted. The student must also be able to complete 14 separate hours on assignments outside of current work responsibilities with a different supervisor (Practicum Instructor) who has an MSW and is, or will be, SIFI certified (or its equivalent). NOTE: If you are working at an agency that has hosted a Columbia student within the last three years for a practicum learning placement, you may be eligible for a tuition discount. TRANSFER (On-Campus and Online) The Transfer Program is designed for individuals who have already successfully completed a full year (approximately 30 credits) of practicum learning and coursework at another CSWE-accredited graduate school of social work in the United States or Canada. Eligible applicants to the Transfer Program must have completed their credits within the past five years, and these credits and practicum must be equivalent to those offered in the generalist year at CSSW . Students who are accepted into the Transfer Program complete their studies within one year. Students enter the School as a specialized year student and follow the specialized year course of study in their specialization area and field of practice. FIVE-TERM INTERNATIONAL (On-Campus Only) The International Students Program is the pathway for international students who are unfamiliar with the U.S. social welfare system and who speak English as an additional language. The program requires five terms of enrollment; the “extra” term is in the summer between the first and second years. Students enroll in a Professional Immersion Seminar during the first (fall) term and begin practicum and the corresponding practice courses in the subsequent spring term. Students continue with their practicum learning placement and courses during the summer term (late May through the end of July or early August).  

General Application Requirements Applicants must submit all materials directly to the Office of Admissions; items submitted through an agent or third-party vendor are not accepted. The following are exceptions to this policy: submissions by the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program and its three partner agencies (IIE, LASPAU, and AMIDEAST); submissions by the Danish-American Fulbright Commission (DAF); submissions by Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). Additionally, the applicant will be required to attest to the accuracy and authenticity of all information and documents submitted to Columbia. Questions about this requirement may be directed to the Office of Admissions at [email protected] . CSSW requires that the work contained in your application (including essays) is completely accurate and exclusively your own. CSSW permits the use of generative AI tools for idea generation and/or to edit a candidate’s work; however, using these tools to generate complete responses violates the Student Code of Conduct . Failure to submit complete, accurate, and authentic application documents consistent with these instructions may result in denial or revocation of admission, cancellation of academic credit, suspension, expulsion, or eventual revocation of degree. Applicants may be required to assist admissions staff and faculty involved in admission reviews in the verification of all documents and statements made in documents submitted by students as part of the application review process. All applicants to the Master of Science in Social Work program are required to submit the following: Application Fee The $75 application fee is required upon submission of the application. Application fee waivers are granted to alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach for America, McNair Scholars, Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), and Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), and to veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Fee waivers are also granted to applicants who are experiencing financial hardship. To request an application fee waiver, applicants should submit their request via the  Application Fee Waiver Request Form after creating an online application . Applicants must be prepared to submit an official document confirming participation in the appropriate program. The fee waiver must be requested prior to submitting the application and application fee. Applicants should not submit an application fee if they fall into one of these categories. All submitted fees are non-refundable. Please submit the application fee waiver request at least a week or two prior to the application deadline to allow for sufficient processing time. Resume and Professional Experience Submit a detailed current resume that lists paid work and volunteer experience separately, starting with the current or most recent position. Resumes should indicate whether each experience was full-time or part-time, paid or unpaid, and the nature of the client population served, if applicable. Part-time experience should also indicate the weekly hours worked. Be sure to use month/year to indicate the beginning and end dates for all activities included. The resume may be longer than one page. The resume should include:

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Pamela Paul

What Is Happening at the Columbia School of Social Work?

By Pamela Paul

Opinion Columnist

During orientation at the Columbia School of Social Work at Columbia University, the country’s oldest graduate program for aspiring social workers, students are given a glossary with “100+ common terms you may see or hear used in class, during discussions and at your field placements.”

Among the A’s: “agent and target of oppression” (“members of the dominant social groups privileged by birth or acquisition, who consciously or unconsciously abuse power against the members or targets of oppressed groups”) and “Ashkenormativity” (“a system of oppression that favors white Jewish folx, based on the assumption that all Jewish folx are Ashkenazi, or from Western Europe”).

The C’s define “capitalism” as “a system of economic oppression based on class, private property, competition and individual profit. See also: carceral system, class, inequality, racism.” “Colonization” is “a system of oppression based on invasion and control that results in institutionalized inequality between the colonizer and the colonized. See also: Eurocentric, genocide, Indigeneity, oppression.”

These aren’t the definitions you’d find in Webster’s dictionary, and until recently they would not have been much help in getting a master’s in social work at an Ivy League university. They reflect a shift not just at Columbia but in the field of social work, in which the social justice framework that has pervaded much of academia has affected the approach of top schools and the practice of social work itself.

Will radicalized social workers be providing service not just based on the needs of their clients but also to advance their political beliefs and assess clients based on their race or ethnicity?

When a student group, Columbia Social Workers 4 Palestine, announced a teach-in about “the significance of the Palestinian counteroffensive on Oct. 7 and the centrality of revolutionary violence to anti-imperialism,” Mijal Bitton, a Jewish spiritual leader, asked on X , “Imagine receiving services from a Columbia-educated social worker who believes burning families, killing babies, and gang-raping women is a ‘counteroffensive’ and ‘revolutionary violence [central] to anti-imperialism.’” Administrators barred the event from the school, but organizers held it in the lobby on Wednesday. Ariana Pinsker-Lehrer, a first-year student, set the protesters straight . “You’re studying to be social workers,” she told the group, “do better.”

Since the time of the pioneering activist and reformer Jane Addams, social work has been guided by a sense of mission. Social workers, who are the most common providers of mental health care, as well as the people who carry out social service programs, help the country’s neediest people. Whether social workers are caseworkers in government agencies or — as is the case with most Columbia graduates, I was told — therapists or counselors in private practice, their clients are often the elderly, the poor, veterans, homeless people, people with substance abuse issues and domestic violence survivors.

According to the National Association of Social Workers, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.”

Other leading schools, like the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice at the University of Chicago and the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan, have embraced social justice goals but without as sharp an ideological expression as Columbia.

The Columbia School of Social Work updated its mission statement in 2022 to say that its purpose is “to interrogate racism and other systems of oppression standing in the way of social equity and justice and to foster social work education, practice and research that strengthen and expand the opportunities, resources and capabilities of all persons to achieve their full potential and well-being.” What was once its central mission — to enhance the world of social work — now follows an emphatic political statement.

Melissa Begg, the dean of the Columbia School of Social Work, said that while the school’s mission has always been about social justice and “equitable access,” its mission has evolved because “racism is part of the country.” The school, she explained, is trying to build an awareness of and give students the tools they need to address a diverse range of needs. As she put it, “If you think of slavery as the original sin of the United States, it makes sense to center that reality as part of the school’s mission.”

In 2017 the Columbia social work school introduced a framework around power, race, oppression and privilege, which the school called PROP. This began as a formal course for all first-year students to create what Begg referred to as “self-awareness.” In subsequent years, the PROP framework was applied to the entire curriculum of the school, and the PROP class became a required course called Foundations of Social Work Practice: Decolonizing Social Work.

According to the course’s current syllabus, work “will be centered on an anti-Black racism framework” and “will also involve examinations of the intersectionality of issues concerning L.B.G.T.Q.I.A.+ rights, Indigenous people/First Nations people and land rights, Latinx representation, xenophobia, Islamophobia, undocumented immigrants, Japanese internment camps, indigent white communities (Appalachia) and antisemitism with particular attention given to the influence of anti-Black racism on all previously mentioned systems.”

As part of their coursework, students are required to give a presentation in which they share part of their “personal process of understanding anti-Black racism, intersectionality and uprooting systems of oppression.” They are asked to explain their presentation “as it relates to decolonizing social work, healing, critical self-awareness and self-reflection.” Teachings include “The Enduring, Invisible and Ubiquitous Centrality of Whiteness,” “Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People” and “What It Means to Be a Revolutionary,” a 1972 speech by Angela Davis.

This decolonization framework, in which people are either oppressor or oppressed, often viewed through the prism of American ideas around race, is by no means exclusive to the Columbia School of Social Work. But its application in the program illustrates the effects of the current radicalism on campus and the ways in which those ideals can shift an entire field of practice .

Addressing race should be an important part of a social worker’s education, as it is in many social sciences. The history and practice of psychotherapy, related to social work, was long infected with insidious and harmful ideas around race , which were often tightly bound to the eugenics movement and characterized African Americans and other minorities as mentally deficient and childlike; current practitioners are by no means immune to racism themselves.

Caregivers need to be sensitive to the effects of racism and other biases on their clients’ health and well-being. But professional organizations have become much more dogmatic about those concerns in ways that endanger the effectiveness of social work.

The National Association of Social Workers now stipulates that “antiracism and other facets of diversity, equity and inclusion must be a focal point for everyone within social work.” In October, Thema S. Bryant, the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association, published a column titled “ Psychologists Must Embrace Decolonial Psychology .” In it she wrote, “Decolonial psychology asks us to consider not just the life history of the individual we are working with but also the history of the various collective groups they are a part of, whether that is their nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion or disability.” The profession, she explained, needed to include a range of goals, from appreciating “Indigenous science” to shaping “systems and institutions” in addition to individuals and families.

Psychotherapy already carries a certain amount of political or ideological bias. A number of recent surveys have shown that mental health practitioners, including social workers, tend to be overwhelmingly liberal, progressive or socialist, according to a new book, “ Ideological and Political Bias in Psychology ,” edited by Craig L. Frisby, Richard E. Redding, William T. O’Donohue and Scott O. Lilienfeld.

“Until roughly five years ago, people seeking mental health care could expect their therapists to keep politics out of the office,” Sally Satel, a practicing psychotherapist and the author of “PC, M.D.: How Political Correctness Is Corrupting Medicine,” wrote in 2021 . “Mental health professionals — mainly counselors and therapists — are increasingly replacing evidence-driven therapeutics with ideologically motivated practice and activism.”

“White patients, for instance, are told that their distress stems from their subjugation of others,” Satel wrote, “while Black and minority patients are told that their problems stem from being oppressed.”

Take counseling, which is similar to social work in its focus on mental health but ostensibly focuses more on individual therapy and less on navigating support systems , for example, obtaining assistance from public agencies. The code of ethics adopted by the American Counseling Association in 2014 states that “counselors are aware of — and avoid imposing — their own values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Counselors respect the diversity of clients, trainees and research participants and seek training in areas in which they are at risk of imposing their values onto clients, especially when the counselor’s values are inconsistent with the client’s goals or are discriminatory in nature.” But the next year, the association’s governing council endorsed guidelines on “ multicultural and social justice counseling ” that stipulate “social justice advocacy” and divide clients and providers into “privileged” and “marginalized” categories meant to guide professional engagement.

Therapists are supposed to be able to listen and not be judgmental about feelings and ideas that are taboo, Andrew Hartz, a New York-based psychologist, told me. It’s not helpful for patients to feel judged by their practitioner: “Even if the goal is to make the patient less racist, it’s not effective.”

This past summer, Hartz founded the Open Therapy Institute to provide training without ideology so neither clients nor therapists would feel judged for their beliefs. “I was trained in the city and in city hospitals, so I saw mostly nonwhite patients,” he said. If he had used the current decolonization framework or categorized his patients by ethnicity and race, he explained, it would have distracted him from being an effective resource. “I’m trying to think about ‘What are they feeling and how can I help them?’ Not ‘I’m an oppressor, and they’re a victim,’ and so I’m walking on eggshells. That’s not going to be good therapy.”

Social workers help a broad range of populations, one in which race and systems of oppression often play less of a central role than individual counseling and support in navigating complicated social service systems — Syrian refugees in need of resettlement and Appalachian residents navigating health care insurance, foster children, survivors of domestic violence, teenagers grappling with substance abuse and poverty. They work with military veterans, victims of natural disasters, police officers suffering from workplace stress and the elderly. The job requires long hours dealing with populations that others have largely written off — the homeless, the formerly incarcerated, the infirm.

Like many helping professions — nursing, elder care, teaching — social work is not only one of the noblest vocations; it’s also one of the least remunerative. While the two-year residential program at the Columbia School of Social Work costs an estimated total of $91,748 a year with room and board, the median annual salary for its 2021 graduates, per a 2022 survey, was $62,000 . (The school does not provide full information on how many students receive financial aid.)

Many students go to social work school because it’s often a less expensive route to becoming a psychotherapist in private practice, which many do as a licensed clinical social worker. It’s less expensive and faster than getting a doctorate in psychology or psychiatry. It’s also hard to pay off those student loans working in a governmental agency. More students are entering private practice, Begg acknowledged, as did everyone else associated with the school; several characterized it as an overwhelming majority.

The intention of the current curriculum at the Columbia School of Social Work, Begg emphasized to me, is to prepare social workers for hard work, not to shut out prospective students with any kind of ideological litmus test. The glossary of terms handed out at orientation, she said, was created by students for students and was not a “public-facing document.” She wanted to “make a clear bright line between our curriculum and our glossary.”

It’s supposed to be used “internally by our community within the context of a conversation” and as a “jumping-off point for conversation” for students to “expand their horizons.”

That noble intention may not be matched in practice.

Social work education has always been tied to social justice, said Amy Werman, who graduated from the Columbia School of Social Work in 1982 and has been teaching clinical and research courses there since 2009, full time since 2015.

But in the past few years, she said, the student body has become more radical. “Many students see themselves as social justice warriors, and protesting is the litmus test of being a real social worker,” she told me. She said she couldn’t remember a single protest at the school when she was a student. “Now,” she said, “I feel it’s a rite of passage.”

On Nov. 8, about a month after Hamas slaughtered about 1,200 people in Israel, dozens of students occupied the school’s lobby, banging on drums and yelling “Intifada! Intifada!” from 10:30 a.m. until early evening. Several Jewish students told Werman they didn’t feel safe. Students I spoke with said they thought that the blatantly political slant of the PROP curriculum encouraged the radical tenor of recent student activism.

“I lead with my Jewish identity and my identity as a woman, my subjugated identities,” said Werman, who discusses in orientation and in class her experience in Israel providing social services to Bedouins, Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews, even after students have complained about her discussion of Israel in their evaluations of her.

“When Jews speak up in our school,” she said, “they are met with, ‘You have white privilege, so shut up. You are a colonizer. You are an oppressor. You are responsible for the deaths of innocent Palestinians.’”

When Asaf Eyal, a 2017 graduate of the school and now the director of a major New York City human services organization, arrived on campus, he said, he was bombarded immediately with messages from both the curriculum and from fellow students about his privilege as a white colonizer.

During the school’s required class in power, race, oppression and privilege (an earlier rendition of the course on decolonizing social work), Eyal, a former combat soldier from Israel, was shown videos of Israeli soldiers in which they were labeled the oppressor. In classroom lessons, the oppressed, he said, were always Black people. “Do you know there are Black Israelis, Black Jews?” Eyal, who had worked with Ethiopian Jews, asked his classmates.

“The school is infected with a political agenda that should not be in place, especially on Day 1,” Eyal told me.

Now, he said, he questions the education he got there. “I don’t come into my shelter every day and think about who is the oppressed,” he told me. “I think about helping people.” In October, after four years volunteering on behalf of the school, Eyal resigned from his role overseeing fieldwork assignments.

“Is this a school of social work or an indoctrination agency for extreme ideology?” Eyal said. “We’re missing the purpose. It’s not our purpose.”

Source images by 5second and Image Source/Getty Images

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Pamela Paul is an Opinion columnist at The Times, writing about culture, politics, ideas and the way we live now.

Columbia University

School of social work.

Since its inception in 1950, the doctoral program at Columbia University School of Social Work has been at the forefront in preparing social work leaders to tackle the most challenging problems facing the profession. Doctoral students enter our program asking probing questions about the myriad of challenges and concerns facing vulnerable populations and the social workers who work with them, and they graduate well equipped to take on leadership in finding the answers that will advance the profession into the future. Doctoral students enjoy opportunities to learn from and conduct research side-by-side with nationally and internationally recognized scholars in their fields and not only within the School of Social Work, but beyond in the other social and behavioral sciences departments at Columbia as well. This interdisciplinary exposure within the program balances the best of social work’s professional concerns for highly complicated social problems, along with the state-of-the-science disciplinary methods and theory that can help shed light in devising effective responses. Only a world-class university like Columbia can put at one's fingertips such a rich selection of educational resources, research centers, collegial and interdisciplinary opportunities, combined with the unparalleled teeming social laboratory that is New York City.

• Where: New York City, New York
• Type: Private, Non-Profit
• Degree Offered: PhD in Social Work
• Program Type: In-Person Program Only
• Students: Full-time Enrollment Only
• Average Enrolled Students Yearly: 6-8 Students
• GRE Requirement: Yes
• TOEFL Requirement: Yes, with a cut-off score
• MSW Requirement: Yes, MSW or other master's degree required
• Two Years Post-MSW Experience Required: No
• Joint MSW/PhD Program: No

Substantive Research Areas of Faculty

• Addiction/Substance Use
• Adolescent and Youth Development
• Aging/Gerontology
• Child Welfare
• Children & Families
• Community Practice/Macro Practice
• Corrections/Criminal Justice/Restorative Justice
• Family Violence
• Housing/Homelessness
• Immigrants, Refugees & Displaced Persons
• International Social Work & Global Development
• LGBT Issues & Services
• Mental Health
• Organizations, Management & Administration
• Poverty/Disadvantaged Populations
• Race and Ethnicity
• School Social Work
• Social/Economic Justice
• Social Welfare Policy
• Social Work Education
• Social Work Practice
• Work/Family/Family Policy

For more information visit Columbia University .

To update your program's profile, please complete the Program Directory Update Form .

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The so-called “helping professions,” Psychology, Counseling, and Social Work are grounded in empathy, care, and transformation. Professionals in these fields work in clinical, industry, education, or community service settings. Working with individuals, groups, families or organizations, they:

• advocate for clients
• connect people with social services   
• promote wellness
• treat substance abuse
• address family violence 
• manage individual cases
• educate patients  
• develop treatment plans   
• provide support for emotional distress

For some roles, graduate school, specialized credentials or clinical training is necessary. 

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Check out the latest  Vault  guide to  Social Services  and  other related industries .

SAMPLE EMPLOYERS IN LIONSHARE

• AHRC New York City
• Center For Family Services
• Harlem Children’s Zone
• Heartshare Human Services
• Nathan Kline Institute
• New Alternatives for Children
• NYC Department for the Aging
• Phoenix House
• The Fresh Air Fund
• WellLife Network

Focus Areas in Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work

People interested in psychology may choose to begin their careers in an array of fields including marketing/advertising, communications, social services, education, research, healthcare, advocacy, case management, human resources, law, consulting or other business administration roles. Check our Majors page to see where recent Psychology and Neuroscience and Bevavior grads started out.

Here is a sample list of applied areas in this industry:

This range of professions include career counselors, genetic counselors, mental health counselors, rehabilitation counselors, and substance abuse counselors, among others. Counseling usually requires a master’s degree.  According to the American Counseling Association , Counselors empower diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists work with clients with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities to promote their functional skills, often in collaboration with doctors and other specialists. Working with clients one-on-one or in group settings, OTs address not only the physical, but also the psychological and social dimensions of their clients’ disabilities.

Psychiatrists complete medical training and specialize in mental health. The  American Psychiatric Association  describes psychiatry’s focus as “the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, including substance use disorders.” Psychiatrists can assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems.

Types of psychologists include clinical psychologists, developmental psychologists, experimental psychologists, organizational psychologists, school psychologists, and more. Psychologists typically hold a Ph.D., E.D.  or Psy.D. and may work with clients, groups, or organizations in teaching, counseling, research, or administrative capacities.

School Counseling

School counselors help students in grades K-12 to achieve academic success, college and career readiness and social/emotional development. Usually trained in school counseling, counselor education or counseling psychology, School Counselors must also be certified by the state in which they work. See the Education page for information on schools. 

Social Work

Social workers help individuals in need and communities to address social problems and challenge systemic social injustice. Social workers in direct practice counsel and advocate for clients as well as connect them with resources. Social workers in indirect practice develop, analyze, or administer policies or programs. Learn more about the Social Work profession from the National Association of Social Workers. 

Columbia University Resources

• Join student organizations like the Barnard/Columbia Rape Crisis Anti-Violence Support Center  or  The Student Wellness Project .
• Check out courses and research opportunities through Columbia  Psychology Department .
• Learn about graduate programs and research at other Columbia schools, such as  Counseling & Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College  or  Columbia University School of Social Work .
• Read about  Leah Samuels’ (CC’18) internship experience  at the Washington Heights Corner Project, where she learned about applying a human rights approach to working with drug users.

Job and Internship Search Resources

Job, internship and research links, associations, additional resources.

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Find a social work PhD program

This comprehensive guide breaks down what it takes to get a PhD in social work and compares PhD programs to doctor of social work (DSW) programs.

• DSW overview
• PhD overview
• DSW versus PhD

Selecting a program

School listings.

• Ask an expert

Higher education opportunities in social work

Those who seek to improve the lives of others and inspire social change in their communities often pursue careers in social work. But while a master’s in social work is often considered a terminal degree (meaning one can independently practice with that degree) there are two additional degree options for those seeking additional career advancement and opportunities at the top of the profession: a doctor of social work (DSW) or a PhD in social work.

Both DSW and PhD in social work degrees are excellent credentials that provide further specialization and advanced knowledge in social work that can benefit your career and personal growth. These degrees are also often accompanied by wage increases to reflect your enhanced expertise and work experience. 

The primary difference between the degrees is the desired career trajectory: a DSW is considered an advanced clinical practice degree and is best suited for those who want to work directly with clients or lead social service agencies. A PhD is an academic degree and is best suited for those interested in teaching and research at the undergraduate and graduate level. 

Doctor of social work (DSW) degree overview

A DSW degree is ideal if you want additional expertise in order to continue working with clients, as the DSW is considered to be an advanced professional practice degree. Clients can be individuals as in those seeking individual therapy (micro level practice), community groups and organizations (mezzo level practice), or even government officials or others creating, influencing and implementing policies and laws (macro level practice). The DSW degree prepares graduates for management and other leadership roles and advanced clinical practice in a specific area of social work, such as medical social work, addictions, or juvenile justice.

Social work PhD overview

If you are interested in designing and conducting research, a PhD is an excellent option to consider.  You’ll concentrate your studies and research to become an expert in one particular area of interest.  Similarly, if you are excited by the prospect of teaching and training the next generation of social workers, a PhD program prepares you to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  

While most PhD’s work in academia, this is not a requirement. Some may open consulting or research firms, others work in think tanks or international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), while others become speakers or authors. The PhD provides a rigorous academic background to prepare graduates for researching, writing and teaching about their area of expertise. This may be promoting resilience in foster care youth, assessing and improving telehealth/virtual therapy interventions for adolescents with substance use disorder, or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in female veterans.

Similarities and differences between social work DSW and social work PhD programs 

Similarities.

Both PhD and DSW programs have similar admissions requirements. You must have a master’s degree, preferably in social work. Sometimes programs will accept applicants with other graduate degrees but may require additional social work foundation courses as a requirement prior to graduation. 

You’ll need a GPA of at least 3.0 in order to be considered for admission to either type of program. Letters of recommendation are needed from previous employers and/or graduate school professors who can attest to your ability to handle the level of rigorous coursework a doctoral program requires. At least one written essay is required, describing your area of interest, your career goals and how the selected degree program will help you achieve those goals. Some schools require graduate record examination (GRE) scores as well. If you’re an international student, you’ll need to take and submit your scores for the TOEFL, or Test of English as a Foreign Language.

While both degree programs prefer that applicants have post-master’s work experience, this is not always a requirement. Some schools have joint MSW/PhD program tracks, wherein a student immediately enters the PhD program upon completion of the MSW courses. However, many DSW programs require that applicants have at least three or more years of social work experience before returning to school for the doctoral degree. Indeed, a number of students have a decade or more of experience in the field before pursuing their DSW.

The tuition you can expect for a campus-based social work doctoral degree depends on several factors. For instance, the cost per credit will affect your overall tuition expenses more than any other factor and can vary both from school to school and whether or not you are attending from out of state. Out-of-state credits usually cost more than in-state credits.

Furthermore, you have to consider the time it’ll take you to complete your Ph.D. program. Certain costs, like general technology fees or student housing expenses will continue to accumulate the longer you take to finish the program. Programs that can be completed more quickly will necessarily be cheaper in the long run unless the savings are offset by extremely high costs per credit.

US News and World Report indicates that doctoral programs in social work usually range between $915 per credit hour to $1730 per credit hour. Thus, most students can expect to pay between $38,000 and $90,000 in total tuition for their doctoral degrees. 

Time to completion

Both DSW and PhD programs have an average of two years of coursework to complete. The final research project for each program can take anywhere from one to four additional years, though this is dependent on a number of factors. On average, most DSW and PhD students complete their degrees within four years. 

Differences

Courses offered

Both types of programs can offer similar foundational courses covering social work theory, research methods and policy. DSW programs then offer specialized courses depending on the track or concentration that the student has selected. For example, if you’re in an advanced clinical practice track you may study psychopathology, pharmacology, and trauma-informed therapeutic interventions. If you are focusing on leadership and administration, you may study program evaluation, financial management of nonprofit organizations and trauma-informed leadership practices.

In contrast, PhD students will have additional courses in statistical analysis, research study design, writing for publication and teaching methods. Within the courses, you can tailor papers and projects to the area of specialization that you have selected and around which your dissertation research will be based.

Licensing requirements

As previously mentioned, some DSW programs require applicants to have a certain number of years of experience in the field prior to entering the degree program. Some even insist that applicants are Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) meaning they have completed the examination and practice hours required to be licensed by their state.  PhD programs do not have this requirement.

Program structure

The structure of the program is another big difference in DSW and PhD programs. Most DSW programs are designed to be completed by working professionals, so classes are offered in the evenings, on weekends or online. This allows students to continue gaining valuable practice experience while also applying topics taught in classes to real world scenarios they are facing in their daily work. Conversely, the majority of PhD courses are offered during the workday and are taught in-person. While this may be slowly changing, few courses are offered online, and relatively few students work full time while completing a PhD program.

Financial assistance

PhD programs are more likely to have fellowships, research assistantships and teaching assistantships for their students. As social work faculty are awarded grant monies, they will often hire doctoral students as assistants to help reduce their workload while also providing valuable hands-on research experience for the student.  PhD students can also offset some of their tuition costs if hired as a teaching assistant. This provides the opportunity to build critical teaching skills while being mentored by a more experienced professor.  Some DSW programs do offer scholarships and other financial assistance packages, but this is much more common in PhD programs. 

Capstone versus dissertation

Finally, the required final project often differs between PhD and DSW degree programs, though this is not always the case. A dissertation is required by PhD programs. The dissertation is the culmination of a unique research project designed by the student, implemented, the data analyzed, and a report written in a standardized format. This may be in the form of one large report or broken down into three articles that are ready to submit to academic journals for publication depending on the program requirements. 

In contrast, DSW programs typically have students complete a capstone project as their final project. This too, is a research project or program evaluation, but on a smaller scale. The capstone project is much shorter, similar to a thesis. A capstone paper runs approximately 30 pages long and while it still has some of the same sections as a dissertation, including a literature review/ statement of the problem, a research component, data analysis and summary, it is not as detailed nor as in depth as a dissertation.

Career outlook for doctoral level social work graduates

Your potential earnings with a social work PhD can vary dramatically depending on your profession, especially as most social work professions don’t require a PhD.

Master’s level social workers earn an average salary of around $52,000 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, with a Ph.D. or DSW, you’ll be able to command a higher salary. According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), PhD and DSW degree holders earn $20,000 to $25,000 more per year than MSW level social workers, and may earn well over $100,000 per year.  In fact, some tenured professors with a PhD can earn well over $175,000 a year. 

In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be a 13 percent job growth rate over the next 10 years, meaning there should be plenty of jobs available for future graduates.

How do you decide what degree program is best for you? Below are some items to consider:

• What are your career goals? Do you want to open up your own nonprofit organization or become a director of a large agency? Then a DSW is a better fit for you. If you want to conduct research and teach social work students, then consider a PhD program.
• What areas of concentration or specialization does the program offer? This may be of more importance when selecting a PhD program. Does the program have faculty studying a similar or closely related area of interest that you’d like to focus on? If so, this means more opportunities for mentorship and guidance. If you select a program and want to study a specific topic or population that no one on the faculty has experience with, it may be a frustrating or less rewarding experience for you, by not having a closely aligned mentor. This may also limit your networking opportunities with similarly inclined colleagues.
• Finally, practical considerations are also necessary. Is the program local or would it require you to move, and how does that impact the total costs involved with completing the program? How would a move impact your family? Do you have the time and energy available to devote to doctoral studies? Do you have a strong support system to assist you? Do you have the financial resources to pursue full time education if you are unable to continue working?

A recap of a PhD in social work

PhD and DSW degrees provide specialized education and training for social workers wanting to reach the pinnacle of their fields. Programs are rigorous but create opportunities for incredible career growth and increased financial rewards that can far outweigh the tuition costs for these programs.  If you want to work in social work leadership or higher education, consider pursuing a DSW or PhD degree, as it can be well worth it!

Anastas, J.W. (2015). Clinical social work, science and doctoral education: Schisms or synergy? Journal of Clinical Social Work, 43 , 304-312.

Coyle, S. (2018). Evolving education: The DSW and Ph.D. degrees – goals and choices. Social Work Today, 18 (2), 8.

Drisko, J., Hunnicutt, C., & Berenson, L. (2015). A national content analysis of PhD program objectives, structures and curricula: Do programs address the full range of social work’s needs? Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 35 (1-2), 14-28. 

Howard, T. (2016). PhD versus DSW: A critique of trends in social work doctoral education. Journal of Social Work Education, 52( s1), S148-S153.

Johnson-Motoyama, M., Petr, C.G., & Mitchell, F.M. (2014). Factors associated with success in doctoral social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 50 (3), 548-558.

National Association of Social Workers. Social Work Salaries. https://www.socialworkers.org/Careers/Career-Center/Kickstart-Your-Job-Hunt/Social-Work-Salaries

Petr, C.G., Harrington, D., Kim, K., Black, B., Cunningham-Williams, R.M., & Bentley, K.J. (2015). Quality indicators and expected outcomes for social work PhD programs: Perceptions of social work students, faculty and administrators. Journal of Social Work Education, 51 (4), 648-667.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook: Social Workers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm

Expert Advice – for PhD/DSW in social work

Find the latest interviews with subject matter experts and people working at the forefront of their field and get advice on PhD/DSW in social work directly from some of the world’s leading authorities. Learn more about all the different pathways and opportunities available in social work today.

• What are the most important factors for students deciding between a PhD and a DSW program?
• How can students best prepare for a PhD/Doctorate program?
• Can students take electives, or customize their PhD/DSW experience?
• What does it take to be successful as a PhD/Doctorate student?
• What types of jobs are PhD/Doctorate graduates finding? 
• If you had to choose one or two books, articles, documentaries, podcasts, etc. to be included on a required reading list for social work students, what would it be?

Social Work Ph.D Programs

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Social Work

The aim of the Social Work Department at NYSPI is to provide individuals and families the most effective, modern, and compassionate psychosocial treatments, while at the same time advance scientific knowledge about the dimensions of mental disorders and their interventions. The episodic and ambiguous nature of psychiatric illness and its often bleak prognosis—accompanied by stigma—imposes inordinate stressors on the family of an individual with a mental illness. The Social Work Department at NYSPI is committed to delivering quality care while striving to improve existing services for our patients and their families.

M.S.W. Intern Training Program

Under the direction of Elizabeth Golden, LCSW, the Social Work Training Program continues to be a highly regarded and eagerly sought-out training program for second-year masters-level social work interns. Interns are trained in clinical practice, research, program planning, and social policy. The department at NYSPI serves as a field placement site for Columbia University School of Social Work, The New York University (Silver) School of Social Work, and Hunter College School of Social Work. Our department continues to be a field placement site for an OMH initiative, which trains clinicians in Evidence-Based Social Work Practices. Five of our interns participate in this fellowship program. Evidence-based wellness groups are run by social work interns on the Washington Heights Community Service, and the Children’s Day Unit.

In addition, educational opportunities include Grand Rounds, Case Conferences, and a weekly social work intern seminar which focuses on diagnosis, treatment, theory, and program planning. There is an opportunity for placement during the academic year (September through May) as well as an option for an early start in June, for an internship that runs from the summer through the following May. It is important to note that we only take interns from graduate-level social work programs.

Our interns can be placed on one of the following services, and are expected to perform the duties of Social Workers on each of these units, as described below:

Washington Heights Community Service

Washington Heights Community Service (WHCS) is comprised of an inpatient unit and three outpatient clinics: Audubon, Inwood, and in affiliation with The Center for Practice Innovation, (CPI) OnTrack NY.

The role of the social worker on the WHCS inpatient unit is 1) to evaluate the patient and their family to determine psychosocial stressors that may have contributed to the need for hospitalization 2) to provide psychoeducation to the patient and family with respect to all aspects of the patient's illness 3) to provide discharge planning and 4) to coordinate provision of concrete services when necessary 5) to develop recovery-focused treatment and disposition plans. Patients are seen daily whereas families are seen at least weekly.

Social workers in the WHCS Audubon, Inwood and On-Track NY outpatient clinics function as primary therapists and may also lead therapeutic groups. They are also part of a multidisciplinary team whose focus is to develop a targeted treatment plan, developed by providers and clients, and to carry out this treatment plan. All social workers on the WHCS attend quarterly social work staff meetings at the New York State Psychiatric Institute as well as in-service Social Work Grand Rounds. They are encouraged to attend the weekly Grand Rounds of the New York State Psychiatric Institute and weekly case conferences on the inpatient units.

Eating Disorder Inpatient Unit

The primary responsibilities of the social work team on this unit are individual casework, family therapy and disposition planning. Family therapy includes those people connected to the patient deemed "significant others.” Disposition planning focuses on the needs of the patient after discharge, including outpatient referrals, aftercare services, and other concrete needs. Thorough evaluations and psychosocial assessments are conducted to develop an individualized treatment plan for patients. In addition, social work interns are actively involved in the group therapy program. The social work component is an integral part of the total treatment approach which attempts to maximize patient care services.

General Clinical Research Inpatient Unit (GCRU)

Social workers are highly valued members of the multidisciplinary team and are instrumental in treatment team decision-making from admission to discharge. Social Work interventions include: reaching out to family and providing psychosocial evaluation and family assessment, working with the family by meeting weekly throughout the hospital stay, one-to-one counseling to address clinical issues that emerge in the milieu, an inclusive discharge plan with the input of the treatment and research teams, a comprehensive needs assessment and concrete services, and assisting the patient’s family system through enriching and broadening resources.

The Children’s Day Unit

The social worker and graduate social work intern(s)are active members of a multidisciplinary team that provides services at the Day Unit, serving adolescents who receive intensive psychiatric evaluation and treatment. In addition to providing family assessment and intervention, both social worker and social work interns act as primary therapist for some cases, assuming responsibility for treatment planning and implementation. Planning for discharge is given priority from the time of admission to ensure appropriate after-care once stability is achieved at the Children’s Day Unit. There are also opportunities for interns to become involved in the treatment aspects of research studies.

Other Social Work Education and Training Initiatives

The center for family education and resilience (cfer).

The Center for Family Education and Resilience (CFER) was established in 1997 in collaboration with Columbia University School of Social Work. Although psychosocial research has been ongoing at NYSPI, having a Research Division within the Department of Social Work allowed for the establishment of a focus research agenda as well as the establishment of an infrastructure for ongoing psychosocial research. Headed by Drs. Ellen Lukens and Helle Thorning, CFER functions as an umbrella under which a range of clinical and research initiatives take place. CFER's primary objectives are 1) to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of services focused on the needs of patients and families, 2) to facilitate and strengthen Social Work research on the impact of mental disorders on the self and family and to provide training and education for social workers and social work interns on effective models of intervention.

Clinical Initiatives and Training: Community Awareness through Psychoeducation (CAPE)

CFER faculty includes Dr. Ellen Lukens and Dr. Helle Thorning.  Dr. Lukens continues to provide a comprehensive psychoeducation/wellness management internship that trains social work students at the masters and doctoral level in theory, practice and evaluation using a culturally sensitive lens.  Community Awareness through Psychoeducation (CAPE) groups have been conducted on the Washington Heights Community Service under the supervision of CFER.  The CAPE intervention follows a structured curriculum consisting of 15 modules that cover topics related to wellness, recovery, and self-care, including social support, self-esteem, connection with the environment, anger management, and medication management. Dr. Lukens has recently begun adapting the modules for the adolescent population on the CDU.

Research Training

CFER continues to train master’s level students from Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW), and the Silver School of Social Work at New York University (SSSW) to implement and evaluate evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions for persons with severe mental illness at NYSPI. During the spring of 2020, four masters- level social work students from CSSW and NYU were engaged in CFER projects.  Two CSSW students offered CAPE groups on the WHCS inpatient unit, and the two students from NYU piloted the CAPE groups on the CDU with good response. During the fall of 2020, four masters-level social work students from CSSW were engaged in CFER projects, with three students placed on the WHCS inpatient unit and actively involved in the CAPE project under the weekly group supervision of Ellen Lukens and Mara Eilenberg, LCSW. Peer specialist Johanny Morel from WHCS has also joined the supervision group and is participating actively in the CAPE intervention. The fourth CSSW student was placed at the ACT Institute, under the supervision of Helle Thorning.

Dr. Lukens, in close collaboration with Mara Eilenberg, LCSW, and four MSW interns from Columbia and NYU implemented a clinical pilot to assess the needs of parents and siblings of outpatient and day patient adolescents diagnosed with OCD on the Children’s Day Unit.  Dr. Yamile Marti, Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW), worked closely with them on the project, which involved the development of a psychoeducational intervention for parents of youth with OCD.  They are preparing a manuscript for publication in collaboration with several former students.

In 2016 Drs. Lukens and Thorning applied for a grant through the New York Community Trust to support a more detailed exploration of the needs and assists of consumers who are also parents with the goal of documenting need, evaluating policies across behavioral health and child protective services, and developing educational material to enhance ACT providers to deliver services to consumers.   The funding was awarded in March of 2017 and the data collection for the project was completed in the fall of 2017. With the information learned from this data, Drs. Lukens and Thorning developed a blended learning curriculum consisting of three online webinars, a face to face training for ACT family specialists and their team leaders, and the development of five core tools to facilitate the work with ACT participants who are parents.  Brief videos were also developed to introduce and train family specialists in the use of these tools.  Over the course of 2019 the tools were piloted with several ACT teams across the city and were well-received.

Integration of Peers into Clinical Services at NYSPI

A collaboration among the Department of Social Work, the NYSPI Peer Task force and CFER has led to a strategy to integrate peers in the clinical services at NYSPI. Liz Golden and Jean Marie Bradford MD lead the project. The Peer Advocacy Task Force is an initiative founded to meet a New York State mandate to incorporate peers (i.e. Individuals in recovery who have coped with a mental health illness) onto inpatient and outpatient units of the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). The first Peer Specialist graduated from Howie the Harp, Peer Training and Advocacy Center (HTH) and was subsequently hired at NYSPI. The goal is to expand the Peer program. We continue to train interns from HTH on a yearly basis. In the future we hope to hire peers for the inpatient and outpatient units/clinics to provide advocacy, entitlement services, and co-lead group therapy and to participate in research-related activities as well.

Liz Golden, LCSW Director of Social Work NYSPI 1051 Riverside Drive New York, N.Y. 10032

[email protected] 646-774-8555

Administrative Assistant: Liliana Saverio [email protected] 646-774-8554

Graduate Student Handbook (Coming Soon: New Graduate Student Handbook)

Phd program overview.

The PhD program prepares students for research careers in probability and statistics in academia and industry. Students admitted to the PhD program earn the MA and MPhil along the way. The first year of the program is spent on foundational courses in theoretical statistics, applied statistics, and probability. In the following years, students take advanced topics courses. Research toward the dissertation typically begins in the second year. Students also have opportunities to take part in a wide variety of projects involving applied probability or applications of statistics.

Students are expected to register continuously until they distribute and successfully defend their dissertation. Our core required and elective curricula in Statistics, Probability, and Machine Learning aim to provide our doctoral students with advanced learning that is both broad and focused. We expect our students to make Satisfactory Academic Progress in their advanced learning and research training by meeting the following program milestones through courseworks, independent research, and dissertation research:

By the end of year 1: passing the qualifying exams;

By the end of year 2: fulfilling all course requirements for the MA degree and finding a dissertation advisor;

By the end of year 3: passing the oral exam (dissertation prospectus) and fulfilling all requirements for the MPhil degree

By the end of year 5: distributing and defending the dissertation.

We believe in the Professional Development value of active participation in intellectual exchange and pedagogical practices for future statistical faculty and researchers. Students are required to serve as teaching assistants and present research during their training. In addition, each student is expected to attend seminars regularly and participate in Statistical Practicum activities before graduation.

We provide in the following sections a comprehensive collection of the PhD program requirements and milestones. Also included are policies that outline how these requirements will be enforced with ample flexibility. Questions on these requirements should be directed to ADAA Cindy Meekins at [email protected] and the DGS, Professor John Cunningham at [email protected] .

Applications for Admission

• Our students receive very solid training in all aspects of modern statistics. See Graduate Student Handbook for more information.
• Our students receive Fellowship and full financial support for the entire duration of their PhD. See more details here .
• Our students receive job offers from top academic and non-academic institutions .
• Our students can work with world-class faculty members from Statistics Department or the Data Science Institute .
• Our students have access to high-speed computer clusters for their ambitious, computationally demanding research.
• Our students benefit from a wide range of seminars, workshops, and Boot Camps organized by our department and the data science institute .
• Suggested Prerequisites: A student admitted to the PhD program normally has a background in linear algebra and real analysis, and has taken a few courses in statistics, probability, and programming. Students who are quantitatively trained or have substantial background/experience in other scientific disciplines are also encouraged to apply for admission.
• GRE requirement: Waived for Fall 2024.
• Language requirement: The English Proficiency Test requirement (TOEFL) is a Provost's requirement that cannot be waived.
• The Columbia GSAS minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS. To see if this requirement can be waived for you, please check the frequently asked questions below.
• Deadline: Jan 8, 2024 .
• Application process: Please apply by completing the Application for Admission to the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences .
• Timeline: P.hD students begin the program in September only.  Admissions decisions are made in mid-March of each year for the Fall semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the application deadline? What is the deadline for financial aid? Our application deadline is January 5, 2024 .
• Can I meet with you in person or talk to you on the phone? Unfortunately given the high number of applications we receive, we are unable to meet or speak with our applicants.
• What are the required application materials? Specific admission requirements for our programs can be found here .
• Due to financial hardship, I cannot pay the application fee, can I still apply to your program? Yes. Many of our prospective students are eligible for fee waivers. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a variety of application fee waivers . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• How many students do you admit each year? It varies year to year. We finalize our numbers between December - early February.
• What is the distribution of students currently enrolled in your program? (their background, GPA, standard tests, etc)? Unfortunately, we are unable to share this information.
• How many accepted students receive financial aid? All students in the PhD program receive, for up to five years, a funding package consisting of tuition, fees, and a stipend. These fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success; they are contingent upon the student remaining in good academic standing. Summer support, while not guaranteed, is generally provided. Teaching and research experience are considered important aspects of the training of graduate students. Thus, graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship. PhD students are given funds to purchase a laptop PC, and additional computing resources are supplied for research projects as necessary. The Department also subsidizes travel expenses for up to two scientific meetings and/or conferences per year for those students selected to present. Additional matching funds from the Graduate School Arts and Sciences are available to students who have passed the oral qualifying exam.
• Can I contact the department with specific scores and get feedback on my competitiveness for the program? We receive more than 450 applications a year and there are many students in our applicant pool who are qualified for our program. However, we can only admit a few top students. Before seeing the entire applicant pool, we cannot comment on admission probabilities.
• What is the minimum GPA for admissions? While we don’t have a GPA threshold, we will carefully review applicants’ transcripts and grades obtained in individual courses.
• Is there a minimum GRE requirement? No. The general GRE exam is waived for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. 
• Can I upload a copy of my GRE score to the application? Yes, but make sure you arrange for ETS to send the official score to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
• Is the GRE math subject exam required? No, we do not require the GRE math subject exam.
• What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS  requirement? The Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS
•  I took the TOEFL and IELTS more than two years ago; is my score valid? Scores more than two years old are not accepted. Applicants are strongly urged to make arrangements to take these examinations early in the fall and before completing their application.
• I am an international student and earned a master’s degree from a US university. Can I obtain a TOEFL or IELTS waiver? You may only request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by submitting the English Proficiency Waiver Request form and if you meet any of the criteria described here . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• My transcript is not in English. What should I do? You have to submit a notarized translated copy along with the original transcript.

Can I apply to more than one PhD program? You may not submit more than one PhD application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. However, you may elect to have your application reviewed by a second program or department within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences if you are not offered admission by your first-choice program. Please see the application instructions for a more detailed explanation of this policy and the various restrictions that apply to a second choice. You may apply concurrently to a program housed at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and to programs housed at other divisions of the University. However, since the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not share application materials with other divisions, you must complete the application requirements for each school.

How do I apply to a dual- or joint-degree program? The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences refers to these programs as dual-degree programs. Applicants must complete the application requirements for both schools. Application materials are not shared between schools. Students can only apply to an established dual-degree program and may not create their own.

With the sole exception of approved dual-degree programs , students may not pursue a degree in more than one Columbia program concurrently, and may not be registered in more than one degree program at any institution in the same semester. Enrollment in another degree program at Columbia or elsewhere while enrolled in a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences master's or doctoral program is strictly prohibited by the Graduate School. Violation of this policy will lead to the rescission of an offer of admission, or termination for a current student.

When will I receive a decision on my application? Notification of decisions for all PhD applicants generally takes place by the end of March.

Notification of MA decisions varies by department and application deadlines. Some MA decisions are sent out in early spring; others may be released as late as mid-August.

Can I apply to both MA Statistics and PhD statistics simultaneously?  For any given entry term, applicants may elect to apply to up to two programs—either one PhD program and one MA program, or two MA programs—by submitting a single (combined) application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  Applicants who attempt to submit more than one Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application for the same entry term will be required to withdraw one of the applications.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences permits applicants to be reviewed by a second program if they do not receive an offer of admission from their first-choice program, with the following restrictions:

• This option is only available for fall-term applicants.
• Applicants will be able to view and opt for a second choice (if applicable) after selecting their first choice. Applicants should not submit a second application. (Note: Selecting a second choice will not affect the consideration of your application by your first choice.)
• Applicants must upload a separate Statement of Purpose and submit any additional supporting materials required by the second program. Transcripts, letters, and test scores should only be submitted once.
• An application will be forwarded to the second-choice program only after the first-choice program has completed its review and rendered its decision. An application file will not be reviewed concurrently by both programs.
• Programs may stop considering second-choice applications at any time during the season; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot guarantee that your application will receive a second review.
• What is the mailing address for your PhD admission office? Students are encouraged to apply online . Please note: Materials should not be mailed to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences unless specifically requested by the Office of Admissions. Unofficial transcripts and other supplemental application materials should be uploaded through the online application system. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Office of Admissions Columbia University  107 Low Library, MC 4303 535 West 116th Street  New York, NY 10027
• How many years does it take to pursue a PhD degree in your program? Our students usually graduate in 4‐6 years.
• Can the PhD be pursued part-time? No, all of our students are full-time students. We do not offer a part-time option.
• One of the requirements is to have knowledge of linear algebra (through the level of MATH V2020 at Columbia) and advanced calculus (through the level of MATH V1201). I studied these topics; how do I know if I meet the knowledge content requirement? We interview our top candidates and based on the information on your transcripts and your grades, if we are not sure about what you covered in your courses we will ask you during the interview.
• Can I contact faculty members to learn more about their research and hopefully gain their support? Yes, you are more than welcome to contact faculty members and discuss your research interests with them. However, please note that all the applications are processed by a central admission committee, and individual faculty members cannot and will not guarantee admission to our program.
• How do I find out which professors are taking on new students to mentor this year?  Applications are evaluated through a central admissions committee. Openings in individual faculty groups are not considered during the admissions process. Therefore, we suggest contacting the faculty members you would like to work with and asking if they are planning to take on new students.

For more information please contact us at [email protected] .

For more information please contact us at  [email protected]

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PhD Program

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work program at UBC Vancouver provides opportunities for advanced scholarship, contributing transformative knowledge through research relevant to social work theory, practice, policy, social development, and administration.

The PhD program is for students with a background in social work, giving them an opportunity for advanced scholarship and professional growth in the context of a research-intensive program.

The program provides critical components for professional practice in research, policy analysis, and human service management.

In addition to making an original contribution to social work knowledge, you will be prepared for university teaching and research (theoretical and applied), including program evaluation.

A research-based dissertation adding to the field’s knowledge base is the capstone of this program.

• Ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative research using a range of paradigms and methods which inform and advance knowledge and its application in the areas of social work
• Leading-edge substantive knowledge of an area of social work (defined by your research interests), including questions in the area that need to be addressed empirically
• Comprehensive understanding of professional, educational and policy issues in social work, with an ability to explicate the implications of research for the social good

Degree Requirements

The PhD program should be completed within a period of six years. It is possible to request a one-year extension to this time limit, but such extensions are not automatic.

Achieving Candidacy

All students are expected to be admitted to candidacy within two years of initial registration and must complete within three years. Exceptions to this can only be granted by the Dean of UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

To achieve candidacy, students must:

• Complete all required courses
• Pass their comprehensive examinations
• Have their thesis proposal approved

Course Work Requirements

Students in the program will be required to take at least 18 credits of coursework.

• SOWK 601 Advanced Doctoral Seminar (runs alternate weeks across both terms) (3 credits)
• SOWK 621 Social Theory, Ideology & Ethics (3 credits)
• Elective to be determined in consultation with supervisor (3 credits)
• SOWK 654 Advanced Qualitative Inquiry (3 credits)
• XXX Methods course to be determined in consultation with supervisor (3 credits)

Year 2 (6 credits minimum)

• SOWK 623 Advanced Data Analysis in Social Work (3 credits)
• XXX Theory course in relation to substantive area of study (sometimes a directed study) (3 credits)
• Preparation for comprehensive exams and thesis proposal

Academic Progress

A minimum of 68% (B-) must be achieved in all coursework taken for credit. Where a grade of less than 68% (B-) is obtained in a course and on the recommendation of the PhD Program Chair and the approval of the Dean of UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the student may repeat the course for higher standing or take an alternate course.

If the PhD Program Chair does not make such a recommendation, or if the recommendation is not approved by the Dean of UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the student will be required to withdraw.

A student who obtains a grade of less than 68% in more than one course can be required to withdraw.

If progress in research is unsatisfactory, a student will be required to withdraw.

The student will be informed of unsatisfactory academic progress in writing before any action regarding withdrawal is taken. In a course that is repeated, both marks will appear on the transcript.

Comprehensive Examinations

The comprehensive examination will take the form of two papers of not more than 7,000 words each.

One paper will focus on theoretical concepts relevant to the student’s proposed field of research, and the second paper will address a substantive topic related to the student’s research, for example, a critical literature review.

The student‘s supervisory committee will determine the specific subjects of each paper.

The student will have 28 days to complete each paper and submit it to their supervisor from the time of receiving the topic.

Both papers will be completed within 82 days at a time agreed upon by the student and their supervisor.

Where the supervisory committee feels it appropriate, students have the option of combining the two papers into a single submission which covers the areas noted above.

In this case, the student would have 56 days to complete with a further 28-day revision period if required.

Comprehensive papers are normally completed within the first two years of the program.

Within 28 days of the final paper submission, the student will undertake an oral defense of the papers to be organized by their research supervisor.

The comprehensive examination is conducted by members of the Supervisory Committee, plus one member who is external to the School and who preferably is a member of UBC's Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The extra member will meet similar eligibility for the Supervisory Committee as laid out in Graduate Studies’ policy.

If either paper is unsuccessful, the student will have a further 28 days to resubmit and defend the paper. Only one resubmission is allowed per paper.

Success of the papers will be determined based on the expectations set out by the committee when assigning the paper.

In general, papers will be expected to show a solid and comprehensive understanding of the relevant literature and an ability to critically analyze the literature presented. Normal scholarly expectations regarding style, presentation and grammatical correctness will also apply.

Upon completion of the defense the supervisor should inform the PhD Chair of the outcome on a Pass/Fail basis. Students who do not satisfactorily defend their comprehensive paper upon the second attempt will be required to withdraw from the program.

Thesis Proposal Evaluation

An examining panel will determine whether the proposal:

Proposal is:

• shows sufficient knowledge of the literature and methodological issue
• is feasible
• provides the basis for a dissertation which is original and scholarly

Requires deferral for revision

• generally acceptable but requires refinement in one or more of the above areas in order to be approved

Is to be rejected

Proposal is rejected due to one or more of the following:

• does not demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the relevant literature
• is methodologically unsound
• is not feasible
• does not provide the basis for a dissertation which is original and scholarly

In all cases the student will be provided with oral and written feedback from their research supervisor identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal, any advice the panel may have, and what is required of the student to successfully complete the proposal phase.

In the case of a rejected proposal a substantially revised proposal must be submitted addressing the areas indicated by the panel.

In the case of a deferred proposal, the panel will determine if a further examination is required or if the supervisor can approve the required changes alone. If rejected, a full defense of the new proposal will be required.

Students will be permitted two attempts to successfully defend their proposal. Students who fail to successfully complete the proposal defense within the required timeframe will be required to withdraw from the program. In exceptional circumstances, the Chair of the program can approve a third defense upon advice of the supervisory committee.

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• Graduate Degree Programs

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD)

Canadian immigration updates.

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

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The PhD in Social Work at UBC is a research degree. Built around a small number of common courses, the program draws on the diverse range of courses available across the campus to advance the student's individualized plan of study. Part-time Doctoral Classification is available for domestic students.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

Our students come from around the world and are supervised by faculty with expertise in their particular field of study. No student is admitted without the commitment of a designated supervisor.

UBC is internationally recognized as an institution that values academic excellence, innovation in research, and transformative learning.

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 93

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

September 2025 intake, application open date, canadian applicants, international applicants, deadline explanations.

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

• 8 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 8 students was $5,177.
• 9 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 9 students was $12,743.
• 4 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 4 students was $15,094.
• 12 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 12 students was $12,483.
• 2 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 2 students was $35,000.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

8 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 7 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Typically our graduates become instructors or professors in other departments or schools of social work, though a number also work in social welfare administration, the policy arena, and social development.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Baines, Donna (Social work; Age-Friendly Cities; decent work and good care for older people in residential and home care; impact of neoliberalism on Indigenous social work education; impact of neoliberalism on non-Indigenous social work education)
• Bratiotis, Christiana (Social work; interventions in the context of hoarding; organizational processes involved in hoarding task forces; service utilization)
• Caragata, Lea (Social oppression and marginalization; Counselling, welfare and community services; Social policy; welfare systems; Poverty; labour markets; lone mothers; social policy; youth provisioning)
• Charles, Grant (Psychosocial oncology, intellectual disabilities, family interventions and at risk youth)
• Ibrahim, Mohamed (mental health; addiction among new immigrants and refugees; global mental health)
• Kia, Hannah (LGBTQ2S+ health; LGBTQ2S+ aging; social work and other professional practice with sexual and gender minorities; effective social work practice with trans and gender diverse people; poverty, sexual and mental health issues among diverse LGBTQ2S+ populations)
• Lee, Barbara
• Montgomery, H. Monty
• O'Connor, Deborah (family support to frail or mentally impaired seniors; formal support services, Dementia, the interface between living with dementia, family care, and the use of formal support services)
• Stainton, Timothy (Developmental Disability, Disability, Social Policy, History of Developmental Disability, Philosophy of Welfare)
• Wilson, Tina (Social work; social work and environment; history and philosophy of social work; critical social theories; generational standpoints; Social justice; social work rhetoric)
• Yan, Miu Chung (Issues related to settlement and integration of immigrants and refugees, labour market experience of new generation youth from racial minority immigrant families, and community building roles and functions of neighbourhood-level place-based multiservice organizations )

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• Reframing adolescent resistance to parents
• The violence of "best interests of the child" : social work in the ruling relations
• Cancer as interruption : exploring the experiences of adolescents who have completed treatment for cancer

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Social Work (MSW)

Further Information

Specialization.

Social Work provides students with backgrounds in social work, social policy, social development, opportunities for advanced scholarship, and professional growth in the context of research-intensive programs. Students are prepared for university teaching and research (theoretical and applied), including program evaluation. The program can also provide critical components for professional practice in research, policy analysis, and human service management.

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Darryl Gray

The decision to study at UBC was always my first choice in academic institutions. This is my own personal opinion, I wanted the opportunity to study and learn research from some of the best minds in the research field. At first, I was not entirely sure on my direction within the area of research at...

UBC is a recognized global leader in Social Work research. As the oldest school in Western Canada, I wanted to pursue a graduate degree at a well-established institution.

Andrea Johnson

UBC is an ideal research training environment. UBC has offered me an intersection of academic scholarship and clinical translation. As a clinician pursuing PhD research training, this was important to me. This intersection has been fostered by my supervisor and I am grateful to be in an academic...

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Ph.D. in Social Work

The PhD Program in the College of Social Work develops scholars who generate and disseminate new knowledge to drive social change and create a more equitable, just, and inclusive society.

Our Graduates are:

• Emerging experts in a self-determined specialized substantive area, making unique contributions to knowledge advancement in the pursuit of social change.
• Skilled in diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, with deep expertise for pursuing the scientific exploration of their specialized substantive area.
• Equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experience to teach the next generation of social work practitioners and scholars
• Productive scholars, with records of scholarly publications, national presentations, and applications for independent research funding

Those who have earned a Master of Social Work degree, have a commitment to social work research, and meet other admissions requirements are eligible to apply through a competitive admissions process.

Through coursework within and outside the college, paid research assistantships, intensive faculty mentoring and dissertation research, each student in the Ph.D. program builds a comprehensive base of knowledge and skill.

Ph.D. Funding

The College of Social Work provides competitive funding packages that may include tuition remission as well as stipends in exchange for research assistantships during the coursework stage of the program. Subsequently, the college works to identify funding resources and opportunities to support each student during the dissertation stage. These opportunities include employment tied to faculty research projects, competitive external fellowships and internal grants, classroom teaching, field instruction or field liaison positions and others.

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About the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in social work focuses on research that informs social welfare policy and practice. It is designed to prepare scholars for research, teaching and program development positions in academic and professional social work practice and policy settings.

Degree Requirements

The PhD program is available to both persons with a Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree and those with other master’s degrees. The curriculum consists of a minimum of 55 post MSW semester credit hours or, for applicants without an MSW, 67 hours. The curriculum is divided among three distinct but highly interrelated elements designed to complement one another in assisting students to achieve the competencies expected of a graduate of this program. A core of social work courses provides the foundation in the traditions and knowledge in the profession and exposure to state-of-the-art research and techniques for the 21st century. Electives from the broad spectrum of social and behavioral sciences offering available through MU departments provide students with the opportunity to design an individualized plan of study that capitalizes on their unique interests and talents. A strong regimen of research methodology, theory, and policy analysis are designed to prepare students for use of both current and emerging methods of scientific inquiry.

 Sample Plan of Study (full-time student)

Financial aid from the program.

Scholarship opportunities are available for full-time program applicants who meet the application deadline. Graduate teaching and research assistantships are also often available. Some forms of support require additional forms from those who wish to be considered for internal assistantships, fellowships or other funding packages. Check the program Web site or ask the program contact for details.

Admission Criteria

Admission deadline: Midnight December 1

• Minimum GPA: 3.0; 3.5 in graduate study
• Minimum TOEFL scores:
• An MSW or related master’s is required. Applicants without the MSW must take a minimum of 12 credit hours of MSW course work. This requirement may be waived for applicants with additional graduate work.
• Minimum of two years post-master’s practice experience encouraged.

Note:  These criteria are used flexibly to assess the applicant’s potential for study and research in this program.

Required Application Materials

To the Office of Graduate School:

• All required Office of Graduate School documents

To the Director of the Doctoral Program in Social Work  (via the Graduate School's online application system):

• Three letters of recommendation
• Writing proficiency sample
• Personal statement
• A personal interview is required, and if possible, will be arranged at MU. A Zoom interview may be utilized in some cases.

Admission Contact Information

Program Contact: Crystal Null ( [email protected] ) 723 Clark Hall; Columbia, MO 65211 573-884-9385

PhD Program Director: Dr. Virginia Ramseyer Winter ( [email protected] ) 705 Clark Hall; Columbia, MO 65211 573-884-8077

PhD Program Website:  https://healthprofessions.missouri.edu/social-work/phd/

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School of Social Work

Doctorate (PhD)

The University of Missouri School of Social Work PhD program is nationally distinct in its interdisciplinary emphasis, theory-driven research, community-based collaborative research, and student-faculty collaborative research. The program’s purpose is to produce researchers who investigate social problems and disseminate research knowledge, as well as to produce high quality social work educators. It also prepares graduates with the highest level of knowledge and skills needed to inform policy making, program development and evaluation, and research on clinical practice issues.

Greetings from the program director

On behalf of our faculty and staff, I would like to welcome you to the University of Missouri’s School of Social Work PhD Program website. Our program stands apart from other doctoral training programs in social work and social welfare for several reasons. First, ours is the only PhD program in all of Missouri’s publicly funded institutions of higher education. Second, given our standing amongst the Association of American Universities, and in the spirit of our land grant mission as Missouri’s flagship institution of higher learning, our goal is to prepare social work scholars who can competently engage in all stages of the social prevention-intervention development and research cycle to better the lives of people. Third, we work alongside each student to craft an individualized learning plan that promotes their interests and builds upon prior experiences as we teach them basic social scientific skills so they can (a) expertly identify social problems; (b) design, implement, and rigorously test social interventions to alleviate those problems; and (c) contribute our collective social science knowledge through effective analytical, writing, and teaching skills.

Our former graduates work in a range of policy, practice, and academic settings where they successfully apply these skills. Our current students regularly contribute to ongoing research to advance progressive social programs and policies and disseminate knowledge in journals, at conferences, and in trainings for social work professionals. Ultimately, it is expected that graduates with a PhD in Social Work from the University of Missouri will pursue scholarly careers in academic, research, or program/policy settings using basic and applied research skills we impart here in our program. It is also expected that the scholarly careers of our graduates will ultimately enhance the lives of individual people and the social systems with which they interact.

We are honored you are exploring the University of Missouri’s School of Social Work PhD program as an option for your doctoral training. As a key step in identifying a program for academic training in research and social intervention, it is important to identify successful faculty who are aligned with your areas of interest. On that note, please take some time to review the webpages of our top notch faculty and their current research interests. In addition, we hope you will contact us as you consider a program to advance your future in social work research. We are eager to speak with you about your interests and to answer any questions you may have about our program.

Sincerely, Dr. Virginia Ramseyer Winter

Curriculum requirements

Learn about required courses and sample semester-by-semester plans for full-time and part-time students.

Meet our students

Check out our PhD student profiles.

Meet our faculty

Learn more about PhD faculty research interests and activities.

Admission and application

Applications are due Dec. 1.

Cost and financial aid

Financial aid is available.