Next Steps for DSW Admitted Students


Aerial view of the memorial Campanile on the KU campus with the letters K-U painted in the grass

Next steps for Admitted DSW Students

Congratulations on being admitted to the Doctor of Social Work program at KU! Next, you have important steps to take to fully accept your admission, prepare for enrollment and get ready to start the DSW program.


What to do right now




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  • Submit the DSW seat fee

    Paying the $100 DSW seat fee is required to hold your place in the program. Students admitted to the program for fall 2025 must accept their admissions offer and pay the seat fee by May 2, 2025.

Ready to accept your DSW admission?

To fully finalize acceptance for admission to the DSW program, students must accept their offer and pay the $100 DSW seat fee.

Before program orientation




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  • Create a KU online ID

    Before you enroll, you’ll need to set up your personal KU account, which requires an online ID and password. You’ll use your ID to access crucial online services, including Enroll & Pay, university email, Canvas, and your myKU portal.

  • File your FAFSA

    Financial aid can only be processed when a student's FAFSA is on file. The University of Kansas encourages early submission of the FAFSA. International, non-resident students will need to file the Institutional Student Need Analysis Worksheet, or ISNAW. The School of Social Welfare recommends FAFSA or ISNAW submission no later than March 1, 2025.

  • Follow KU Social Welfare

    Follow the KU School of Social Welfare on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to stay up to date on stories from the School.

  • Register for DSW Orientation

    The School of Social Welfare hosts a required DSW Orientation. The online orientation via Zoom will be scheduled for summer 2025. More information will be emailed in spring 2025 to students who have fully accepted DSW admission.

  • Complete Jayhawk Online Graduate Onboarding

    Students in the fully online DSW program will also complete the Jayhawk Online Graduate Onboarding through Canvas, KU's online learning system. KU's student success team will contact online DSW students about getting set up with technology and completing the asynchronous onboarding course.


Before starting classes




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  • Review your financial aid package

    If you have been admitted to KU and filed a FAFSA, KU will email you a link to a digital financial prospectus. This prospectus outlines your KU costs and how they’ll be covered. Once you’ve reviewed your financial aid package, you’ll accept or decline your awards in Enroll & Pay.

  • Attend DSW Orientation

    Students will attend a required online DSW Orientation. More information and registration will be emailed to the email address used for your application.


Admitted students with specific statuses

After being admitted, international students have their own series of steps to take before enrolling in and arriving at KU, including registering for Orientation. Visit International Support Services for more details.

To ensure a smooth enrollment and avoid payment delays, students should reach out to the Military-Affiliated Student Center to confirm their G.I. Bill benefits.

Non-native English-speaking students may have an enrollment hold placed on their account until they have successfully completed certain testing or coursework through the Applied English Center (AEC). If this applies to you, reach out to the AEC at aec@ku.edu to discuss your next steps.


DSW Academic Advisor

Tara Combes
  • Senior Graduate Academic Advisor
  • MSW Advisor - Advanced Standing Online (Jayhawk Global)
  • DSW Advisor - Online (Jayhawk Global)
She/her/hers


DSW Stories

DSW program director Edward Scanlon

National conference presentation highlights KU DSW program

DSW Program Director Ed Scanlon highlighted the KU DSW program's focus on translating research to practice during a national conference presentation. “We build on what is called implementation science to help our graduates become leaders in community and agency settings as idea disseminators - people who translate research into practice," Scanlon said.
DSW graduate Sharilyn Ray

Graduating DSW Spotlight: Sharilyn Ray

Sharilyn Ray will be in the first cohort of students to graduate from KU's online Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program. Ray, who is the founder and CEO at Restoration Family Services in Wichita, entered the program with decades of experience in social work.
School of Social Welfare Doctor of Social Work candidate Rebecca Beeler.

Graduating DSW spotlight: Rebecca Beeler

Beeler, who is the director of social services at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri, has a soft spot for her DSW cohort. She said their time together in the program is something she will always cherish. Beeler and the 2025 cohort will be the first to graduate from the DSW program.
Why pursue a DSW at KU? Hear from current students

Student Spotlights: Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program

Gaining leadership experience, applying research to their day-to-day work, and building advocacy skills are some of the reasons KU DSW students give for joining the program. Watch video interviews with students about why they chose the online DSW at KU.