How to Apply: Ph.D. Program

Ph.D. in Social Work Application Dates and Deadlines for 2027

• Oct. 1, 2026 - Ph.D. in Social Work admissions application opens for fall 2027
• Jan. 6, 2027 - priority application deadline for Ph.D. admissions
• May 5, 2027 - final application deadline for Ph.D. admissions

Ph.D. in Social Work applications are typically considered every other year. The next Ph.D. in Social Work cohort will be admitted to start the program in fall 2027.

Online Application

The online application gives you the ability to submit all supporting documents in one form and save your application in progress. New applicants will be required to create an account.

You will be asked for the items listed below, which will be required to complete the online application.

• Resume/CV: Professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV) with current work experience
• Narrative statement: The personal statement asks applicants to explain their scholarly and research interests and why the applicant wishes to pursue their Ph.D. in Social Work at KU.
• Professional references: Contact information for three professional references who will be able to write recommendation letters addressing the applicant's research experience and critical thinking skills.
• Statistics course or refresher: Completion of a basic statistics course within the past two years with a grade of B or higher OR completion of the KU School of Social Welfare's online, asynchronous statistics refresher course.
• Transcripts: Official copies of both undergraduate and graduate transcripts (find transcript instructions under "Application requirements" at Grad KU apply)

Resume

Upload a professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV) outlining your current/prior work and academic experience.

• Two years of social work or related practice; two years of post-master’s professional social work experience preferred.

When submitting your resume, be sure to save as a "WORD" (windows compatible) or as a PDF document. Please double-check your formatting after saving it in WORD or PDF, and before uploading the document.

Narrative Statement

The goal of the School of Social Welfare Ph.D. program is to prepare students to become leaders nationally and internationally in advancing social work practice through research and scholarship. The narrative statement asks applicants to answer questions that address how their own personal and/or professional experiences inform their work as a scholar.

Please respond in approximately 1,500 words or less. Please be concise and thorough in introducing yourself as a scholar.

• Discuss your vision and development as a scholar, including any research experiences you have had to date and your future career goals. Although not required, this may include describing your interests in and/or readiness for teaching as a part of your doctoral studies.
• In considering your own vision as a scholar and the School’s guiding principles and values, describe one or two potential areas of scholarly inquiry that you would like to explore in a Ph.D. program. Discuss why these scholarly topics are important to the field and how addressing them would advance health, well-being, and justice for all people through anti-oppressive social work practice and/or policy.
• Describe why you chose the University of Kansas. Identify KU faculty members, research centers, or research projects in which you have special interest, and please mention them in your description.

Professional References

You will be asked to list the contact information for three references in the application. The application system will then email a reference form to each person for them to submit a letter of recommendation.

The most persuasive letters speak to your research experience and/aptitude and critical thinking/intellectual ability. Former professors are often best able to provide this kind of information, although others in your professional life may also be able to speak to these qualities.

College Education and Transcripts

• Master's degree in social work is preferred. Applicants with master’s degrees related to social work and affiliation with social work activities and values are considered. Graduate grade-point average of 3.5 or higher is required. Undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 or higher preferred.

If you are a current or former KU student, you don’t need to provide official transcripts.

Current and former KU students are not required to request and purchase official KU transcripts, or to provide official KU transcripts or copies of KU transcripts to apply for admission to KU graduate programs. If KU students earned a degree from another institution, they will need to upload copies of those transcripts with their application.

If you have never attended KU, your application must include official transcripts from each college attended.

For processing purposes, you may attach scanned versions of official transcripts to your application. If you are admitted to a program and accept the admission offer, you will be required to submit an official, final transcript that shows your degree has been conferred. Transcripts must be submitted to Graduate Admissions in one of the following ways:

• Electronically (Preferred Method)
  If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service (such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse), you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.
   
• Via mail
  Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to:
  
  Graduate Admissions
  University of Kansas
  1502 Iowa Street
  Lawrence, KS 66045

For more guidance on transcripts from non-U.S. institutions, see the International applicants webpage.

Statistics Course Documentation

Ph.D. in Social Work applicants are required to have completed an undergraduate or graduate course in basic or advanced statistics within the past two years. The statistics course is a prerequisite for our required quantitative methods sequence and must be completed before the fall semester.

The Ph.D. application requires applicants to provide information about the statistics course they have taken or will take prior to enrollment.

If the applicant has not completed the statistics requirement and they are admitted to the Ph.D. program, they will be required to either:

• Take a basic statistics course for the fall semester OR
• Complete our in-house, asynchronous statistics refresher course, which will be available during the summer before fall classes (this course will be free of charge)

Pre-Application Meeting with Ph.D. Program Director (optional)

Interviews are not a requirement to apply to the Ph.D. in Social Work program at the University of Kansas. 

Applicants may request a meeting with the Ph.D. Program Director to discuss questions about research, funding, the structure of the program, or other questions. Please reach out to admissionsw-phd@ku.edu if you are interested. 

We will also be offering several virtual PhD Information Sessions throughout the fall, which are great opportunities to ask questions about the program.

Non-Native English Speakers Applying to the Ph.D. Program

Non-native English speakers are required to meet certain levels of English proficiency to gain admission to KU graduate programs. Common ways to demonstrate proficiency include previous degrees and test scores.

Learn more on the Graduate Admissions English Proficiency Requirements webpage.

For more information regarding International Students Services, visit the Office of International Student & Scholar Services website.