Social Work - Graduate (Ph.D)

Ph.D. applicants are encouraged to apply in early Spring Semester (January/February) each year.

Access the Graduate School Application via clicking "Apply Now" at the top of the page.

In order to complete the application you will need to gather several pieces of information including the following:

1. Transcripts:

You will be asked to upload copies of transcripts from all higher education institutions attended and, in the case of domestic students, to self-report cumulative GPAs for each institution. If you are offered admission and decide to enroll, you will then be required to submit official transcripts to the Graduate School.

2. Letters of Recommendation:

The PhD Program at the University of Kentucky requires applicants to provide three letters of reference that address their potential for success in a research-oriented doctoral program and aptitude for research and teaching.  Recommendations from individuals who have supervised your research and scholarly work (e.g., research project supervisors, thesis advisors, professors) tend to be the most useful to the admissions committee and should comprise the majority of the letters.

Please exclude personal, pastoral and relative references.  If you graduated within the past 5 years, you must provide at least one academic reference.

As part of the online application you will be asked to supply email contact information for your three references. Once your application has been submitted, the system will contact each person identified and their recommendations will be submitted electronically directly to us. You can check back into your application at any time to see who has submitted a recommendation.

https://gradschool.uky.edu/application-process/#Recommendation

3. Personal Statement (uploaded electronic document)

Your statement should be no more than 5 pages, double-spaced, and should address the following prompts:

• Describe your motivation for pursuing a PhD in social work
• Articulate what specifically attracts you to the University of Kentucky social work PhD program
• Identify your career goals and how a PhD in social work would help you achieve those goals
• Describe the primary areas of research that you would like to explore during your doctoral training and articulate the significance of these lines of inquiry to social work
• Describe any other factors that should be considered in the evaluation of your application

4. A current resume or CV is required.

5. Writing Sample (uploaded electronic document)

Applicants to the PhD program must submit a recent, single-authored scholar writing sample.  The sample should provide evidence of writing ability, creative and critical thinking, and potential for independent research. The submission should be a “clean” copy (i.e., free of editorial markings).

The following are examples of appropriate submissions of scholarly writing:

• Published article or book chapter
• Master’s thesis
• Unpublished research report or white paper
• Term paper written in an upper-level graduate course
• Grant application