About PhD Program
At the UW School of Social Work we focus on delivering leading-edge learning opportunities that engage and transform students inside and outside of the classroom. Here you can select from top-notch academic offerings, work with renowned social work scholars, and participate in community-based projects, making a real impact on people’s lives. Connect with the Admissions Office and explore the world-changing career options for today’s social work professional.
Our doctoral program in social welfare is one of the nation’s leading advanced degree programs, with a focus on social justice. With access to a world-renowned research university, the program is distinguished by its interdisciplinary character, expert faculty, and innovative social welfare scholarship.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA
- Have at least a0 cumulative grade-point-average on a 4 point scale (or equivalent measures of performance if a graduate of an institution with no grading system; or equivalent grade-point-average from an accredited foreign institution) for those credits earned at the regionally accredited institution awarding the bachelor’s degree OR at least a 3.0 grade-point-average (on a 4 point scale) for the last 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits.
- Hold the minimum equivalent of a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from an accredited foreign institution or a Bologna bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits.
- Also acceptable: hold a Master’s degree, a doctoral degree (Ph.D., D.Phil.), or a professional degree (M.D., J.D., D.V.M., etc.) from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from an accredited foreign institution.
PhD Funding Coverage
Our School ensures that all students have some means of financial support during the 9-month school year for the first four years in the program and is frequently able to continue support beyond this point. In each of the first four years, the PhD program director assists students in obtaining funding from the School, other University of Washington sources, or external federal and private granting agencies. The guaranteed four years of support is in the form of grants, fellowships, or research and/or teaching assistantships. Some entering students have obtained funding from external sources, and these are considered to fulfill the obligation. These appointments typically require a 20-hour-per-week commitment and include a tuition waiver (state residents or non-residents) and health benefits for the Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters of each year (9 months). Because the PhD program is a full-time program for the first four years, students are not generally permitted to accept university employment or other funding support that puts their FTE at greater than 50 percent during the 9-month academic year.
Each year, awards of stipends, fellowships, and research and teaching assistantships are made on the basis of resources available, match with areas of student interest, skills. An award of a particular stipend or assistantship in one academic year does not carry a commitment for that same award in another year because both the grant situation and the applicant pool will change. Advanced teaching and research positions are available on a competitive basis. Students are encouraged to begin their efforts to secure dissertation research support early and to stay in communication with the PhD program director and the associate deans, who oversee assistantship assignments in consultation with the School administration.
Students with graduate student service appointments (TA, RA, Staff Assistant, Trainee and Fellow), which provide salary, tuition waivers and health benefits, must be registered for at least 10 credits each quarter during the academic year; these assistantships carry a work requirement of 20 hours a week. Appointments are contingent upon satisfactory academic progress and satisfactory performance of duties contracted for each appointment. Students on probation are not eligible for new GSSA appointments. Most GSSA appointments are represented by UAW Local 4121, which can be contaced by email at uaw4121@uaw4121.org.
Application Requirement,
Please use our new admissions system to log into your application.
If you already have a profile, you can log in to your account to
- Update your applicant profile
- Create a new application
- Edit or submit an existing application(s)
- Check the status of a submitted application for information such as:
- receipt of letters of recommendation
- receipt of test scores
- a decision on your application
- if you are offered admission, your student number and personal access code (PAC)
- if you are requesting a F-1 or J-1 visa, steps to obtain a visa application
Application Deadline,
Dec 01, 2024
Application Fee,
The nonrefundable application fee is $85.00 (USD) or $75.00 for Graduate Non-Matriculated applications, beginning with applications for Autumn 2025 the application fee will be $90.00 (USD) and remain $75.00 (USD) for Graduate Non-Matriculated applications,
