How to Apply | Online Doctorate of Social Work

Online Application Form	Apply Now
Application Deadlines	Summer Semester: Priority Deadline: March 1 Deadline: April 15
Degree and Minimum GPA	Applicants should hold a master of social work degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) with a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0. A 3.5 GPA is strongly encouraged.
Transcripts	Unofficial transcript from the institute where you completed your MSW degree (conferred).
Official GRE Score	No GRE is required
Personal Résumé	Employment history (resume or vita) A minimum of two years post-MSW experience is required at the time of application.
Letters of Recommendation	Two reference letters with cover letter attached for each reference. Please exclude personal, pastoral, and relative references. If you graduated within the past 5 years, at least one reference must be academic.
Personal statement (4 – 5 pages)	Your personal statement serves as a writing sample and should demonstrate critical thinking, graduate level writing, and be formatted in APA style (7th edition), including a title page and reference section (not included in the 5-page limit). All prompts listed in the three paragraphs below are to be addressed in your statement. Why are you interested in pursuing a DSW at this stage in your career? Two pieces to address are: how your practice experience informs the concentration area you are interested in (i.e., administration and leadership, clinical social work, military behavioral health, or social work education) and what impact do you expect a DSW education to have on your career? Contemporary social work calls for practice informed research and research informed practice. Identify a social work practice domain of your interest and practice that has been overlooked or lacks adequate research and attention in academia. How does the contemporary literature influence your understanding of your identified issue and how does it impact your identified population? Articulate how you might tackle this concern. Your discussion should demonstrate critical thinking about social work practice, application of current literature, a basic understanding of the practice problem or challenge identified and reflect an interest in improving practice.
Additional Requirements	Students should have sufficient information technology skills to be successful in an online doctoral program.

Request more information or a consultation

You’re likely to have questions as you make your decision about pursuing an online degree. From program information to application process details, we’re here to help you find the answers you need.

International Students

International students applying to the online DSW program need to meet certain additional requirements. International students are not eligible for an I-20 for F-1 status or DS-2019 for J-1 students status based on enrollment in the online DSW program.

Application Fee	$75 Application Processing Fee
Transcripts	Official transcripts in English
English Proficiency	Students from non-English speaking countries must take an English proficiency test directly from the testing center: TOEFL: 79 iBT IELTS: 6.5

Transfer Credit

The University of Kentucky’s online DSW program accepts up to 9 transfer credits with program director review and approval.

When to Apply

You can apply to the online DSW program at UK once applications open for the next start date! There is 1 start date per year, occurring in the Summer term. The application deadlines are:

summer Semester Start

Priority Deadline: March 1
Deadline: April 15

Contact Admissions at (833) 358-1721 to learn more.