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Welcome to PhD Admissions

 Fall 2010 application deadline is April 30, 2010

Admission to the PhD in Social Welfare program at Wurzweiler School of Social Work is determined by the quality of the entire application, as well as by two/three personal interviews when feasible. The applicant is responsible for securing all requested material.

It is important to comply with these instructions in order to expedite the processing of the application. Applicants are advised to begin the application process in the Fall semester prior to the year in which they wish to enroll. For the academic year of 2009-2010, admission is on a rolling basis through April 30, 2009. Any applications received after the April 30th date will be considered for the academic year 2010-2011.

 Requirements

A master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university. Applicants with other related masters degrees may be considered for admission, but will be required to complete specified pre-requisite course work at the MSW level before admission. Applicants deficient in statistics will be required to take a pre-requisite course in Fundamentals in Statistics before an admission decision can be made. Any required pre-requisite course work taken will not count toward the 60 credits of the PhD.

Intellectual competence, evidence by previous academic performance.

At least two years of professional social work experience. Pre-MSW social work experience will be evaluated on an individual basis. The Doctoral Admissions Committee may waive this experience requirement for more recent graduates with an outstanding academic record.

Attributes suitable for scholarship, including conceptual ability and writing skills.

Application materials are held and are treated with confidentiality. It is shared only with those persons directly concerned with our admissions process

Application Procedure

Application for Admission: Download Application for PhD Program. The Application must be completed in full, even if you choose to attach a resume. Please make sure to print in ink or type.

Application Fee: of $50 (NON-REFUNDABLE). Please make check payable to Yeshiva University and attach to application form.

Transcripts: It is the responsibility of the applicant to request, from each college or university attended a complete official transcript to be sent to the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Please be sure that both undergraduate and graduate schools provide an official copy of your transcript to us. Transcripts should be sent addressed to the attention of Doctoral Program, Wurzweiler School of Social Work. If transcripts utilize a name other than that which you are using now, please indicate that name on the application. ***PLEASE NOTE: Applicants must request official transcripts even if he/she is a graduate of WSSW. 

Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation must be sent to Wurzweiler. Letters must be submitted on the person’s business letterhead (if applicable) and must always be accompanied by the Letter of Recommendation Form found in the application booklet.

Letters of recommendation may be submitted by the person writing the recommendation, directly to the school. Recommendations may also be submitted by the applicant with the other application materials. However, if you choose to do this, each letter must be in a sealed envelope signed by the person writing the recommendation.

When selecting your three references there are several considerations in making your choices. The references should include your agency supervisor or director, a former instructor or faculty advisor and someone who knows your professional interests. The Admissions Committee values those letters which provide insight into the applicant's ability and achievement in social work to date.

Almost every candidate merits praise for past achievements and deserves a prediction of future success. The letter of reference which describes the applicant only in such terms does not help the Admissions Committee to understand your unique qualities.

Some candidates choose as references persons who are prominent community or public figures. This is understandable. For such a letter to be helpful, however, it is important that the person selected have more than a casual acquaintance with you and sufficient opportunity to have formed a sound judgment about your readiness to undertake academic study at the doctoral level.

The Doctoral Admissions Committee will review every letter of reference. Samples of professional writing in MSW or other graduate course papers, Master's Thesis, published articles, agency reports, etc.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE): All applicants are required to submit GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, analytic, and writing). International applicants whose native language is not English and who are educated primarily outside of the US are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL). Scores must be within the past three years from the date of the application. GRE scores are to be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service. Request that score reports be sent to institutional code: 2636 for Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. For questions regarding the exam please visit the website: www.gre.org.

Personal Statement:  A typewritten, double-spaced supplementary personal statement of about 3-5 pages, must accompany your application. It should: (1) Explain your motivation for and expectations of doctoral education in social welfare; (2) Include particular assets that you would bring to the school and to the profession, as well as areas in which you would most like to grow academically and professionally; (3) Wherever possible, specify your learning objectives, areas of academic interest, and career goals.

Interviews: When feasible, two/three in-person interviews are scheduled for all applicants. After you have submitted a completed application and ALL materials (including GRE sores) are received you will be notified for an interview. Out-of-state applicants may be interviewed by phone.

PLEASE NOTE: Interviewing process for the 2009-2010 academic year will begin October 2009.

After submission of completed application and ALL materials (including GRE sores) are received the Doctoral program will begin to schedule interviews. A decision regarding admission will be made as shortly as feasible thereafter; admission is rotating and on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Students are admitted only for the fall semester. There are only a limited number of places available in each entering class. After these places are filled, a waiting list is established. Interested persons should apply as early as possible.

The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in admission and other facets of its educational programs and activities. The University encourages applications from qualified students of diverse backgrounds without regard to sex, religion, age, race, sexual preference, handicap, color, or national origin, within the meaning of applicable law.

Thank you for your interest in the Ph.D. Program at Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

If you wish to receive an application packet please send your request to theDoctoral Office or feel free to give us a call at 212-960-0813.

We look forward to receiving your application materials.