Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work

Your passion for research and education will find good support in our Ph.D. program, which prepares graduates to advance the social work knowledge base by engaging in meaningful and innovative research to address social problems. Our graduates become faculty members in universities around the world and take the lead in research, policy, and social work education for the purpose of promoting a just society.Our students have extensive opportunities of having hands-on research experience in faculty's research projects, such as those funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the National Institute for Transportation and Communities. Our students publish in professional journals, present at academic conferences, and assist with the submission of external grants through a well-developed mentoring, training, and advising system. Students are supported through a variety of development programs such as individual mentoring, writing and publication workshops, and teaching assistance workshops.

To be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program, an applicant must have:

A Master's Degree:

Master's Degree in Social Work

Applicants who do not have a Master's Degree in Social Work are expected to have work or volunteer experience in human services and complete an introductory social work course and diversity course prior to beginning the program.

Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work documenting:

Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 minimum, on the last 60 hours as calculated by the Office of Admissions, Records, and Registration

Masters GPA of 3.4 minimum as calculated by the Office of Admissions, Records, and Registration.

International applicants must submit a score of at least 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, a minimum score of 7.0 on the IELTS, or a minimum TOEFL iBT total score of 90 with sectional scores that meet or exceed; 23 for the writing section, 23 for the speaking section, 22 for the reading section, and 22 for the listening section. UT Arlington’s ETS institutional code is 6013.

The deadline to apply to the program for Fall 2024 is January 15, 2024.