Admissions
The Ph.D. Program in Social Work and Social Research will open admission applications in October 2024. All applicants must hold a master's degree in social work or related social and/or health science fields.
Apply for Admission »
Application Checklist
Basic Information
- Provide current contact Information and personal information (DOB, race/ethnicity, veteran status, etc.).
- Select the program option and term for admission (fall term only).
- Provide your residency status for tuition purposes.
Educational Information
- List every post-secondary institution attended.
- Provide Scanned copies of transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended regardless of the number of credits earned. Submit both front and back sides of each page of scanned transcripts.
- Note that applicants must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or the equivalent of a graduate GPA of 3.0.
Submit transcripts »
Program Specific Materials
- Provide a statement of purpose addressing your professional interest and goals and sharing your motivations for applying to this PhD program (maximum 1,000 words). For example, you may reference some or all of the following themes:
- Your research interests and potential topics of study while in this program
- Your research, practice, or lived experiences influencing your pursuit of a PhD
- Your interests and/or prior experience with teaching or training
- Your commitment to advancing social work values, social justice, and equity
- Your post-doctoral career goals, within and/or beyond academia
- Submit 1-2 recent writing sample. The aim is to demonstrate your interest in and capacity for scholarly and/or systematic inquiry or argumentation related to a topic of interest to social work or social research more broadly. For example, you may submit any of the following:
- A peer-reviewed journal article
- An excerpt from a thesis or honors paper
- A term paper (such as a research or policy paper)
- A sole-authored piece published on an online platform (e.g., a blog post)
- A technical report (a program or practice evaluation, community needs assessment, research or policy brief, etc.)
Ideally, your primary writing sample is entirely written by you; if you choose to submit a multi- authored sample, please include a memo explaining your contributions to the work.
- Identify three faculty members who are conducting research related to your area of interest and briefly discuss why they would potentially be good advisors or mentors for you, noting any connection you may already have with these faculty members (if applicable). Review the PhD Faculty page and the SSW Faculty publications to explore faculty members and/or research topics or methods that may interest you. (300 words)
- Submit three letters of recommendation. At least two references should specifically address your potential and readiness for doctoral-level academic work; this includes, for example, skills and/or experience with writing, teaching, research, and related inquiry and problem-solving, as well as qualities like persistence, curiosity, maturity, empathy, leadership, and independence. All references should address your professionalism, including your ability to complete tasks in a timely manner with high quality. Your references will submit their letter of recommendation online.
- Complete your employment history and resume. Your resume or CV would typically include
- Any work experience in social work, or related professional helping fields, including volunteer activities.
- Educational history.
- If applicable, honors, scholarships, and prizes received at academic institutions and/or employment.
- If applicable, citations for publications and presentations at professional conferences/ symposia.
- Disclose other graduate programs to which you are applying. (This is optional; we ask because it helps in scheduling and decision-making around admission).
- Provide your research interests and research experience. (In less than three sentences, please describe areas of professional research interests.)
- List previous research courses you have completed.
International Applicants Must Submit Additional Materials
- Submit copies of official degree certificate/diploma.
- Submit certified translation of transcript.
- Provide evidence of English Language Proficiency Requirements.
- Provide financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study.
Submit certified translation of transcripts »
Submit evidence of English language proficiency »
Contact
Jennifer Blakeslee, PhD
Program Director and Research Associate Professor
(503) 725-8389
Thet Mar Win, M.Ed. »
Administration Specialist
(503) 725-8065
SSWPHD@pdx.edu »
PhD Program in Social Work and Social Research