Ph.D. in Social Welfare

Admission Requirements

To apply to the Ph.D. in Social Welfare, students must submit:

• A completed application to the University of Mississippi Graduate School
• Evidence of an awarded baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Evidence of an awarded master’s degree in social work from a CSWE accredited program, and a minimum of two years of post-MSW professional experience is recommended (this can include Micro, Mezzo, or Macro practice experience)*
• A cumulative grade point average (last 60 hours) of at least 3.0 at the baccalaureate level and at least 3.2 at the graduate level is required; however, a higher grade point average is recommended
• Personal statement of purpose. A double-spaced, typed statement of approximately 4–6 pages should describe the candidate’s interest in pursuing a doctoral degree in social welfare, areas of research interest, academic and professional goals, and how joining the graduate program will help the candidate meet these goals.
• Three (3) letters of reference. At least one should be an academic reference (e.g., professor); two others can be professional (e.g., colleagues and supervisors at agency) who are familiar with the candidate’s academic qualifications and potentials to be successful in a doctoral program.
• Academic (preferred) or professional writing sample. Submit a sample of the candidate’s recent (no more than 2 years prior to the submission date) written work that demonstrates his/her writing and analytic skills, including, but not limited to, a term paper, thesis, publication, capstone paper, professional report, and policy brief. Writing samples should be written in English, but there are no specific formatting requirements.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• International students whose first language is not English must submit a TOFEL score that is 79 or higher on the Internet Based Test.

Student prospects who have not earned a MSW degree or who do not have 2 years of post-MSW professional experience can still be considered for admission. However, the PhD Admissions Committee will review and consider such applications on a case-by-case basis.

To be considered for a graduate assistantship (GA),  a completed application must be submitted by March 1.  

Application Deadline

Application deadline for all applicants is April 1.

The PhD in Social Welfare program in the Department of Social Work at the University of Mississippi is committed to nurturing the next generation of social work educators and researchers so that they contribute to the creation of the knowledge base of our profession and positively impact the lives of our client populations.

The overall learning outcome objectives for doctoral students are as follows:

• To become leaders in examining and addressing the needs of diverse, vulnerable and at- risk populations.
• To contribute to the development and dissemination of knowledge about social work interventions.
• To demonstrate mastery of a broad knowledge base in social work and develop expertise in a specialized field of study germane to each student’s research interests.
• To be able to design and effectively carry out quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methods research investigations.