Apply for the PhD in Social Work We’re glad you’re ready to take the next step towards joining the Brown School community! The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis admits one class each year for the fall semester. Please note the following dates and deadlines for PhD admissions: Application Opens – September 1 Application Deadline – December 1 Decisions Released– March Read more about the admissions timeline. Admissions Criteria Our highly competitive doctoral program in social work provides the nation and the world with some of the profession’s best scholars, teachers, and researchers. We review all applications holistically, assessing an individual’s overall preparation for rigorous doctoral study. Students entering the PhD program must have a master’s degree or equivalent in social work or a related discipline from an accredited college or university. Application Requirements Please review the following instructions carefully prior to beginning your application. The Brown School promotes a self-managed application process; it is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application and ensure the timely submission of all required materials. Your submitted application will be considered fully complete and placed under review once all application requirements are met. Apply Now Click on each application requirement to learn more. TranscriptsApplicants are required to demonstrate successful completion of a master’s degree (or degree in-progress*) in social work or a related discipline from a regionally accredited college or university. Unofficial electronic or scanned student-issued copies of transcripts must be provided with the application. Record your academic institution(s) and upload your unofficial transcript(s) in the Academic History section. You must report all institutions where 6 or more credit hours have been completed towards your undergraduate and graduate degrees. Unofficial transcripts must provide the institution name, applicant name, dates of attendance, grades received for each course taken in all terms attended, degree information, and transcript key or interpretation guide. *In-Progress transcripts: If you have not yet completed your master’s degree or equivalent at the time of application, please provide unofficial transcripts showing the work you have completed to date. Any offer of admission is contingent upon the successful completion of your degree. Admitted students are required to provide final official transcripts from the institutions that conferred their undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Brown School reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission if discrepancies are found between your uploaded unofficial documents and official educational documents. Foreign Transcripts: Applicants earning a degree outside of the U.S. or English-speaking Canada must provide a certified foreign credential evaluation. Applicants may provide a credential evaluation report from any NACES member organization. Brown School applicants are eligible to receive a discounted rate and expedited services with our preferred evaluation partner, SpanTran: TEC. Additional information about the foreign credential evaluation requirement can be found on the International Applicant page. Statement of Purpose and ObjectivesProvide a personal statement discussing your interest in social work and significant factors influencing your decision to pursue your doctorate education at the Brown School, including proposed research topics, career goals, and how you feel faculty members, research centers, or other opportunities at the Brown School will be conducive to meeting your short- and long-term goals. Your essay should be approximately 2-3 pages, single-spaced (1500 words maximum), and specifically tailored to your application for the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Upload to the Application Materials section of the application. Resume or CVIn addition to completing the ‘Experience’ and ‘Awards and Honors’ sections of the application, you must provide a comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae highlighting your experiences, skills, awards, and accomplishments. Upload to the Application Materials section of the application. Letters of RecommendationThree (3) letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic colleagues are required. You will be asked to provide contact information in the application. Your recommenders will receive an email with instructions for completing the recommendation form and uploading a recommendation letter through our online system. Recommendations must be submitted through our online system. Please monitor the submission of your recommendations to ensure they are received by the stated application deadline. $50 Non-Refundable Application FeeThe application fee must be paid by credit or debit card in the online application. All major credit cards are accepted. The application fee is automatically waived for applicants meeting any of the following criteria, as demonstrated in the application: Current Washington University students Active duty, reservists, or veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces Member or alum of a national volunteer service corps organization (AmeriCorps, City Year, Peace Corps, TFA, etc.) Participant in an academic pipeline to post-baccalaureate outreach program or scholars organization (Bonner Foundation, Coro Fellows, Fulbright, Gates Millennium Scholars, McNair Scholars, etc.) The Brown School’s Social Work Doctoral Program Office will consider application fee waivers for financial hardship or other extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis upon request. Please contact phdsw@wustl.edu. Standardized TestingThe Brown School does not require a graduate entrance exam, such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), for admission to the PhD program. International students are required to provide official English language proficiency test scores. Additional information about the language proficiency requirement can be found on the International Applicant page.