Admissions to the Doctoral program

Application deadline Admissions requirements Application contents About letters of recommendation Interviews More information Graduate Record Examination Curriculum vitae guide Professional narrative guide Guide for all letters of recommendation Frequently asked questions Helpful Web sites
Contact us For any other questions please contact the doctoral chair or program assistant.

Application deadline

The Doctoral Program admits students only once each year. Applications with all supporting materials (both the Graduate School application and the PhD Program materials) must be postmarked by

January 1

If we can review your completed file in early January, we may be able to nominate you for university fellowships or other university financial assistance.

Late applications

Admissions requirements

1. A master's degree in social work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education;
2. A master's degree in a related discipline*; or
3. Exceptional undergraduate academic performance in social or behavioral science research (for MSW/PhD Continuum only).
   

* Students without a master's degree in social work will complete the requirements for the MSW in a special program while completing the PhD.

Application contents

The UNC-CH Graduate School and the School of Social Work require different pieces of your application. These instructions supersede anything you've read elsewhere.

The following items should be sent to:

1. Application Fee: check or money order if not paid by credit card when applying online ($70)
2. Graduate School Application:
   1. Paper applications can be requested from the graduate school at 919-966-2612
   2. Online printable applications (PDF) or
   3. Online applications (preferred method).

   Please send confirmation receipt for online applications OR both copies of completed paper application or 2 copies of PDF application to the Graduate School. Information on Graduate School admissions can be found at: http://gradschool.unc.edu/students_prospective.html

3. Residency Form: if claiming NC residency for tuition
4. Two Official Copies of Transcripts: for all post-secondary work
5. GRE Exam Scores: No more than five years old (ETS Institutional Code 5816, DEPT 5001).
6. TOEFL Score: for international applicants

The following items should be sent to:

1. Professional Narrative: Signed and Dated
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Letters of Recommendation - Minimum of three - (Recommendation Form)
4. International Financial Certificate: If you are a foreign applicant
5. Sample of Professional Writing

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETING THE FILE.
Applicants must have the complete application and all supporting materials mailed to either the Graduate School or the School of Social Work and postmarked by
January 1 or earlier, if possible.

The Admissions Committee will review only completed admission files. At that time, you will receive a card to that effect from the School of Social Work. If you have not received a "complete" card from the school by February 15, you should assume that items are missing and you can go back to your Graduate School account to see what items are missing.

Your letters of recommendation should be:

1. typed on the recommender's letterhead
2. placed in a sealed envelope with the recommender's signature across the seal
3. enclosed with your application.

If the recommender prefers, or if there is a reason why enclosing them would be inconvenient, the letters can be mailed directly to the Ph.D. Program by the persons writing them.

About Letters of Recommendation

1. your professional experience and performance
2. your intellectual, conceptual, and analytic abilities
3. your interest in, aptitude for, commitment to, and (if applicable) experience with social work research
4. your commitment to social work values

Interviews

In Person

Even though they are not required, you may request a personal interview. If you are coming from a distance, the Doctoral Chair or Administrative Assistant will set up interviews with appropriate faculty and students. If you are in the area, we will provide you with the telephone numbers of people in the program with whom you might make appointments at your, and their, convenience.

Telephone

If distance and expense prohibit your visiting, we can arrange telephone interviews for you with faculty and students in the program.

More Information

For People Without the MSW

We accept applications from people holding master's degrees in related areas and from undergraduates or first-year MSW students with strong preparation in social or behavioral science research and a desire to become a social work researcher. Applicants without the MSW apply to the the MSW/ PhD Continuum, a program that makes it possible to complete the requirements for both the MSW and the PhD degrees with one additional year of coursework.

About Research Experience

In your application narrative, we ask that you show your research interests, the area of social work practice you are interested in, and a few specific research questions. Understanding how your research interests developed will be useful information for those making admission decisions. Because our primary objective is preparing researchers, you will want to show whatever experience you have had with research. If you have participated in research projects, taken courses, or studied and/or used statistics, you will want to describe these in your application.

About Work Experience in Human Services

Ideally, applicants to the PhD program will have two years of work experience after completing the MSW. This acquaints them with how the world looks to practitioners and provides the practical experience from which research interests spring. In addition, two years of post-MSW experience for teachers of practice is required by the Council on Social Work Education as part of their accreditation standards. Even if you don't intend to teach Practice courses in a school of social work, your marketability will be increased by meeting this requirement. If you enter our program without this experience, and wish to obtain it, we can assist you in finding part-time employment in a practice setting in order that the requirement be met.

About Late Applications

The PhD Program will accept and review applications through March 1. If your application or application materials are late, however, your application will be reviewed after those that were postmarked by the January 1 deadline.

About the Writing Sample

A writing sample enables us to assess your ability to conceptualize and write. Appropriate writing to submit includes: professional papers, research proposals, manuals, and term papers. If you have none of these at hand, you could submit documents such as case reviews, brochures, or newsletters.

The Graduate Record Examination

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for all applicants to the Social Work PhD Program. If you have taken the GRE but your scores are more than five years old, you will need to retake the exam. Remember that your application file must be completed by January 1, and it takes approximately 2-3 weeks for your scores to get to us from the Educational Testing Service. The sooner your GRE scores get to us, the sooner your application will be considered.

Information on testing, exam registration, and score distribution is available by calling 1-866-473-4373 or at the ETS/GRE Web site, http://www.ets.org.

If you did not specify the UNC-CH Graduate School as a score recipient at the time of taking the test, or if your scores were sent more than one year ago, you will need to ask the Educational Testing Service send your scores to us. (ETS Institutional Code R5816 and Departmental Code 5001). While photocopies of score reports are useful for informal evaluation, the official report of your score must arrive before admission can be offered.

If you are taking the GRE now, you may be experiencing some anxiety. This is not surprising, especially if you graduated from college some years ago. Please remember that the Graduate Record Examination is only one factor we consider in assessing your application. Research suggests that your confidence and your score can be raised and your anxiety level lowered by preparing yourself for the GRE. We want to encourage you to take one of the GRE preparation courses, or to use one of the many books that help you prepare for the exam. We suggest you start preparation for the exam as soon as possible. At http://www.ets.org/, you will find information on computer software and books to help you prepare for the examination. If you do not have Internet access, here are titles of some resources:

GRE POWERPREP Software: Test Preparation for the GRE General Test

Practicing to Take the GRE General Test: 10th Edition

Please note that this preparation will pay off not only in your GRE scores, but also in your building the verbal and quantitative skills you need to excel in your doctoral studies.

Curriculum Vitae Guide

Below is a sample format for your curriculum vitae. Although it is not necessary for you to follow this format, it is necessary that you include all the information listed. Type on white paper and limit your vita to five pages or less if possible.

Mailing Address

Areas of Special Interest

Education: Institution(s) and the dates you attended. Identify your degree(s) and major(s) and minor(s). Begin with your most recent degree.

Continuing Education: List the most significant continuing education experiences that you have had in the last ten years.

Paid Employment History: List your most significant and relevant paid social work or human services experiences in chronological order, beginning with the most recent. Identify the employer and the location of this employment, the beginning and ending dates, and a brief 2-3 line job description. (See "About Work Experience in Human Services" under the section "More Information.")

Volunteer Experiences: List your most significant and relevant volunteer social work or human services experiences in chronological order, beginning with the most recent. Identify the agency and its location, the beginning and ending dates, and a brief (2-3) line description of your responsibilities and activities.

Honors and Awards: Identify any academic honors or awards that you have received from a community, service, or social group.

Professional Affiliations/Licensure: List professional associations in which you hold membership (e.g., NASW), as well as any advanced certifications that you have received (e.g., state licensure for the practice of social work, AAMFT).

Research and Evaluation Experiences: (See "About Research Experience" under the section "More Information.") List any research and evaluation experiences in which you have participated, including a description of your position, beginning and ending dates, and responsibilities.

Teaching Experiences: List any courses that you have taught at either a community college or university level, including the title, level, beginning and ending dates, a brief course description, and the educational institution at which it was taught.

Paper Presentations at Conferences: List the titles of papers that you have presented at national, state or other conferences over the last five years, including date, sponsor of conference, and any co-authors or co-presenters.

Publications: List publications on which you have been listed as an author, including journal articles, books, book chapters, technical reports, magazine or newsletter articles, contract or grant applications, and program manuals. Please follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Fifth Edition) for style. (APA style resources: http://www.psychwww.com/resource/apacrib.htm)

Professional Narrative Guide

The PhD Program in Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is designed to produce graduates who are capable of building and testing explanatory and practice theory to guide social interventions in social work. It includes thorough training in research methodology and data analysis for addressing both basic and applied research questions. It is not designed to add to clinical or practice skills. It is anticipated that graduates of the program will pursue careers involving scholarly activity and basic and applied research in either academic, research, or policy settings.

Students define a specialized area of study that both focuses their studies and assignments and guides their selection of their research experiences. The specialized area can be a field of practice, a practice method, or specific issues within either of these.

Because we feel that students can best achieve their goals for doctoral education when there is a fit between their interests and the resources of the School of Social Work and the wider university community, we ask students to prepare a personal narrative that focuses in some detail on all the questions below.

Please restate the question before each answer.
This narrative is one of the most important parts of your admissions folder.

SIGN AND DATE the typed copy that you submit.
(Please limit your response to no more than 10 double-spaced pages.)

Consider the Professional Narrative your opportunity to communicate with the Admissions Committee members about yourself.

1. What experiences have led you to seek a research career?
2. What specialized area(s) of study within social work are you most interested in pursuing in your doctoral education (i.e., a social problem or issue, a field of practice, a practice method, or some combination of any of these)? What experiences have led you to believe this area is important to pursue?
3. What research problems or questions might you wish to pursue within your specialized area of study? ( PLEASE DISCUSS FULLY AND TRY TO BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE.)
4. What do you envision as your long-range contribution to the development of the social work knowledge base?
5. What are your career goals and plans after receiving your PhD in social work, and how will this degree contribute to your ability to realize these goals and plans?
6. There are more than 50 universities in the United States that offer a doctoral degree in social work. What do you consider the most important criteria in selecting a doctoral program in social work, and why have you chosen to apply for the PhD program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
7. We expect students to enroll full-time (9 or more hours) and to hold half-time assistantships. Priority in admissions is given to students who are able to enroll full-time for the first two years of study. Only full-time students will be eligible for financial support. If your intention is not to enroll full-time, please provide rationale for this choice.
8. Feel free to share any additional information that you would like to communicate to the Admissions Committee that will help us to better understand your interest in pursuing a PhD in Social Work at UNC-Chapel Hill.

IN ADDITION TO QUESTIONS 1-8, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW IF YOU ARE APPLYING TO THE MSW/Ph.D. CONTINUUM

1. On what are you basing your choice of social work as the field in which to pursue the doctorate? What experiences have you had with the social work profession?
2. Explain how any experiences in paid or volunteer work (such as undergraduate practica, summer camps, extracurricular activities, church groups, and social work jobs) relate to your choice of social work as a profession. Describe relationships and/or other experiences that led you to an interest in entering social work rather than another profession. What are your experiences in giving and receiving help?
3. Do you understand that you must complete the requirements for the MSW degree while working toward your PhD in social work?

IF YOU HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN A RELATED DISCIPLINE

1. How will your social work doctoral study relate to and build on your past master's work?

Guide for All Letters of Recommendation

You may attach your letter, written on your letterhead, to the Graduate School Recommendation Form. Place the letter in an envelope, seal it, and sign your name across the seal. We prefer that it be returned to the applicant for inclusion with the application packet.

If you have a strong preference, you may return your letter of recommendation to:

PhD Program School of Social Work
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
301 Pittsboro Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550

All admission materials must be postmarked by January 1.

The Admissions Committee members will appreciate your comments on these specific points and any others you wish to address.

In your reference letter, please comment on as many of the following as you can:

1. How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
2. What are your perceptions about the applicant's motivations and interest in pursuing social work doctoral education?
3. What is your evaluation of the applicant's ability to analyze and understand complex social problems and issues? Please indicate on what you are basing this evaluation.
4. What is your evaluation of the applicant's interest in and capacity for research, theory building, and evaluation of practice? Please indicate on what you are basing this evaluation.
5. Please identify areas such as work performance, interpersonal competence, and personal characteristics which you believe might either help or hinder the applicant's successful completion of the Doctoral Program.
6. These skills are important for successful performance at the doctoral level: time management, work load management, meeting deadlines, and coordinating a number of complex tasks. Please comment on your knowledge and perception of the applicant's mastery of these skills.
7. If you have knowledge or impressions about the applicant's commitment to the field of social work and its values and his or her understanding of social work processes, we will appreciate your sharing them.
8. Other comments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are my GRE scores high enough for my application to be competitive?

We look at all of the materials that you submit, and do not make our decision on your GRE alone. You should aim for GRE scores above 1000 total for the combined Verbal and Quantitative scores; however, we do consider exceptions. The mean GRE for applicants in previous cohorts admitted has ranged from 1100 to 1300.

What if all of the materials aren't there on January 1?

We will accept missing pieces of your application after January 1. We generally make most of our admissions decisions during March, but some will be made earlier. Even if your application folder is not complete by February 15, you will still be considered for admission when it is complete.

How many students do you admit?

We admit approximately 6-8 students each year, plus two to the MSW./PhD Continuum. The total number of students enrolled in the program is about 35.

Can I get further training for clinical practice as part of your program?

There are a number of other doctoral programs that provide clinical training, but we do not. We are preparing students for research roles in academic settings or in public or private research centers.

What does the Admissions Committee look for?

In addition to what is listed above, the faculty making admissions decisions look for evidence of your understanding of research and some ability to define research questions. Taking a research course, participating in research, and studying statistics are all activities that indicate your seriousness and prepare you for doctoral level study.

Quantitative ability will be important for mastering statistics courses and will also be a consideration in admissions decisions. Preparing for the quantitative part of the GRE, brushing up on your math skills, or taking a statistics course will be good preparation for your statistical work in the doctoral program.

How does financial aid work?

Through research assistantships, we have been able to support every incoming doctoral student at a minimum level of $13,000 for the nine-month academic year (this amount is expected to increase for the fall of 2008). Students have easily been able to find employment on faculty grants after the first year, and usually work full time during the summer on faculty projects.

Each year, we have also successfully nominated outstanding accepted applicants for competitive university fellowships, some of which provide full funding and full tuition.

As they progress, students seek additional funding. Our students have been awarded NIMH and NIDA dissertation fellowships, the Lyons Scholarship, CSWE/NIMH Minority Fellowships, university dissertation fellowships, and fellowships on research training grants in other university departments.

How long does it take to get through the program?

Coursework takes a minimum of five semesters. The qualifying examination and proposal are completed during the sixth semester. How quickly students complete the dissertation depends on how well their work in courses and in research assistantships and the research practicum leads into their dissertation research. Most students have finished in four or five years.

Are there opportunities for interdisciplinary study?

The University of North Carolina strongly supports interdisciplinary study. Our doctoral students design their plans of study to include courses in other disciplines. As their skills develop, students may be able to arrange research assistantships, research practica, or employment with faculty in other programs of the university.

What is the special expertise of faculty? Are there faculty and students with the same research and practice interests as mine?

Faculty and their areas of interest are included on the School of Social Work Web site. A list of current students' research interests and of current faculty projects can be obtained through the Doctoral Administrative Assistant. Faculty research projects are listed under the Jordan Institute for Families.

What kinds of dissertation topics do your students pursue?

The following titles of in-process and completed dissertations give a good picture of student research interests.

Where do your graduates find jobs?

Almost all of our graduates have sought or will seek jobs in schools of social work. The Dean and the faculty make great efforts to help students prepare for the job-seeking process, including facilitating contacts with their colleagues throughout the country. Our graduates have found employment in schools of social work at Columbia University, Florida International University, the University of Connecticut, the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Appalachian State University, University of Kansas, University of Michigan, University of Denver, Loyola University-Chicago, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina, University of Houston, University of Hawaii, Portland State University, University of Kentucky and University of Alabama.

Other Questions

For any other questions please contact the doctoral chair or program assistant.