All applications and all application materials for graduate study at the University of Kentucky must be submitted on-line.
The first step in the process is to set up a new account and establish a username and password. Do not lose this information; you will need it if you wish to return to continue an unfinished application or later to review your completed application.
Admissions Timeline
Applications for Fall 2026 are being accepted now. Applicants requesting assistantship funding must submit their application no later than February 2, 2026. All other applications can be submitted until April 15, 2026.
Financial Assistance
Funding for PhD students changes from year-to-year. Fully funded positions are contingent upon several factors: available monies, goodness of fit between students and faculty members’ expertise and capacity to mentor, our commitment to current funded students, potential of applicant to contribute to the research and teaching mission of the CoSW, etc.
Funded positions for PhD students most often comprise of nine-month Teaching Assistantships (TA) or Research Assistantships (RA) that include a stipend, tuition reimbursement and health insurance. Funded teaching and research assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Assistantships require 20 hours/ week of work from the student.
College-wide scholarships are also another funding option for PhD students. These scholarships are typically smaller amounts of money (useful to cover the costs of books, etc.) that will not cover tuition or living expenses.
Fellowships are non-service awards made to students to assist in the pursuit of an advanced degree. This award includes a monthly stipend and typically covers tuition costs. Fellowships are awarded by The Graduate School on a university-wide competitive basis. The Director of Graduate Studies is responsible for nominating students for these awards to the Graduate School. However, a few fellowships are open by self-nomination. Consult the Graduate School’s website for more information. There are numerous opportunities for social work PhD students to receive fellowships, scholarships, and grants from outside sources.
If you wish to apply for a teaching or research assistantship, please write a cover letter expressing your interest in an assistantship. Outline any skills or abilities you can bring to an assistantship position. This letter should be uploaded with your application. If there is one faculty member you’d especially like to work with, mention that in the letter.
Application Materials
Transcripts
You will be asked to upload copies of transcripts from all higher education institutions attended and, in the case of domestic students, to self-report cumulative GPAs for each institution. If you are offered admission and decide to enroll, you will then be required to submit official transcripts to the Graduate School.
Applicants to the PhD program must have a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Although the MSW is typical of most social work PhD students, we do accept students with related master’s degrees.
Letters of Recommendation
The PhD Program at the University of Kentucky requires applicants to provide three letters of reference that address their potential for success in a research-oriented doctoral program and aptitude for research and teaching. Recommendations from individuals who have supervised your research and scholarly work (e.g., research project supervisors, thesis advisors, professors) tend to be the most useful to the admissions committee and should comprise the majority of the letters.
Please exclude personal, pastoral and relative references. If you graduated within the past 5 years, you must provide at least one academic reference.
As part of the online application you will be asked to supply email contact information for your three references. Once your application has been submitted, the system will contact each person identified and their recommendations will be submitted electronically directly to us. You can check back into your application at any time to see who has submitted a recommendation.
Submission of Original Writing
As you are applying to a graduate level program in the College of Social Work, your application materials will be reviewed using multiple metrics for admission. The CoSW is dedicated to providing a holistic application review to ensure readiness for graduate level work. It is imperative to submit writing pieces that are your own work to get a sense of your writing ability in mechanics, voice, and critical thought. The use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) in writing any portion of the application is prohibited. Applications with suspected AI use will be required to submit an additional writing piece and/or be subject to disqualification for an admission decision.
Personal Statement (uploaded electronic document)
Your statement should be no more than 5 pages, double-spaced, and must address the following prompts:
- Describe your motivation for pursuing a PhD in social work.
- Articulate what specifically attracts you to the University of Kentucky social work PhD program specifically.
- Describe your career goals and how a PhD in social work would help you achieve those goals.
- Describe the primary areas of research that you would like to explore during your PhD training and articulate the significance of these lines of inquiry to social work.
- Identify up to three UK CoSW faculty whose research aligns with your area of interest (topic, theory, method, etc.). You can review the profiles of assistant, associate, and full professors here.
- Describe any other factors that should be considered in the evaluation of your application.
Additional Documentation
A current resume or CV is required.
Writing Sample
Applicants to the PhD program must submit a recent, single-authored scholar writing sample. The sample should provide evidence of writing ability, creative and critical thinking, and potential for independent research. The submission should be a “clean” copy (i.e., free of editorial markings).
The following are examples of appropriate submissions of scholarly writing:
- Published article or book chapter
- Master’s thesis
- Unpublished research report or white paper
- Term paper written in an upper-level graduate course
- Grant application
Letter Requesting Consideration for an Assistantship (if applicable)
See details above about what to include in a funding request letter.
Application Fee (must be paid before you can submit your application)
Application Review Process
Applications will undergo an independent review by the PhD Program Director and at least two members of the CoSW Doctoral Programs Committee. Applicants will also be evaluated by potential faculty mentors (whom students identify in their personal statements). Applicants may be asked to meet with potential faculty mentors and/ or members of the Doctoral Programs Committee before an admission decision is made.
The Decision Process
Once you submit all of your application materials to the Graduate School online, the Program Director will forward your application to the College’s Doctoral Committee who will make a decision based on objective criteria (e.g., GPA, recommendations, etc.). Those who are favorably reviewed and are also requesting funding support may be asked to participate in an interview via Zoom. Generally, we like to complete all of our interviews before the end of April.
For Further Information
If you are considering applying, please call and talk with the Program Director. The director is happy to talk with potential applicants and to answer all questions.
Contact:
Dr. Natalie Pope
natalie.pope1@uky.edu
859-218-2768