Admissions Information

Application:

• Complete the YU Application or SocialWorkCAS. The application fee is non-refundable. 

Degree Minimum:

• Master’s degree in social work (MSW) from a CSWE accredited program (preferred) or other master’s equivalent. 

Two Letters of Recommendation:

• Submit two letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate your:
• Critical thinking skills
• Writing abilities
• Potential for success in a research-focused doctoral program
• Potential as a scholar in the social work profession

Requirements:

• At least one letter must be academic, written by a professor or faculty member.
• The second letter is preferably academic as well. However, it may be from a professional reference who can speak to the qualifications listed above.

• Choose recommenders who know your academic and/or professional work well and can provide specific examples of your strengths and potential as a social work researcher. 

Resume:

• Should highlight your career trajectory, degrees, skills, and accomplishments particularly as they relate to social work/social welfare.  

Academic Writing Sample:

• Our PhD students are engaged in answering the research questions that are important to them and their communities. Social work researchers and educators continually debate the profession’s scientific basis. Over the past 20 years, social work leaders have advanced the Grand Challenges as a framework to apply social work research findings to address entrenched social problems through practice and policy.  
• Read this article: Science of social work: public perception (open access) 
• In 500 words, address the following points with APA citations (reference list for citations does not count towards word total): 
• Concisely describe a social problem of interest to you. How does the problem link to one of the Social Work Grand Challenges in the text? 
• How well do you think social work science has addressed the problem? 
• How will your research plans address the social problem? 

*The use of AI in any form is prohibited from being used to write this writing sample.  

Transcripts:

• Please submit unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities where you have earned 9 or more credits. If admitted, we will only require official transcripts from institutions where you have earned a degree (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s) prior to the first day of classes.
• *Transcripts from Yeshiva/seminary study in Israel are NOT required for the application.
• *YU students will need to indicate they attended on the app but will NOT need to upload their transcript. 

One Personal Statement (1000 words maximum):

• Maximum 1000-word count. APA style. Write a personal statement that addresses these topics:
• Areas of research interest 
• Interest in our program 
• Career plans and how this PhD aligns with them  

Addendum (Optional):

• If you wish to provide additional information to the admissions committee, please upload your document as a PDF under the “Additional Information” section of “Supplemental Items & Documents” once you have submitted your application. Uploads can include: a writing sample of an academic paper or other professional written work (e.g. solo published work, professional case study, agency-based report, program design), addressing academic discrepancies, additional qualifications/accomplishments highlighting your candidacy, etc. 

*If we are considering your application for admission into the PhD, an interview will be required. Our Graduate Admissions Office will reach out to the email address on the application with an invitation and additional details. 

► Application:

Complete the YU Application. The application fee is non-refundable. 

► Work Experience:

A minimum of three years supervised post-MSW practice experience

►  Degree Minimum:

Master’s degree in social work (MSW) from a CSWE accredited program or international equivalent. 

► Social Work Licensure:

Applicants are required to have a valid licensure, certification, or registration valid in the state or country in which you are practicing. 

►  Personal Statement:

Write one personal statement responding to the following questions.

1. What factors have contributed to your decision to pursue a clinical doctoral degree in social work at Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

2. Discuss a contemporary social issue with clinical implications you potentially would want to explore further in your clinical doctoral studies.

3. Describe a challenging case or professional situation that you have encountered, where you were in the role of a social work practitioner, supervisor, or administrator. What factors (theoretical framework, practice philosophy or other) guided your assessment and intervention in the situation?

4. Please state professional goals and how they align with the DSW curriculum. 

►  Transcripts:

Please submit unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities where you have earned 9 or more credits. If admitted, we will only require official transcripts from institutions where you have earned a degree (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s) prior to the first day of classes.

*Transcripts from Yeshiva/seminary study in Israel are NOT required for the application. 

*YU students wll need to indicate they attended on the app but will NOT need to upload their transcript. 

*International applicants, please see “International Students” section.

►  Resume/Curriculum Vitae:

Should highlight your career trajectory, degrees, skills, and accomplishments particularly as they relate to social work. 

►  Academic Writing Sample:

A writing sample of academic paper or other profession written work (e.g. solo published work, professional case study, agency-based report, or program design). 

►  Two Letters of Recommendation:

One letter should be academic (from a professor/faculty member at a master’s level or beyond) and the other should be professional (from a direct/former supervisor). If you have been out of school from an extended period of time, you can substitute the academic reference with a professional (direct or former supervisor/someone overseeing your work) . 

►Addendum (Optional):

If you wish to provide additional information to the admissions committee, please upload your document as a PDF under the “Additional Information” section of “Supplemental Items & Documents” once you have submitted your application. Topics can include: addressing academic discrepancies, additional qualifications/accomplishments highlighting your candidacy, etc. 

► International Students:

Transcript Evaluation: If you have earned your degree(s) outside of the U.S. or English-speaking Canada, we will require a NACES approved course-by-course evaluation instead of transcripts. The evaluation must demonstrate that your coursework is equivalent to at least a U.S. bachelor’s degree and show your cumulative GPA on a 4.0 U.S. based scale. 

TOEFL/IELTS: If you have completed your degree outside of an English-speaking institution, we will require TOEFL (90 or above) or IELTS (7.0 or above) test scores.  

We accept the following TOEFL tests: TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Paper Edition, and TOEFL essentials. 

*If we are considering your application for admission into the DSW, an interview will be required. Our Graduate Admissions Office will reach out to the email address on the application with an invitation and additional details. 

*In accordance with CSWE accreditation guidelines, the School does not give academic credit for work, volunteer, or life experience and undergraduate courses. The DSW program does not give academic credit for graduate courses that have been used to fulfill requirements for other degrees. 

Before applying to a Pathways program, contact the Pathways Coordinator at pathways@yu.edu to express your interest and learn more about program requirements, coursework, and the application process. The Pathways Coordinator will also connect you with the graduate program director. Once you are ready to apply, follow the directions below.

*Yeshiva College students MUST be pursuing the Psychology and the Community major.

*Stern College students MUST be pursuing the Shaped major in Human services.

• Application: Complete the YU Application. 
• Personal Statement: What qualities/skills do you possess that would help you succeed in this program and ultimately as a social worker? Please provide up to 4 qualities/skills with specific examples of each in practice within your lived professional and/or personal experiences. The essay should be 500 words maximum in 12 points, Times New Roman font double-spaced. Please focus on quality over quantity.

*We do not accept the use of ChatGPT or any other AI in assisting with drafting the statement.

Letter of Recommendation: Provide one letter of recommendation from an academic professor at YU who you have taken a course with. The reference should be able to attest to your skills and capabilities, especially as they relate to your pursuit of social work studies. Letters from mentors, high school teachers, or friends are not considered appropriate references. 

Transcripts: YU students will need to indicate they attended on the application but will NOT need to upload their transcript. The Graduate Admissions Team will pull from the Banner system.

NOTE: If you are a YU undergraduate, you already have an account. Try the “Forgot your password?” button to access that account. You can also create a new account. If you create a new account and your email address is already in our system, then you’ll be brought to a screen with two options: 

1. You can click “I signed up previously. Please let me sign into my account.” This brings you back to the home screen, where you can click “Forgot your password?” and reset your password. 
2. Or you can click “I have never signed up here before, please create a new account.” This will let you create a new account.