Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD – AU24
Application Due Date
• November 26 – All applicants
• All components of the application
must be received and suitable for
review by November 26. Late or
incomplete applications cannot
be considered.
Summary list of Application Materials
• Ohio State Graduate Application
or Transfer of Graduate Program
application/form
• Social Work PhD and MSW-PhD
Admission and Funding
Application form
• Resume or CV
• MSW Statement and PhD
Statement
• ASAP applicants only -
Documentation of Field
Practicum Performance (email to
the PhD Program Office)
• Academic or Professional Writing
Sample
• English Scores (International
applicants)
• Three Letters of
Recommendation
• Transcripts from all post-
secondary institutions attended
Ohio State Graduate Application
As an MSW-PhD applicant, you will use
the Social Work Doctor of Philosophy
application.
To apply, go to the Graduate and
Professional Admissions website,
http://gpadmissions.osu.edu/index.html
Select the “Degrees and Programs” tab.
Find “Social Work” then “Doctor of
Philosophy”. Select “Apply” from the left
navigation bar. Select “Apply” under
“Application” in the table.
Follow the instructions and prompts.
NOTE – If you have never been a
graduate student at Ohio State, you
should select “Graduate Level
Application” when prompted. Be
prepared to pay your application fee
when applying.
If you are or have been a graduate
student at Ohio State University select
“Graduate Intra-University Transfer”
when prompted.
Finally, have the information you will
need for your application as well as your
application documents ready. You will
be able to upload these documents at
this time.
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
Uploading Documents
It is recommended that you upload all
your documents when completing the
on-line application. However, if you
were not able to do so or you are a
Graduate Intra-University Transfer
applicant, you may use the Admissions
Uploader. From the main Graduate and
Professional Admissions website, select
the “Helpful resources” tab. Choose
“Upload documents” from the
dropdown menu on the tab, from the
left navigation pane, or the standout
box “Upload now”. Follow the
instructions.
If you are unable to use the Document
Uploader, please contact the PhD
program. If you need to upload the
Documentation of Field Practicum
Performance, email that document to
the PhD Program Office.
Questions about the On-line
Application
Graduate and Professional Admissions
manages the on-line application system.
Please direct your questions about this
system to them. Select the “Helpful
resources” tab, then select “Contact us”
from the dropdown menu or the left
navigation pane.
Direct questions about your application
materials to the PhD Program Office.
Identify Your Documents
Please be sure that every document you
submit has your name on it somewhere
and follow document identification
instructions for specific documents. This
will help us to keep your documents
with your application. It is
recommended that you also keep copies
of every document you submit, so
should you need to resubmit, you will be
able to do so easily.
Social Work PhD and MSW-PhD
Admission and Funding Application
Form
The Social Work PhD and MSW-PhD
Admission and Funding Application
form is divided into two sections. The
first section is required for admission
consideration. The second section
concerns funding and is required if you
wish to be considered for Social Work
funding. Students must be full time in
order to hold a Graduate Associate (GA)
position at Ohio State. Please see the
form for details about funding.
You can find this and other forms and
links at the bottom of the “PhD Program
Admissions” page of the Social Work
website.
https://csw.osu.edu/phd/admissions/
Resume
You may submit a resume or CV. Your
resume or CV should contain current
email and phone contact information.
Background and Professional Goals
Statement
The Background and Professional Goals
Statement ties together your application
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
and provides the admission committee
with insight into your qualifications and
reason for pursuing the MSW-PhD in
Social Work at the Ohio State
University. It is given considerable
weight and should be prepared with
great care.
As an MSW-PhD applicant please
prepare a two-part statement. The first
part will address the MSW program and
the second part will address the PhD
program. Please Label the sections of
your statement as: Part 1 – MSW; Part
2 - PhD.
Document Format for both Part 1 MSW
and Part 2 PhD:
• Double-spaced, typed, 12pt font
• 4-5 pages for Part 1 MSW and up to
6 pages Part 2 - PhD– be detailed
and concise
• Your name and program (MSW-PhD
from the bachelor’s or MSW-PhD
from the Master’s) on the header or
footer of each page.
Content Instructions - Part 1 – MSW:
Please use a formal writing style and
provide headers for the following
prompts.
1. Engagement: When choosing a
career plan and graduate program, one
should make sure that the core values of
the profession and program align with
their core values. Please address the
following questions:
• What is the reason you want to
pursue a Master’s level degree in Social
Work? Please discuss your knowledge,
understanding, and motivation for
pursuing your MSW. This response
could also include but is not limited to
volunteer/work experience.
• Why is the MSW Program at Ohio
State the ideal program for you?
2. Balance: The MSW Program at Ohio
State has a classroom and field
education component. To be successful
in the MSW Program, students must be
able to balance rigorous coursework
and clinical field placement
responsibilities with their own personal
and professional commitments. MSW I
students are required to complete 224
hours in their foundation field practicum
hours and MSW II/ASAP students must
complete 672 hours for their advanced
field practicum hours. Based upon this
information, please discuss the
following:
• Why you are applying to the specific
sub plan (Online vs. on-campus;
advanced standing vs. traditional; part-
time vs. full-time) and why you feel it is
a good fit for you.
• Describe strategies you use to
manage multiple commitments and
related stress.
• Provide a concrete example of how
you use your time and stress
management skills
• How will these skills allow you to be
successful in the MSW Program?
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
3. Diversity and Implicit Bias: Social
Workers commonly work with
individuals, groups and communities
that they are not a member. We all have
implicit biases. As a result, it is
important for Social Workers to address
personal biases that will impact their
ability to effectively work with diverse
populations.
• Describe a time you had to work
through a personal bias that you held.
What was the outcome?
• How do you plan to address any
personal biases?
4. Human Rights: The National
Association of Social Workers identifies
Social Justice as one their six core
values. As a result, Social Workers are
challenged to advocate for social justice
for vulnerable populations.
• As a Social Worker, how do you
envision embracing this core value?
• Write about a social justice issue you
are passionate about and describe why
the issue resonates with you?
5. Academic* (Required only if
cumulative GPA is below a 3.00):
Describe what contributed to your
academic challenges in your previous
education and what measures you will
take to be successful in the Master of
Social Work program.
6. Evaluation and Research Interests: *
(Required only if applying for fellowship
funding): Describe any research
experience and related interests.
Summarize any achievements and/or
honors you have received related to
academics and/or community service.
Part 2 – PhD
The PhD section focuses on your
background, qualifications, and
aspirations for the PhD.
Content Instructions – Part 2 PhD:
• Your statement should be written in
an essay format, rather than as
responses to questions as we want
to see how well you write and
synthesize material.
• In your statement essay, be sure to
include the information requested in
the statement prompts. Weave in
where appropriate information
requested in question 6 of the MSW
section of your statement.
• In your introductory paragraph or
sentence, state your name and
indicate the specific program that
you are applying to. Program options
are:
o MSW-PhD from the master’s
o MSW-PhD from the
bachelor’s
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
Part 2 PhD - Statement Prompts:
1) Background – Undergraduate and
graduate education; relevant social
work employment and related
practice experience, and
professional activities.
Please provide a succinct summary of your
background including undergraduate and
graduate education, relevant social work
employment and related practice
experience, and professional activities. If
you do not have a social work background,
please describe employment, volunteer or
professional experiences that support your
application to the PhD program in social
work.
2)
Reasons for pursuing a PhD in the
field of social work and how the
degree fits into your career goals as
a social work researcher and
educator.
The PhD program in the College of Social
Work prepares students to be researchers
and educators, either as faculty members at
universities or in research positions in the
public or private sectors. Please tell us how
a PhD from our program fits into your
career goals.
3) Specific research interests and
focus as well as potential
contributions of your research to
social work
Although students’ research interests can
evolve while they are in the PhD program,
we would like to hear what your current
research interests are. What population are
you interested in studying? (e.g., age group,
problem area, settings, aspect of mental,
physical, or developmental well-being). Are
you interested in societal-level,
organizational-level, and/or individual-level
issues? What area of social work practice
do you hope to improve through your future
research? Your interest should be focused
(e.g., “mental health needs of homeless
adolescents” instead of “adolescents”)
4) Detailed description of your
research experiences and training
including specific research-related
activities on research projects to
which you have contributed.
To be successful in our PhD program,
students should have an idea of what social
work research is and whether they want to
do research as part of their career. While
the PhD program does not expect
applicants to be proficient in research skills,
we look for applicants who have had some
research-related experience. Please be
specific about your research experiences.
What projects did you work on? In what
setting did you do research? What
specifically was your role? What specific
research tasks were you responsible for?
What quantitative or qualitative methods
did you use?
If you do not have prior research
experience, please provide your rationale
for why you are prepared to become a
researcher.
5) Information on research method
and statistics courses that you have
taken
The PhD curriculum includes required
research methods and statistics courses.
We look for applicants who have had at
least some experience with statistics, either
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
as part of research activity or coursework.
Please tell us about any math, statistics, or
research method courses that you have
taken as well as other research experiences
you have had. Are you prepared to take
research methods or statistics methods
courses?
If you have not taken any research methods
or statistics courses, please provide your
rationale for why you expect to do well in
those courses.
6) Details of your scholarly and
professional works including a
thesis and/or other published or
unpublished writings.
Professional writing is an important skill for
researchers and academics because of
expectations regarding the publication of
scholarly articles and the generation of
research reports. Please tell us about any
experience you have with scholarly or
professional writing.
If you do not have any experience with
scholarly or professional writing, please
provide your rationale for why you are
prepared to undertake scholarly writing.
7) Identify and provide a rationale for
potential College of Social Work
faculty mentors who can support
your research interests.
Working with faculty mentors in your area
of research focus is a significant part of
doctoral education. Faculty members also
serve as supervisors of your graduate
research assistantship as well as candidacy
and dissertation committees. Please look at
the OSU College of Social Work website
and identify one or more faculty
who are
doing research in your areas of interest and
can be your potential mentors. Provide your
rationale for identifying these faculty
members as your potential mentors.
8) Reasons for pursuing the PhD in
Social Work at The Ohio State
University.
There are many social work PhD programs
in the country. After looking at the College
of Social Work website or talking to others
who know about our program, what
characteristics of our program make you
interested in pursuing your PhD in Social
Work at Ohio State?
9) Potential contribution to human
well-being across the US and world
populations through research
based on your social work
professional or volunteer
experiences, and/or research focus.
NASW provides a Code of Ethics for the
social work profession, which includes
social justice. As such, social work research
abides by our professional Code of Ethics.
Social work encourages community-
engaged research activities that promote
NASW ethical standards and contribute to
the well-being of people from a variety of
backgrounds, life experiences, and
circumstances. Please tell us about how
your social work professional or volunteer
experiences, interests, and research would
contribute to improving the lives of people
from a variety of backgrounds, life
experiences, and circumstances.
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
For ASAP Applicants Only
Documentation of Field Practicum
Performance
• Copy of most recent graded Field
Evaluation; OR
• Letter summarizing performance
(see Letters of Recommendation
– ASAP applicants)
• If unable to upload, please email
this document to the PhD
Program Office –
Writing Sample
• Written solely by you
• Demonstrates your ability to write
and think analytically
• A research paper or academic
writing is preferred.
• You may submit a sample from your
previous coursework or employment
or write a paper for this purpose.
• Format: Include your name and
Program (MSW-PhD from the
bachelor’s or MSW-PhD from the
master’s) on the header and footer
of each page.
Three Letters of Recommendation
• The submission of Letters of
Recommendation is managed
through Ohio State University’s on-
line application. For information
about this process, questions, and
troubleshooting, please go to the
Graduate and Professional
Admission’s website. Select the
“Graduate Admissions” tab. Select
“Steps to Apply”. Select “4. Prepare
required materials” from the left
navigation pane. Expand “Letters of
recommendation FAQs”
• Whether the recommender
completes the form on-line
(preferred) or via “paper”, the
attached letters should be formal
and preferably on letterhead
stationery.
• Recommenders should have a
background that is appropriate for
addressing your suitability for both
the MSW and PhD programs and
your suitability for both a
professional and research career.
o ASAP applicants, please also
submit the most recent
graded field placement
evaluation or learning
agreement or submit a letter
of recommendation (4
th
letter)
from your field instructor, co-
instructor, field director, or a
field representative familiar
with your performance in your
field practicum.
• As the applicant, you are responsible
for obtaining references and
confirming that forms and letters are
sent and received.
Transcripts
• The submission of transcripts and
transcript policies are managed by
Graduate and Professional
Admissions. Please read the
information on Transcripts. Select
the “Helpful resources” tab. Then
select “Additional resources” and
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
then “Transcripts” from the
navigation pane.
• If you are a current or former Ohio
State graduate student, you need to
submit only transcripts not currently
on file. Please check with your
previous department and the PhD
program office to find out which
transcripts are on file. Make sure that
transcripts on file are the final or
most recent transcripts for that
institution.
• As the applicant, you are responsible
to follow all Graduate and
Professional Admissions policies and
procedures for submitting
Transcripts. You are also responsible
for making sure that transcripts have
been submitted and received.
Coursework
MSW-PhD applicants whose highest
degree is a bachelor’s must have a B- or
better in both a statistics and a research
course for admission consideration.
GPA
• The Graduate School requires a GPA
of 3.0 or higher for all graduate
applicants for their “last degree
relevant to the program of study
earned.” (Graduate School
Handbook 2.2). For the MSW and
PhD Programs, this excludes an
Associate’s degree.
• If you are an MSW-PhD applicant
whose highest degree is a
bachelor’s, the College of Social
Work MSW-PhD program requires a
3.5 or higher undergraduate GPA for
admission consideration.
• If you are an MSW-PhD applicant
with a master’s degree and your
cumulative GPA for your “last
degree relevant to the program of
study” (Graduate School Handbook
2.2) is below 3.0, but you think you
would otherwise be a competitive
applicant and would like to apply,
please contact the PhD program.
TOEFL/English Proficiency for
International Student Admission
Please follow the requirements outlined
by Graduate and Professional
Admissions on their website. Please
select the “International” tab for these
requirements and policies.
Forms
Links to forms can be found on the
“PhD Program Admissions” page on the
Social Work website -
https://csw.osu.edu/phd/admissions/
Graduate Admissions Forms and
information can be found on the
Graduate and Professional Admissions
website -
http://gpadmissions.osu.edu/index.html
Summary Criteria for MSW-PhD
Applicants from the Bachelor’s
Applicants whose highest degree is a
bachelor’s need to meet the following
criteria in order to be considered for
admission to the MSW-PhD:
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
• 3.5 cumulative undergraduate
GPA
• Coursework
o Research course – B- or
higher
o Statistics course – B- or
higher
Applicants who do not meet these
criteria will be referred to the MSW
program prior to admission review.
Advanced Standing Alternative Plan
(ASAP) Eligibility Requirements
• Bachelor of Social Work within
the last five years from a college
or university accredited by the
Council of Social Work Education
(CSWE).
• “B” or better in all social work
required courses (a “B minus”
does not meet the eligibility
requirements)
• Cumulative grade-point average
(GPA) of 3.0 or higher (based on
a 4.0 grading system) for a
Bachelor of Social Work degree.
• Successful completion of the field
practicum; students will need to
upload/provide their field
evaluation/learning agreement
from their undergraduate
program. A letter from the field
instructor can be used in place of
the field evaluation/learning
agreement. However, this does
not take the place of the required
three letters of recommendation.
If you are unable to upload this
item, please email it to the PhD
Program Office –
Review
As an applicant to the MSW-PhD
program, your application will be
reviewed for both the MSW and PhD
programs. You do not need to submit
separate applications for these
programs. If you are admitted to the
MSW, but not the PhD, your application
will be referred to the MSW program
and you will need to inform the MSW
program if you would like to pursue the
MSW. Instructions will be in your notice
from the College of Social Work.
MSW Scholarships
You may be eligible for some MSW
scholarships. If interested, please reach
out the cswadmissions@osu.edu to
request a scholarship application form
after Oct. 1, 2023.
Contact Us
Jennifer Nakayama –
Phone (614-292-6188) and Zoom and
Skype appointments can be requested
via email.
http://csw.osu.edu/phd/
College of Social Work
PhD Program Office 1947 College Road
Columbus, OH 43210
MSW Program -
https://csw.osu.edu/masters/
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Instructions: Application to the MSW-PhD in Social Work, The Ohio State University
College of Social Work MSW-PhD Application Check Sheet
Use this sheet or create your own to track your application submission progress.
Item
Keep track of - date submitted; how or to whom
submitted; item details and any additional
notes that you have.
☐ Ohio State on-line
Application Form
☐
PhD and MSW-PhD
Admissions and Funding
Application form
☐
Resume or CV
☐
Background And
Professional Goals Statement
Part 1 MSW and Part 2 - PhD
☐
ASAP applicants
Field Evaluation or Letter
☐
Writing Sample
☐
Letter Of
Recommendation 1
☐
Letter Of
Recommendation 2
☐
Letter Of
Recommendation 3
☐ Undergraduate
Transcripts
☐
Graduate Transcripts
☐
TOEFL/English proficiency
(International)
☐
Misc.
Additional Notes
