Overview

Social Work students develop core competencies that are integral to contemporary social work practice, teaching, and research.

The critical linkages between social work and social science research, theory, and practice build upon our faculty strengths and expertise, and grow through interdisciplinary collaborations and expertise in areas such as health, mental health, trauma, addictions, child welfare, and aging.

The PhD in Social Work program at Boston University offers an opportunity for students to work with, and learn from, these leaders and to pursue a multi-method and highly individualized course of study.

What you will learn

The core curriculum requires a mixed methods foundation, grounding in social work values and a social justice lens, and training in teaching excellence.

Student knowledge is deepened through hands-on teaching-practicum experience, the development of a specialization area, and mentored research training. These integrated experiences provide a rich educational foundation for social work leadership in academic, policy, research, and practice arenas.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Social Justice, Ethics, and the Social Work Profession
Proseminar in Social Work
Perspectives on Social Welfare Policy
Contemporary Social Problems: Capstone
Dissertation Seminar

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-09-03 00:00:00

Application deadline not specified.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

Credits

63 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Social Work View 78 other PhDs in Social Work in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Boston University and/or in United States, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

$95 non-refundable application fee paid by credit card to electronically submit your application
Personal statement
Writing sample
Current résumé or CV
Three recommendations
Transcripts
Study Abroad
Foreign Transcripts
Standardized Test Scores Are No Longer Required

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

63798 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 63798 USD per year during 48 months.
National

63798 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 63798 USD per year during 48 months.
In-State

63798 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 63798 USD per year during 48 months.

Living costs for Boston

1560 - 3239 USD /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Social Work.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About