Statement of Purpose: Plan of Doctoral Study

The Doctoral Committee considers your Statement of Purpose: Plan of Doctoral Study to be a major part of your application. All members of the Doctoral Committee will independently review your application, Statement of Purpose: Plan of Doctoral Study, Letters of Recommendation, and other admissions materials.

Although factors such as grade point average, along with your work and volunteer experiences are important; who you are and why you want to enroll in a doctoral program are of particular interest to program faculty.

Instructions: Please respond to the questions listed in the four broad areas below. The length of your plan should be approximately 4-6, double-spaced, typed pages. Please include your name and page number as a header on each page.

Career Goals

Describe your career goals in social work and how a doctoral degree in social work will further those goals. Please state whether you plan to enroll on a part-time or full-time basis. If you plan to enroll full time, please clarify whether you hope to receive funding from the School and whether you plan to work part or full time while enrolled. Describe any relevant financial supports in place to assist you.

Areas of Interests & Research Ideas

What are your areas of interest and your ideas for research? If you have plans for dissertation research, please describe them. Identify any faculty members that share your areas of interest.

Areas for Improvement & Strengths

What are your scholarly and professional areas for improvement, as you perceive them? Please describe scholarly and professional strengths and abilities that you believe will facilitate your success as a doctoral student.

Writing Samples

Please supply the Doctoral Committee with two (2) samples of your scholarly writing that best illustrate your capacity for analytic and critical thinking. The sample may include a paper previously written as an undergraduate or graduate student. In your Statement of Purpose: Plan of Doctoral Study, briefly describe why your writing samples are representative of your capacity for analytic and critical thinking.