Social Work

• ADMISSION PROCESS

Please note that the admission procedures are the SAME for both the regular standing and the advanced standing programs. The admissions process requires the College of Social Work and the Graduate School both review your application and you must be accepted by both. This entails:
(1) The College’s Admissions Committee reviews your application materials and then forwards a recommendation to the Graduate School.
(2) The Graduate School makes an independent determination based largely upon your transcripts.
(3) The College of Social Work and the Graduate School will email separate letters after your application has been evaluated.

• HOW TO APPLY

All applications for graduate study at the University of Kentucky Graduate School must be submitted online through ApplyYourself. You will need to keep your USERNAME and PASSWORD if you wish to return to continue an unfinished application or review a completed one.
Access the Graduate School Application here.

In order to complete the application, you will need to upload the following five items: 

1. Transcripts:

You will be asked to upload copies of transcripts (unofficial is fine) from all higher education institutions attended and, in the case of domestic students, to self-report cumulative GPA’s 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.
NOTE: no GRE is required.

2. Letters of Recommendation:

The MSW Program at the University of Kentucky requires applicants to provide two references. These references must be obtained from individuals in the following categories:

• Professor
• Professional Social Worker/Field Instructor
• Work or Volunteer Supervisor

Please exclude personal, pastoral and relative references. If you graduated within the past 5 years you must provide at least one academic reference which can include a former instructor, your field supervisor or advisor.

As part of the online application you will be asked to supply email contact information for your two references. Once your application has been submitted, an automated email will be generated for each person identified and their recommendations will be submitted directly to us. You can check back into your application at any time to see who has submitted a recommendation.

3. Personal Statement

Your statement should be approximately three pages in length, double-spaced, and the following topics must be addressed within the narrative:

1. Please describe relevant experiences that motivate you for a professional career in social work. What are your career goals?
2. Personal life experiences and relevant events: Briefly describe your personal history as it relates to your interest in the profession of social work. What do you consider to be your particular strengths, skills and abilities that will contribute to your success in this field?
3. Capacity for professional social work education, describe your professional, volunteer and/or educational history as it relates to your capacity for success in graduate study in the field of social work. What characteristics, circumstances, or challenges could serve to enhance or limit your capacity to pursue graduate level education in the field of social work?

4. Ethical Dilemma Essay

In 250 words or less, describe an ethical dilemma you encountered in either your professional or personal past. Identify and define the ethical problem, the parties involved, the values you relied upon to make your decisions, and how the dilemma was resolved. Explain how the outcome has affected you and any lessons you learned.

5. Personal Résumé – include work and volunteer experience.