School of Social Work - Simmons College

www.simmons.edu/ssw
PH.D. IN SOCIAL WORK
Admission Requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an
accredited institution, with an appropriate distribution
of liberal arts courses. In addition, they must
hold a master’s degree from a program in social work
accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
(CSWE).
Please submit a completed application file that
includes the following:
Completed application form
Non-refundable application fee
Official transcripts of all past or current
academic work
Résumé
Written case presentation
Three letters of professional or academic
recommendation
Personal statement of career goals and how the
program supports them
TOEFL scores, if English is not the first language
Miller Analogy Test scores within the past five years
Interview with a member of the Doctoral Committee
after favorable review of admission materials
The Ph.D. program commences in the fall semester.
Completed applications should be received no later
than February 1.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Simmons welcomes applications from international
students. In recent years, the school has enrolled students
from countries including Korea, Uganda, Israel,
Italy, Canada, China, and Japan. Students for whom
English is not the first language are required to submit
a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
score that demonstrates satisfactory proficiency: a
minimum score of 600 on the paper test, 250 on
the computerized test, or 105 on the Internet-based
test is required. Simmons must receive test scores
directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
International students also must submit a Certificate
of Finances Form that demonstrates proof of ability
to pay tuition and living expenses while enrolled at
Simmons. The school cannot issue an I-20 until we
have received the required statement. Please arrange
with your bank, sponsor, or government to complete
our Certificate of Finances Form, which is available
online or by request. We regret that we are not able
to provide financial assistance or teaching assistantships
to international students.
Visa requirements dictate that international students
on an F-1 student status complete their course of
graduate study within a two-year period. Students
should plan to use summer sessions to take courses
in order to remain in compliance.
For more information about international student
admission to Simmons, please contact the
SSW Admissions Office, or visit our website,
www.simmons.edu/ssw/international.
FINANCIAL AID FOR U.S. CITIZENS
For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the
options for financial assistance include federal loans,
grants, and scholarships. Awards vary from year to
year depending on the number of applicants, their
financial need, and available resources. Applicants are
strongly encouraged to apply for financial aid at the
same time they apply to the school.
A complete application includes the Simmons
Application for Graduate Financial Aid, the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and any additional
supporting documents that may be required.
Deadlines for financial aid applications are March 1
for the summer and fall, and October 1 for the spring.
For more information, including the graduate student
Guide to Applying for Financial Aid, visit our Student
Financial Services website, www.simmons.edu/sfs.
CONTACT US
Please contact the SSW Admissions Office at
617-521-3939 or ssw@simmons.edu if you have
questions about the application process, a program,
or the school. We are happy to schedule visits, including
a class visit, campus tour, or meeting with a
faculty member. We also encourage you to attend
one of our information sessions. Visit our website,
www.simmons.edu/ssw, for information.