Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work

An applicant for admission to the PhD program in Social Work must hold a Master's degree in social work, or equivalent professional social work degree as determined by the Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Social Work. All applicants should also have a minimum of three years post-BSW practice experience.

The next deadline for new applicants for the 2027 intake is Sept. 15, 2026.

General information regarding all graduate programs, including tuition and fees, application deadlines and process, and admission requirements, as well as online application forms are available at: http://www.mun.ca/become/graduate/apply. 

Please note in addition to the application, candidates are required to submit the PhD Study Plan found here: https://www.mun.ca/become/graduate/apply-to-memorial/additional-forms/

A student can complete the PhD program as a full time student in four years, or as a part time student in a maximum of seven years. When deciding whether to apply as a full time student or a part time student, please consider that a full-time graduate student is expected to devote full time to the PhD program and may not commit more than 24 hours a week working time, including teaching assistant or research assistant duties, to matters other than the degree program. If working full time, a prospective student should apply to the PhD program as a part time student.

It is important to note that the program includes two spring semester residencies of about 6 weeks duration each (May-June), at which time students must attend the St. John's Campus at Memorial University on a full-time basis, whether registered as a full time or part time student.

If offered admission to the PhD program, prospective students are normally expected to accept or decline the offer within two weeks. If an international student has accepted the offer of admission but is unable to commence the program on time as their study permit application is delayed, the student can request a deferral of admission. The deadline to do so is two months in advance of the start of the PhD program (i.e. March 1 for a spring semester start).

Housing

Information concerning on-campus housing can be found at: http://www.mun.ca/hfcs/

Many PhD students have stayed in residence on the St. John's campus during their spring semester residencies. It is the student's responsibility to seek their own accommodations.

Funding

Memorial University offers competitive funding packages to eligible graduate students. For more information, see https://www.mun.ca/sgs/current-students/tuition-funding-and-employment/ 

Further information

The following websites are also a good source of information:

University Calendar, Social Work: http://www.mun.ca/regoff/calendar/sectionNo=GRAD-0454

University Academic Calendar, General: http://www.mun.ca/regoff/calendar/sectionNo=REGS-0061