University of Calgary offers PhD in Social Work, a doctorate in Social Work programme in Calgary, Canada. The programme runs for 4 years, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,859 per semester (CAD 1,225 per semester for local students).
Also offered as: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree
This is a thesis-based Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at the University of Calgary. The program requires a minimum of nine courses: required core courses (15 units) covering theory, ethics, and research foundations and methods, plus four elective courses (12 units) chosen within the student's research area. Progression follows a research proposal that must be approved by the student's supervisory committee, an approved portfolio, and a Field of Study Exam with both written and oral components, before students undertake and defend an original dissertation. Classroom-based instruction takes place at the Werklund School's MacKimmie Tower location on the University of Calgary's Calgary campus. Full-time completion is expected within four years, with six years as the maximum. A supervisor must be secured before application. The page notes that a PhD in Social Work is usually considered a final degree and, on its own, does not qualify a graduate for registration with the Alberta College of Social Workers without a prior BSW or MSW credential. Graduates pursue careers across post-secondary academia, government, research, hospitals and community health centres, mental health clinics, schools, non-profit and advocacy organizations, social service and child welfare agencies, employee assistance programs, private counselling, and consulting.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.50 / 4.0
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a Master of Social Work or equivalent master's degree from a recognised institution, with a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale calculated on that degree, plus a minimum of two years' full-time post-master's social-services practice experience. The programme page defers language testing to the Faculty of Social Work's graduate English Language Proficiency standard: IELTS Academic 7.0 overall (no band below 6.0), TOEFL iBT 97 overall (no section below 20), PTE Academic 68, or Duolingo English Test 130 (no sub-score below 110); a bachelor's or graduate degree taught in English at a recognised institution exempts applicants. Applicants submit a program proposal covering their reasons for doctoral study, educational goals, career expectations and a research proposal, a curriculum vitae, a sample of scholarly or professional written work, and two references, one academic and one professional. The application deadline is December 1 for September admission.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:For Fall 2027 entry, the University of Calgary opens undergraduate applications for domestic applicants on 1 October 2026 and for international applicants on 15 August 2026, both closing on the same firm application deadline of 1 March 2027, with supporting documents due by 15 March 2027 and offers accepted by 1 May 2027. International applicants follow the identical March 1 deadline; the university publishes no separate, later international closing date. Applications are not accepted on a rolling basis after the deadline for most direct-entry programmes, though a small number of programmes (e.g. Nursing) run further selection rounds into the summer while space remains. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
