The Joint Ph.D. program is a joint effort between NCA&TSU and UNCG. This means that both schools contribute resources to the success of the program. Students are students of both universities. Classes are held on both campuses; faculty from both schools teach; students have library and parking privileges on both campuses; and the degree is granted jointly by both universities.The diplomas even have the seals of both schools.

The Joint Ph.D. program is a face-to-face program with both full-time and part-time options available. There will be a combination of day and evening classes.We look forward to broadening the selection of online courses in the coming years but currently expect students to maintain residency within the first 4 semesters of coursework.

At this time, the Joint Ph.D. program is not offered online. Students will be required to come to the campuses of NCAT and UNCG to take classes.Once a student begins dissertation hours, residency is not required.

We recognize that graduate education is a significant financial undertaking and that students may need to be employed while pursuing their doctoral degree. Employment is permitted, but students are responsible for maintaining satisfactory academic progress in conjunction with any employment obligations.

No, just one. Admissions rotates between the two universities every four years. Currently, the UNCG Graduate School is handling admissions paperwork. See here to access the online application.Once all successful applicants have been accepted, students will be randomly assigned to either UNCG or NCA&TSU for purposes of tuition and fees, registration, financial aid, and access to all fee-based services, including student health services. This will be considered the student’s “home” campus. The “home campus” has no bearing on class location or faculty.

Applications are available online.

Applications must be submitted online by January 15.

We do not require a BSW. Applicants should have their MSW by the time they expect to start the PhD program. In exceptional cases, applicants without a MSW may be considered.

• A completed Graduate School Application and Application Fee,
• Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate school transcripts,
• Preferred undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher,
• Preferred graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher,
• 3 academic or professional references (submitted electronically),
• GRE scores taken within the last 5 years (waived for 2021-2022),
• Resume/Curriculum vita,
• Personal Statement,
• Professional writing sample,
• Interviews may be required in some cases.

All elements are considered in the admission decision making process. For more information, see our Admissions Requirements.

Yes, and your scores should be no more than five years old. UNCG’s testing code is 5913.However, the GRE is waived for the 2021-2022 application cycle.

Subject to approval, transfer credit for up to 6 credits may be accepted at this time.

Tuition and fees payments are made to the home campus to which students are randomly assigned after they have been accepted to the program. If you are admitted to the Joint Ph.D. Program, you will receive that information in May.

You will apply for financial aid through your home campus. However, you will need to list both UNCG and NCA&TSU on your FAFSA because you will not receive your home campus assignment until sometime in May. The federal school code for UNCG is 002976, and for NCA&TSU is 002905.

Yes, we have limited awards for full-time students. However, you must be admitted to the program before you can apply for such assistance.Incoming students should always plan to cover their expenses in case they do not receive any of these financial awards. If you are admitted, we will send you information about program-specific assistance that may be available to you.

For financial aid that is not handled through the Joint Ph.D. Program, such as federal loans, consult the individual programs for their deadlines.You can find the FAFSA deadlines on that web page.

Regardless of which university is your home campus, your tuition will be the same. However, tuition does change from year to year, and usually is not posted until late spring or early summer. You can look up current tuition and fees at both UNCG and NCA&TSU websites.

Please see Joint Ph.D. Funding Opportunities for more information.