Application and Admission
Presidential Graduate Assistantship Program: Borderlands Scholars
The School of Social Work (SSW) in Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions invites applicants for Borderlands Scholars with the prestigious Presidential Graduate Assistantship (PGA) program to start at ASU in Fall 2026. The SSW PGAs will pursue doctoral education with a thematic focus on health and/or behavioral health issues relevant to the populations of the Southwest. Borderlands Scholars will receive mentorship and training in rigorous, theory-driven research methods to study health and behavioral-health disparities in the Southwest, develop evidence-based interventions, and evaluate their effectiveness.
Borderlands Scholars will collaborate on projects with faculty who are conducting cutting-edge research focused on populations of the Southwest. Example projects include, culturally grounded substance use prevention programs for Latinx youth; community-based programs that empower Latinx families to navigate education, health, and social service systems; drug overdose disparities and harm reduction approaches among Hispanic populations; healthcare access for Latinx children with complex healthcare needs; and substance use prevention for urban and rural Indigenous youth in partnership with tribal communities. Students will learn the skills to conduct their own mentored research projects, such as designing novel approaches to addressing climate-related health and mental health stressors in tribal and rural communities; migration, border enforcement, and climate change on family well-being and community resilience; integrated behavioral-health models for rural and cross-border populations in collaboration with ASU Health; Indigenous and Latinx approaches to healing, resilience, and collective care; and how emerging technologies (telehealth, AI-assisted case management, and digital storytelling) can expand access to care and amplify community voices across the Borderlands.
Examples of Potential Faculty Advisors:
David Androff: applies a human rights-based perspective in his scholarship which focuses on immigration and refugee programs and policies, social development, and global social work.
Eun Young Choi: explores how where we live, from neighborhood conditions to environmental hazards, shapes aging and health later in life.
Matt Ignacio: focuses on the health and mental health impacts among populations in US/Mexico borderlands.
Tina Jiwatram-Negron: focuses on examining GBV/IPV among socially and economically marginalized populations of women globally, and addressing the health and mental health disparities associated with GBV/IPV through intervention development in partnership with community-based organizations.
Stephanie Lechuga-Peña: Grounded in Critical Race Theory and Latina/o/x Critical Race Theory, her research examines the barriers and facilitators shaping the educational outcomes, health, and well-being of Latina/o/x youth and families through the development of culturally responsive interventions and antiracist, anti-oppressive, and anti-colonial approaches that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) in social work.
Natasha Mendoza: focuses on behavioral health, harm reduction, and workforce development.
Felicia Mitchell: focuses on the relationships between water, environmental change, and community health and well0being to advance environmental and climate justice in social work while centering Indigenous and marginalized communities' experiences.
Sabrina Oesterle: studies how we can prevent behavioral health problems and health disparities among adolescents and young adults and promote health across the life course.
To Apply
The deadline to apply is December 15, 2025. Interested applicants should apply to our Ph.D. program below. Note: Applicants should indicate interest in the Presidential Graduate Assistantship in their personal statement and the peer faculty mentor(s) that they would like to work with.
About the PGA:
The Presidential Graduate Assistantship (PGA) is a merit-based award created to support the recruitment, professional development and faculty mentoring of doctoral students in all fields whose research teaching and service will contribute to advancing the ASU Charter. The program creates opportunities to recruit and mentor doctoral students enrolling in an on-campus immersion degree program who offer great potential to advance into the professoriate and other careers. This program ensures our continued evolution as a premier public research institution with a fundamental responsibility to the communities that it serves. Students will be chosen and appointed to this program by their admitting academic unit.
Admission Requirements and Considerations
An MSW from an accredited social work program, or its international equivalent, is generally required for entry into the Social Work Ph.D. program. However, exceptions may be made for students with a BSW from an accredited social work program and a master's degree in a related field. While some students prefer to have two or more years of post-MSW employment experience in human services for expanded career options in academia, this is not imperative nor a program requirement.
The Ph.D. program committee reviews all applicant materials. Individuals are evaluated for goodness-of-fit and recommended for acceptance based on:
(1) future career interests;
(2) research potential and creativity as demonstrated in requested essays and letters of recommendation;
(3) experience in social work teaching or research and other scholarly activities; and
(4) background and experience including quality and extent of social work experience with diverse populations.
Indicators of academic aptitude are also considered, including graduate and undergraduate GPAs.
Application Materials
The Ph.D. program committee considers applications in January for admission at the start of the subsequent Fall semester. Ph.D. program applicants should submit their applications electronically to the Arizona State University Graduate College by December 15th of each academic year. Applications received after December 15th may be considered based upon space available.
To be considered for admission, your file must be complete. You will be asked to provide the following materials during the application process:
- Online Graduate Education application
- Names and email addresses of 3 to 5 academic references who can speak to your ability to succeed in the Ph.D. program (References are contacted by ASU to submit letters of recommendation. Please allow sufficient time for references to respond prior to the deadline.)
- Personal statement; Provide a concise, well-written narrative that tells your story.
- Please check this guide (https://socialwork.asu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-05/ssw_phd_application_1.pdf)
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- Writing sample, such as a refereed journal article, class paper, or professional report (optional)
- One official transcript from each institution attended (if ASU graduate, there is no need to submit a transcript)
- Graduate College application fee
- Proof of measles vaccination
- For international students only, appropriate visas, documentation of a multi-year financial package, and a copy of your TOEFL scores are required. The minimum TOEFL requirement is 550 (PBT), 213 (CBT), or 80 (iBT). For more information, please visit the Graduate College’s international admissions page.
Applicants will be notified via e-mail once a complete Ph.D. application packet has been received. Any questions about the status of an application should be directed to the School of Social Work’s Office of Academic Services at (602) 496-0800 or [email protected].
The School of Social Work welcomes inquiries from students exploring our Ph.D. program. We are pleased to arrange personalized meetings with prospective applicants, either by phone or in person, as well as organize individualized tours of our school and broader downtown Phoenix campus. Please contact Elizabeth Lightfoot, Interim PhD Director at [email protected] with any questions you might have related to the program or application process.
Before you Apply
- Please attend one of our virtual PhD Info sessions Contact [email protected] for dates
- You are encouraged to research and connect with potential faculty mentors
- PhD applications are due December 15
- PhD applications are reviewed and admissions decisions are made in Spring semesters