Admission Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy

Mailing Address:
Department of Disability and Human Development (MC 626)
1640 West Roosevelt Road
Chicago, IL 60608

Campus Location: 215 DHSP
Program Code: 20FS1166PHD
Telephone: (312) 996-1508
E-mail: sr22@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.ahs.uic.edu/dis
Academic Coordinator: Sarah Rothberger
Director of Graduate Studies: Carol J. Gill

The Department of Disability and Human Development offers work leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in Disability Studies. The department also offers the Master of Science in Disability and Human Development; see that section of the catalog for more information. The Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies is available to students in these degree programs.

Admission Requirements

Applicants will be considered on an individual basis by the Admission Committee for the doctoral program in Disability Studies. Individuals who fail to meet one or more criteria for admission may be admitted conditionally if their applications are otherwise strong and the applicant agrees to work with her/his mentor to address these gaps through courses and other recommended work.

To establish a mentor relationship, all applicants for the program are strongly encouraged to meet one or more faculty members whose research interests most closely match those of the student. The coordinator of the PhD program will arrange such meetings for applicants upon request.

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Doctor of Philosophy

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
• Prior Degrees A master’s degree is not required but is recommended for admission to the program.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study and a minimum of 3.00/4.00 for all work beyond the baccalaureate level.
• Tests Required GRE General with a combined score of at least 1000 for the verbal and quantitative sections.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based TOEFL), OR,
  • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required.
• Personal Statement Required.
• Deadlines The application deadline is January 1.

Degree Requirements

The Disability Studies Program is designed primarily as a full-time course of study. Students who are full time will be expected to maintain a course load of three or more classes per semester. Each student will have an advisor chosen from the faculty of the program. The advisor will monitor the student’s progress through the program and serve as the chair for the dissertation committee.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree.
• Course Work Required Courses: DHD 501, 502, 510, 541, and 2 hours of 592. At least 2 additional research methods courses appropriate to the student’s research interests are chosen with an advisor. and must total a minimum of 9 additional credit hours.
• Elective Courses: 24 semester hours of study in a content area, chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor. At least 12 hours must be from within the College of Applied Health Sciences.
• Examinations Preliminary Examination: Required, written and oral.
• Dissertation Required. A minimum of 24 semester hours required. The dissertation must be defended at a public session before the dissertation committee and other members of the academic community.
• Other Requirements Students entering the program with a baccalaureate degree are required to participate in a research project approved by their advisor. Students entering with a master’s degree may have this requirement waived if they have completed equivalent work on a master’s thesis.

Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling for a concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies after consulting with their graduate advisor. See Gender and Women’s Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for more information.