Admission Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy

Mailing Address:
Jane Addams College of Social Work (MC 309)
1040 West Harrison Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7134

Campus Location: 4022 EPASW
Program Code: 20FS0365PHD
Telephone: (312) 996-4928
E-mail: jcswphd@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/college/programs/academic_phd.html
Dean of the Jane Addams College of Social Work: Creasie Finney Hairston
Director of Graduate Studies: Christopher G. Mitchell

The Jane Addams College of Social Work offers work leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work. The college cosponsors the Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Violence Studies with the Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In addition, interdepartmental concentrations in Gender and Women’s Studies and Survey Research Methodology are available to doctoral students. The Jane Addams College also offers a program leading to the Master of Social Work degree; this professional degree program is not part of the Graduate College.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts from all colleges attended must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Doctor of Philosophy

• Prior Degrees Master’s degree required. Most applicants have a Master of Social Work degree; applicants with advanced training in other human service professions or in related social sciences are also eligible for consideration. Applicants must have satisfactorily passed a course in college-level statistics.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 in the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study and for all work beyond the baccalaureate.
• Tests Required GRE.
• 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), OR,
• IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Four letters of recommendation required, ordinarily including former instructors and work supervisors. Contact the Jane Addams College of Social Work for more information.
• Personal Statement Required. Applicants must submit a statement of their interest in social work, their long range career goals and scholarly interests, and how those fit with the mission of the college.
• Other Requirements Applications must be submitted directly to the Jane Addams College of Social Work. Admissions are restricted to the fall semester.
• Deadlines Application deadline is February 15, or the next working day after February 15. Early application by January 1 is recommended for consideration for fellowships.  

Degree Requirements

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

Doctor of Philosophy

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate.
• Course Work At least 9 semester hours must be earned at UIC in each of two consecutive terms. Students are expected to complete the residence requirement during the first or second year of their study. Students without a Master of Social Work may apply for admission if they have advanced training in other human service professions or in related social sciences. If offered admission, such students must complete all requirements for the Master of Social Work degree before beginning doctoral courses.
• Required Courses: SOCW 508, 509, 577, 590, 591, 593, and 594.
• Electives: At least 15 hours must be in courses outside of the Jane Addams College of Social Work. Six hours of the outside credit must be in an advanced statistics course supportive of the dissertation research. At least 9 credits of outside course work should constitute a single substantive emphasis. At least 6 additional course work credits are required (either at Jane Addams College or outside the college), at least 3 of which must be in advanced research methodology supporting the dissertation.
• Examinations Qualifying Examination: Required.
• Preliminary Examination: Required.
• Dissertation Required.

Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in 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.

Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Survey Research Methodology

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in a concentration in Survey Research Methodology. See Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Survey Research Methodology in the Graduate College section for more information.

Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Violence Studies

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in a concentration in Violence Studies after consulting with their graduate advisor. See Violence Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section or the Jane Addams College of Social Work section for more information.