About PhD Program,
Berkeley Social Welfare develops doctoral scholars who challenge conventional wisdom and make significant contributions to the field of social welfare and the profession of social work through excellent research, teaching, and service.
Our doctoral graduates are prepared to tackle the most difficult social problems we face, contributing to new knowledge in areas as wide-ranging as poverty, severe mental health, racial and ethnic inequalities, and health. They form a cadre of researchers who are developing new ideas about service systems that can help children, families, and communities to develop and thrive. With over 300 graduates of our doctoral program, our School produces top-notch professors and researchers for some of the best social work schools and policy centers throughout the country and around the globe.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA
Applicants must have a satisfactory scholastic average, generally a minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0 on a 4-point scale) in all coursework after the first two years of undergraduate study (typically the last 60 semester units, or last 90 quarter units).
To be considered for admission to the Social Welfare PhD Program, all applicants must:
- Satisfy the minimum requirements for admission to graduate study(link is external)at Berkeley.
- Have obtained a master’s degree by the time of matriculation into the doctoral program. There is no requirement for the master’s degree to be in a specific field.
- Demonstrate evidence of intellectual and other qualifications essential to successful performance in the doctoral program, including examples of scholarly written work.
For international applicants from a country or political entity where English is not the official language, a satisfactory score on the TOEFL exam or other acceptable equivalent evidence of English language proficiency(link is external) to do graduate work is required.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Berkeley Social Welfare offers a competitive funding package for newly admitted doctoral students at the time of admission. A funding package typically includes five years of financial support for payment of tuition and fees(link is external) (including student health insurance(link is external)); and an academic year allowance for living expense support funded jointly by fellowship award(s) and salary from a student academic appointment as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) or Graduate Student Researcher (GSR).
Details of funding support package offers are provided to admitted students upon acceptance. Doctoral students are also encouraged to apply for additional fellowships and extramural awards to support their graduate study as necessary. For more information please see our guide to Financing Your Graduate Degree.
Application Requirement,
To be considered complete, applications for admission to the PhD Program and Combined MSW/PhD Program must include all of the following items:
- A completed UC Berkeley Graduate and Professional Application for Admission, including payment of application fee and selection of faculty adviser.
- Transcripts from ALL college-level course work undertaken.
- Three Letters of Recommendation.
- A written Statement of Purpose.
- A written Personal History Statement.
- A sample of scholarly written work.
- A current résumé/CV.
- For international applicants, a TOEFL electronic score report sent directly to Berkeley.
Expand the tabs below for instructions and tips for completing each of these application components.
Application Deadline,
Dec 02, 2024
Application Fee,
The application fee is not refundable. If you are a U.S. citizen or current permanent resident, the application fee is $135; for all others, the fee is $155.
