About PhD Program
As a member of the Crown Family School Doctoral Program, you will join a select group of outstanding students and scholars who advance an interdisciplinary approach to social work and social welfare scholarship. The program is designed to deepen students’ mastery of both social science theory and research methods so that they are prepared to contribute to scholarly knowledge in innovative ways. The PhD in social work opens doors to university-level research and teaching positions and high-level policy research. In the doctoral program, you have the flexibility of designing your own course of study in tandem with related disciplines across the University of Chicago. What makes Crown Family School different is that our students receive the theoretical training needed to become applied social scientists.
The Crown Family School’s Doctoral Program enjoys full access to a rich network of scholars, libraries, institutes, and centers that only a research university such as the University of Chicago can offer. Many of our students work with scholars at the following centers. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list:
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA
Students are required to take a minimum of fifteen courses offered at the Crown Family School and across the University: one on the history of the social work profession, two statistics courses, three additional research methods courses, and nine substantive courses, at least three of which are in other departments or professional schools at the University of Chicago. It is expected that these three courses be in a single discipline or substantive area.
PhD students are expected to complete coursework by the end of Spring Quarter of their second year. A GPA of 3.0 (equivalent to B) and above is required to progress into the following academic year. A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 in any three consecutive quarters will be withdrawn from the program.
During the proposal development and dissertation phases of the program, faculty advisors will assign an S (satisfactory) grade to indicate that a student is making satisfactory progress. Receiving a U (unsatisfactory) grade in any quarter signals that a student is not making progress on their proposal or dissertation and is not in good academic standing. When a student receives a U grade, a progress review period will be initiated (see below). If a student receives a U grade in three consecutive quarters for not making progress on their proposal or dissertation, the student will be withdrawn from the program
PhD Funding Coverage,
Doctoral students receive significant funding to ensure that they are able to immerse themselves in the program. All students entering the Doctoral Program are offered a financial aid package that includes full tuition, health insurance, fees, and a yearly stipend set at $33,000 for the current 2022-23 academic year. Students are responsible for filing and paying any required state or federal taxes.
Application Requirement
The application will open in September. Applicants can pay the $75 fee electronically at the time they submit their online application. The application fee is not refundable and does not apply toward tuition or other charges.
Indicate your reasons for applying for doctoral study, covering the following points:
- a) this program seeks to develop scholars who will assume leadership positions in higher education; reflect on how you will make use of and contribute to scholarship in the field
- b) describe your plans for study, including a specific statement of your academic areas of interest;
- c) given your interests, why do you think this program is a good fit for you?
- d) briefly describe your career plan
- e) (optional) provide other information useful for the admissions committee, such as explaining inconsistencies in your academic record.
Statements are typically 3-4 single spaced pages. Please do not submit a statement longer than 4 single-spaced pages.
Doctoral applicants are required to submit an academic writing sample of no more than 25 pages, excluding any bibliography, endnotes, or reference pages that might be included at the end of the sample. Papers written for an academic audience (class paper, journal manuscript, book chapter) are preferred. If a coauthored paper, a first-author paper is strongly preferred (i.e., the applicant is the first author). The committee uses the paper to evaluate the strength of the applicants writing quality, conceptual/analytic thinking skills, empirical skills, and other qualities relevant to doctoral training. We realize that applicants may not have a writing sample that fits all of these criteria; please submit something that you feel represents your interests and capacity to engage in rigorous doctoral studies.
Transcripts are required from every institution where an applicant has taken 3 or more courses unless these courses and their grades appear on the home transcript; this includes courses taken Pass/Fail. We accept electronic delivery of official transcripts provided directly by your university; transcripts would be sent to Crown Family School at admissions@crownschool.uchicago.edu. You may upload scanned or digitized unofficial transcripts in support of your application only if they are accompanied by institutional grading and credit system information (most commonly found on the reverse side of paper transcripts). If you are scanning transcripts make sure to include this information. If work is in progress, you should submit a supplementary transcript at the end of the term.
References: You are responsible for securing 4 letters of reference. We especially value letters from former professors or academic advisors. References should be qualified to speak regarding your ability for graduate study, preferably those familiar with your academic ability or research skills.
If you are applying for federal financial aid, you should submit your FAFSA soon after January 1st. If you are admitted to the doctoral program, you will need to complete the University’s financial forms which are available on my.uchicago.edu. This form will not be available until you have received an offer of admission.
Applicants to the graduate schools and divisions of the University of Chicago who do not meet the criteria below must submit proof of English language proficiency. This policy applies to all graduate programs; the score level required for admission varies by program. Only the TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic tests are accepted as proof of proficiency.
Application Deadline
Dec 02, 2024
Application Fee,
Applicants can pay the $75 fee electronically at the time they submit their online application. The application fee is not refundable and does not apply toward tuition or other charges.
