PhD Social Work at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

The Ph.D. program is typically a 64 graduate hour program for students who enter with an MSW or other master's degree. The program is interdisciplinary and has a strong research emphasis. The Ph.D. program is organized around five curricular components: (1) seminars in social welfare policy, social work practice theories, and teaching; (2) research methodology and statistics; (3) an interdisciplinary area of study; (4) a qualifying exam; and (5) the dissertation.

Faculty: School of Social Work | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include SOCW 579 Social Work Practice Theories; SOCW 585 National Social Welfare Policy; SOCW 593 Applied Qualitative Research; SOCW 595 Quantitative Research Designs; SOCW 575 Social Work Teaching Seminar.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Ph.D. program applicants must meet the following minimum requirements: a master degree in social work or in related disciplines; demonstrating a potential for research and other scholarly work; aptitude for leadership in the field of social

Domestic applicants: USD 14,908 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $32,204. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 32,204 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply

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