PhD Social Work at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Programme overview

The Ph.D. program curriculum is grounded in core courses designed to understand, analyze, and intervene in social problems. Thorough training is offered in theory, research methodology, data analysis, and intervention development and testing. Students design their program of study to focus on a social problem of interest and are matched with faculty mentors to guide them in their work. Students publish, apply for grant funding, and complete a teaching practicum. They have rich opportunities for both independent teaching and research. Students should refer to the Student Handbook for additional course, milestone, and recommended checklist details.

Faculty: The Graduate School | Department: Social Work | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, United States

What you will study

Core courses include SOWO 900 Conceptualizing Social Problems to Inform Interventions; SOWO 910 Research Methods in Social Intervention; SOWO 911 Introduction to Social Statistics and Data Analysis; SOWO 913 Advanced Research Methods in Social Intervention; SOWO 914 Measurement in Intervention Research; SOWO 918 Applied Regression Analysis and Generalized Linear Models.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School minimum (applies to all graduate programmes): a four-year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited institution completed before graduate study begins and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better; application via the Graduate School online application with transcripts, three recommendation letters, statement of purpose and CV, plus any programme-specific tests/materials; international applicants add a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test score; admission decisions are made by each programme. Programme-specific: Admission into the M.S.W. program is based on an evaluation of the applicant's transcripts, references, written statement of interest in the field, prior experience, and readiness to undertake graduate professional education. To be considered for admission, the applicant must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferably with a broad liberal arts preparation in social and biological sciences and the humanities.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants apply for a start term; fall is the main start term. Very few programmes admit new students for spring or summer terms.

Graduate applications and payment must be received by the deadline of the academic programme applied to, which varies by programme; the application closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. The Graduate School recommends complete applications by December 15, 2026 for full fellowship consideration.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

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