PhD Social Welfare at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Programme overview

The PhD program in Social Welfare strives to develop scholars, leaders, and social work educators who will advance knowledge about social work, social welfare policy, and intervention strategies from a behavioral and social science perspective to improve the quality of life of individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Our students work with award-winning research centers and institutes , such as the Institute for Research on Poverty, Institute on Aging, Waisman Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, and more.

Department: Social Work | Duration: 51 credits | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Fall (deadline December 1) | Location: Madison, WI, United States

What you will study

The degree requires a minimum of 51 credits. Courses listed in the requirements include SOC WORK 946 Faculty Research Seminar; SOC WORK 948 Proseminar (Quantitative Research Methods); SOC WORK 949 Proseminar (Quantitative Research Methods); SOC WORK 950 PhD Proseminar; SOC WORK 990 Thesis-Research.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Not required but may be considered if available. English Proficiency Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241 and Social Welfare's higher requirements: Duolingo English Test: 130 Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) n/a Letters of Recommendation Required 3 The Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work is piloting a 2-year admissions cycle and will not accept Social Welfare PhD program applications for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle (fall 2027 entry). PhD program admissions will reopen for the 2027-2028 admissions cycle (fall 2028 entry). School of Social Work PhD Admissions Committee requires: An undergraduate grade-point average of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours.

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.

Entry terms (spring, summer or fall) vary by programme and are listed on each programme's Graduate Guide admissions tab. An applicant may have active applications in only one entry term at a time.

Application deadlines vary by programme and are listed on the programme's Graduate Guide admissions tab. Applications are submitted through the Graduate School application portal. The application fee is $75 US, non-refundable, payable by credit card (MasterCard or Visa) or debit/ATM; international applicants pay an extra $6 processing fee. Up to three programmes in the same entry term can be applied to for one application fee.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/

Explore more study programmes

Arts & Humanities