Overview

The world’s most intractable social problems cannot be solved from within any single discipline. They demand collaborations across fields and methods. Our PhD Program is a wonderful instantiation of that commitment to interdisciplinarity and rigorous scholarship—all put in service to the public good.

Our faculty and students are committed to carefully analyzing social problems and proposing effective, research-based solutions. Our program offers a confluence of diverse philosophies and approaches to social work, social welfare research, social policy, social theory, and social justice.

Career Success

Our Social Welfare PhD graduates at the University of Pennsylvania go on to hold prestigious positions in academia, government, nonprofit organizations, think tanks, research firms, and more.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Economics for Social Policy
History and Philosophy of Social Welfare
Social Theory
Social Work Research
Advanced Research Methods
Policy Analysis
Quantitative Reasoning/Social Statistics
Applied Linear Modeling

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-31 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-15 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Philadelphia, United States

Disciplines

Social Policy View 43 other PhDs in Social Policy in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Students are required to have a master’s degree in social work or a social science field before they can enter the PhD program.
Application Essay
Writing Sample
Transcripts
Letters of Recommendation
GRE Scores

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

44792 USD / year

≈ 44792 USD / year
Out-of-State

44792 USD / year

≈ 44792 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

44792 USD / year

≈ 44792 USD / year

Additional Details

Most of our PhD programs are fully funded, meaning the program will pay for your tuition and fees, as well as provide you with a minimum stipend of $39,425.

Living costs

Philadelphia

United States

1313 - 2284 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Social Welfare.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Career Success

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Additional Details

Living costs

Philadelphia

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners