social science phd

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biostatistics
• Environmental Health and Engineering
• Epidemiology
• Health Policy and Management
• Health, Behavior and Society
• International Health
• Mental Health
• Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Program Finder
• Admissions Services
• Course Directory
• Academic Calendar
• Hybrid Campus
• Lecture Series
• Convocation
• Strategy and Development
• Implementation and Impact
• Integrity and Oversight
• In the School
• In the Field
• In Baltimore
• Resources for Practitioners
• Articles & News Releases
• In The News
• Statements & Announcements
• At a Glance
• Student Life
• Strategic Priorities
• Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE)
• What is Public Health?

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Offered By: Department of Health, Behavior and Society

Onsite | Full-Time | 3 – 5 years

• MAS Application Fee Waiver Requirements
• Master of Arts (MA) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Master of Arts and Master of Science in Public Health (MA/MSPH)
• Master of Arts in Public Health Biology (MAPHB)
• Master of Bioethics (MBE)
• Mission, Vision, and Values
• Student Experience
• Program Outcomes
• For Hopkins Undergraduate Students
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Epidemiology
• Alumni Update
• MHS Combined with a Certificate Program
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Alumni Highlights
• Post-Baccalaureate Program in Environmental Health for Pre-Medicine Students
• Bachelor's/MHS in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
• MHS HEOR Careers
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Master of Health Science (MHS)
• Concurrent School-Wide Master of Health Science Program in Biostatistics
• Master of Health Science - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Master of Health Science Online (MHS) - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Careers in Health Economics
• Core Competencies
• Meet the Director
• What is Health Economics
• MPH Capstone Schedule
• Concentrations
• Online/Part-Time Format
• Requirements

Tuition and Funding

• Executive Board Faculty
• Master of Science (MS) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Independent Professional Project and Final Essay 
• Program Objectives and Outcomes
• Internships
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Biostatistics
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Epidemiology
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• ScM Faculty Advisers
• Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Bachelor's/MSPH in Health Policy
• FAQ for MSPH in Health Policy
• Field Placement Experience
• MSPH Capstone
• MSPH Practicum
• Required and Elective Courses
• Student Timeline
• Career Opportunities
• 38-Week Dietetics Practicum
• Completion Requirements
• MSPH/RD Program FAQ
• Program Goals
• Master's Essay Titles
• Application Fee Waiver Requirements
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Biostatistics
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Epidemiology
• Program Goals and Expectations
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Investigation
• Track in Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, and Health
• Track in Exposure Sciences and Environmental Epidemiology
• Track in Health Security
• Track in Toxicology, Physiology and Molecular Mechanisms
• PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering Faculty Advisers
• Recent Graduates and Dissertation Titles
• PhD Funding
• PhD TA Requirement
• Recent Dissertation Titles
• JHU-Tsinghua Doctor of Public Health
• Core Course Requirements
• Concentration in Women’s and Reproductive Health
• Custom Track
• Concentration in Environmental Health
• Concentration in Global Health: Policy and Evaluation
• Concentration in Health Equity and Social Justice
• Concentration in Health Policy and Management
• Concentration in Implementation Science
• Meet Current Students
• Combined Bachelor's / Master's Programs
• Concurrent MHS Option for BSPH Doctoral Students
• Concurrent MSPH Option for JHSPH Doctoral students
• Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD)
• Adolescent Health Certificate Program
• Bioethics Certificate Program
• Climate and Health Certificate Program
• Clinical Trials Certificate Program
• Community- Based Public Health Certificate Program
• Demographic Methods Certificate Program
• Environmental and Occupational Health Certificate Program
• Epidemiology for Public Health Professionals Certificate Program
• Evaluation: International Health Programs Certificate Program
• Food Systems, the Environment and Public Health Certificate Program
• Frequently Asked Questions for Certificate Programs
• Gender and Health Certificate Program
• Gerontology Certificate Program
• Global Digital Health Certificate Program
• Global Health Certificate Program
• Global Health Practice Certificate Program
• Health Communication Certificate Program
• Health Disparities and Health Inequality Certificate Program
• Health Education Certificate Program
• Health Finance and Management Certificate Program
• Health and Human Rights Certificate Program
• Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention and Control Certificate Program
• Humane Sciences and Toxicology Policy Certificate Program
• Humanitarian Health Certificate Program
• Implementation Science and Research Practice Certificate Program
• Injury and Violence Prevention Certificate Program
• International Healthcare Management and Leadership Certificate Program
• Leadership for Public Health and Healthcare Certificate Program
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Public Health Certificate Program
• Maternal and Child Health Certificate Program
• Mental Health Policy, Economics and Services Certificate Program
• Non-Degree Students General Admissions Info
• Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Certificate Program
• Population Health Management Certificate Program
• Population and Health Certificate Program
• Product Stewardship for Sustainability Certificate Program
• Public Health Advocacy Certificate Program
• Public Health Economics Certificate Program
• Public Health Informatics Certificate Program
• Public Health Practice Certificate Program
• Declaration of Intent - Public Health Preparedness
• Public Health Training Certificate for American Indian Health Professionals
• Public Mental Health Research Certificate Program
• Quality, Patient Safety and Outcomes Research Certificate Program
• Quantitative Methods in Public Health Certificate Program
• Requirements for Successful Completion of a Certificate Program
• Rigor, Reproducibility, and Responsibility in Scientific Practice Certificate Program
• Risk Sciences and Public Policy Certificate Program
• Spatial Analysis for Public Health Certificate Program
• Training Certificate in Public Health
• Tropical Medicine Certificate Program
• Tuition for Certificate Programs
• Vaccine Science and Policy Certificate Program
• Online Student Experience
• Online Programs for Applied Learning
• Barcelona Information
• Registration, Tuition, and Fees
• Agency Scholarship Application
• General Scholarship Application
• UPF Scholarship Application
• Course Evaluations
• Online Courses
• Registration
• General Institute Tuition Information
• International Students
• Directions to the Bloomberg School
• All Courses
• Important Guidance for ONSITE Students
• D.C. Courses
• Registration and Fees
• Cancellation and Closure Policies
• Application Procedures
• Career Search
• Current Activities
• Current Trainees
• Related Links
• Process for Appointing Postdoctoral Fellows
• Message from the Director
• Program Details
• Admissions FAQ
• Current Residents
• Elective Opportunities for Visiting Trainees
• What is Occupational and Environmental Medicine?
• Admissions Info
• Graduates by Year
• Compensation and Benefits
• How to Apply
• Academic Committee
• Course Details and Registration
• Tuition and Fees
• ONLINE SOCI PROGRAM
• Principal Faculty
• Johns Hopkins RAPID Psychological First Aid
• General Application
• JHHS Application
• Areas of Study
• Important Dates
• Our Faculty
• Welcome Letter
• Descripción los Cursos
• Programa en Epidemiología para Gestores de Salud, Basado en Internet
• Consultants
• Britt Dahlberg, PhD
• Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC
• Mark R. Luborsky, PhD
• Marsha Wittink, PhD
• Rebekka Lee, ScD
• Su Yeon Lee-Tauler, PhD
• Theresa Hoeft, PhD
• Vicki L. Plano Clark, PhD
• Program Retreat
• Mixed Methods Applications: Illustrations
• Announcements
• 2023 Call for Applications
• Jennifer I Manuel, PhD, MSW
• Joke Bradt, PhD
• Josiemer Mattei, PhD, MPH
• Justin Sanders, MD, MSc
• Linda Charmaran, PhD
• Nao Hagiwara, PhD
• Nynikka R. A. Palmer, DrPH, MPH
• Olayinka O. Shiyanbola, BPharm, PhD
• Sarah Ronis, MD, MPH
• Susan D. Brown, PhD
• Tara Lagu, MD, MPH
• Theresa Hoft, PhD
• Wynne E. Norton, PhD
• Yvonne Mensa-Wilmot, PhD, MPH
• A. Susana Ramírez, PhD, MPH
• Animesh Sabnis, MD, MSHS
• Autumn Kieber-Emmons, MD, MPH
• Benjamin Han, MD, MPH
• Brooke A. Levandowski, PhD, MPA
• Camille R. Quinn, PhD, AM, LCSW
• Justine Wu, MD, MPH
• Kelly Aschbrenner, PhD
• Kim N. Danforth, ScD, MPH
• Loreto Leiva, PhD
• Marie Brault, PhD
• Mary E. Cooley, PhD, RN, FAAN
• Meganne K. Masko, PhD, MT-BC/L
• PhuongThao D. Le, PhD, MPH
• Rebecca Lobb, ScD, MPH
• Allegra R. Gordon, ScD MPH
• Anita Misra-Hebert, MD MPH FACP
• Arden M. Morris, MD, MPH
• Caroline Silva, PhD
• Danielle Davidov, PhD
• Hans Oh, PhD
• J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom, PhD RN ACHPN
• Jacqueline Mogle, PhD
• Jammie Hopkins, DrPH, MS
• Joe Glass, PhD MSW
• Karen Whiteman, PhD MSW
• Katie Schultz, PhD MSW
• Rose Molina, MD
• Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, ScD MPA
• Andrew Riley, PhD
• Byron J. Powell, PhD, LCSW
• Carrie Nieman MD, MPH
• Charles R. Rogers, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES®
• Emily E. Haroz, PhD
• Jennifer Tsui, Ph.D., M.P.H.
• Jessica Magidson, PhD
• Katherine Sanchez, PhD, LCSW
• Kelly Doran, MD, MHS
• Kiara Alvarez, PhD
• LaPrincess C. Brewer, MD, MPH
• Melissa Radey, PhD, MA, MSSW
• Sophia L. Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD
• Supriya Gupta Mohile, MD, MS
• Virginia McKay, PhD
• Andrew Cohen, MD, PhD
• Angela Chen, PhD, PMHNP-BC, RN
• Christopher Salas-Wright, PhD, MSW
• Eliza Park MD, MS
• Jaime M. Hughes, PhD, MPH, MSW
• Johanne Eliacin, PhD, HSPP
• Lingrui Liu ScD MS
• Meaghan Kennedy, MD
• Nicole Stadnick, PhD, MPH
• Paula Aristizabal, MD
• Radhika Sundararajan, MD
• Sara Mamo, AuD, PhD
• Tullika Garg, MD MPH FACS
• Allison Magnuson, DO
• Ariel Williamson PhD, DBSM
• Benita Bamgbade, PharmD, PhD
• Christopher Woodrell MD
• Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan, MD, MSHPM
• Jasmine Abrams, PhD
• Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain, MD
• Karen Flórez, DrPH, MPH
• Lavanya Vasudevan, PhD, MPH, CPH
• Maria Garcia, MD, MPH
• Robert Brady, PhD
• Saria Hassan, MD
• Scherezade Mama, DrPH
• Yuan Lu, ScD
• 2021 Scholars
• Sign Up for Our Email List
• Workforce Training
• Cells-to-Society Courses
• Course/Section Numbers Explained
• Pathway Program with Goucher College
• The George G. Graham Lecture

About the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences Program

The PhD program in Social and Behavioral Sciences is designed for individuals seeking training for careers as social and behavioral scientists, health educators, and health promotion or communication specialists in the public health arena. The curriculum centers on the application of social and behavioral science perspectives to research on contemporary health problems, with a focus on understanding and influencing the social contexts and behaviors relevant to health. In addition to coursework, students complete a written exam at the end of the first year and gain experience in research skills and approaches. With faculty guidance, students develop and present a dissertation protocol in an oral exam. The final dissertation defense is conducted as an oral exam that includes a public seminar.

The program provides rigorous training in research methodology, theory, and program design and evaluation. Research is primarily focused in two areas—health education and communication, and social and psychological influences on health.

PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences Program Highlights

Interdisciplinary theory.

with multi-level perspective

Rigorous methods

with practical application to contemporary health problems

Application of behavioral and social science perspectives

with attention to context

Community engagement

to understand and influence health behaviors that are risk factors in disease and illness

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree In Social and Behavioral Sciences?

Visit the  Graduate Employment Outcomes Dashboard to learn about Bloomberg School graduates' employment status, sector, and salaries.

Sample Careers

• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Research Public Health Analyst
• Social Scientist, Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products
• Health Scientist-Alcohol Program
• Project Director
• Senior Communications Adviser
• Tenure Track Faculty
• Senior Program Officer
• Director of Clinical and Academic Research
• Senior Consultant
• Research and Evaluation Officer
• Program Director, Department of Public Health

Curriculum for the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue , explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory , and find many more details in the program's Student Handbook . 

Research Areas

The emphasis of the curriculum is on the application of behavioral and social science perspectives to research on contemporary health problems. Understanding and influencing health behaviors that are risk factors in disease and illness, as well as behaviors that can be considered protective and health enhancing, are strengths of the program.

Rigorous training in research methods and program design and evaluation are also key elements of the curriculum. The program focuses its research in the following areas.

This area focuses on the application of principles from education, communication, behavioral, social science and psychological theories to encourage health behaviors conducive to optimal health in individuals, groups and communities. Students are exposed to current research on health education and communication, with particular focus on multilevel, ecological models of health and health behavior, design and evaluation of multifaceted intervention programs and patient-provider communication.

This area focuses on social and psychological factors and processes in the etiology and prevalence of disease in health-care-seeking behavior, disease prevention, long-term care and rehabilitation. Students are exposed to current research on health knowledge, attitudes and beliefs; social and psychological factors in disease etiology; risk reduction; and cultural influences in public health, including cross-cultural and multilevel studies.

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the How to Apply page.

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores (GRE) are  optional  for this program. The admissions committee will make no assumptions if a standardized test score is omitted from an application, but will require evidence of quantitative/analytical ability through other application components such as academic transcripts and/or supplemental questions.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

Program Faculty Spotlight

Katherine Clegg Smith

Katherine Clegg Smith, PhD, MA, is a sociologist who examines health experiences and health communication, with a research focus on cancer and chronic disease.

Carl Latkin

Carl Latkin, PhD, conducts biobehavioral interventions for disadvantaged communities, with a focus on social networks, substance use, infectious diseases, and mental health.

Roland J. Thorpe, Jr.

Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., PhD, MS, is a gerontologist and social epidemiologist with nationally-recognized expertise in minority aging, men’s health, and place-based disparities.

Carol R. Underwood

Carol Underwood, PhD '93, MA, MA, studies the role of gender, social class, and marginalization in global health outcomes to contribute to the wellbeing of populations.

Get to Know Our Current Doctoral Students

Learn more about our doctoral students' research interests, publications, and more through our HBS doctoral student pages.

Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the JHU PhD Union, the minimum guaranteed 2025-2026 academic year stipend is $50,000 for all PhD students with a 4% increase the following year. Tuition, fees, and medical benefits are provided, including health insurance premiums for PhD student’s children and spouses of international students, depending on visa type. The minimum stipend and tuition coverage is guaranteed for at least the first four years of a BSPH PhD program; specific amounts and the number of years supported, as well as work expectations related to that stipend will vary across departments and funding source. Please refer to the CBA to review specific benefits, compensation, and other terms.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help.

Application and Admissions Procedural Questions

Please direct questions about application and admissions procedures to the BSPH Admissions Office.

Email:   [email protected] Phone:   410-955-3543

General Academic Questions

For general academic questions about the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences program, please contact our Department's doctoral program coordinator, Krystal Lee, EdD, MPA.

Email:   [email protected]

• Doctoral Programs
• Programs of Study
• Joint/Dual Doctoral Programs
• Masters Programs
• Joint/Dual Masters Programs
• MA and PhD Certificates
• Joint BA/MA Degrees
• Undergraduate Programs

Doctoral research is the culmination of graduate study, marking a transition from taking courses to becoming an independent scholar and doing original and significant work. The Division of the Social Sciences offers PhD programs in nine programs as well as opportunities for joint degrees with other divisions and professional schools at the University of Chicago.

Anthropology Comparative Human Development Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science Economics History Political Science Psychology Social Thought Sociology

This website uses cookies..

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

Social Science MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

The MPhil/PhD at the Social Research Institute provides a route for students to carry out their own research project within a multidisciplinary and multi-method environment. Our research students engage with the academic community within UCL and benefit from a comprehensive research training programme. This programme is available to study both face-to-face and online.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

The normal minimum requirement is a Master’s degree from a UK university in a subject appropriate to the programme to be followed, or a qualification of equivalent standard appropriate to the programme to be followed awarded by a university (or educational institution of university rank) outside the UK. The majority of our successful applicants hold a Merit at Master’s level, and may have additional relevant experience.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Social Research Institute is one of the largest multidisciplinary social science research and teaching centres in London. Our staff include sociologists, psychologists, social scientists and economists. We have research-active staff able to supervise research in our key areas of expertise.

Who this course is for

We welcome candidates who have a commitment to social research. They are expected to identify two potential supervisors prior to applying. Overseas applicants also need to satisfy the English Language requirement.

What this course will give you

IOE is a world-leading centre for research in education and related social science. We host the UK's largest doctoral cohort in these areas. We are home to many prestigious research centres and projects. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023), the Institute was ranked first for education for the tenth year running, ahead of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. In the UK's recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), we were ranked first for research strength and research power in Education, according to the Elsevier REF 2021 Results Analysis Tool. We attract extensive research funding each year and host many prestigious research centres and projects.

Doctoral students at IOE have access to the wider UCL community as well as the education cluster constituting the ESRC  UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership . The Institute's programme has been designed to provide comprehensive and broadly based research training and to meet the requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the UK Researcher Development Framework.

The foundation of your career

Students develop general and specialist skills in research methodology, academic writing and presentation, as well as experience of engaging with a wide range of practitioners across different social science sectors.

Employability

Social Science doctoral graduates are found in a variety of occupational fields and a wide range of career paths including social research, media research, marketing research, human resources, government, health, policy development, charities, education, NGOs, youth work and managerial posts in business and retail.

The Social Research Institute has a wide range of research seminars where students can join discussion of our ongoing projects, and IOE is the base for national and international conferences. The Centre for Doctoral Education holds two annual conferences for doctoral students. There are also opportunities for students to offer specialist reading groups and workshops and to act as facilitators on courses within the research training programme.

Teaching and learning

Our PhD students work closely with a principal supervisor and subsidiary supervisors. At SRI, we have expertise on a wide range of topics. Students will have opportunities to engage in research activities and seminars. In addition, the UCL Doctoral School also offers a range of skills development courses for PhD students.

In addition to UCL's Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE's Centre for Doctoral Education provides a comprehensive Research Training Programme.

The Core Course aims to meets the needs of early stage doctoral students.

There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic academic skills courses, as well as student-led workshops and reading groups.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline. It must also represent a distinct and significant contribution to the subject, whether through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory, or the revision of older views. It should reflect the exercise of critical judgement with regard to both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.

For those who decide not to pursue the full PhD, or are unable to do so, the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should represent a contribution to the subject, either through a record of your original work or a critical and ordered exposition of existing knowledge.

You must ensure you have adequate time to devote to this research, at least six hours a day (2-3 days a week part time).

Research areas and structure

Our expertise at the Social Research Institute covers the following specialising fields:

• Children’s rights and advocacy; childhood studies; child development; children in care; maternal and child health; reproductive health; health behaviours; health promotion
• Families; family formation; parenting; work and family life; fatherhood; motherhood; food practices
• Gender; sexualities and intimate lives
• Longitudinal analysis; cohort studies cross-cohort and international comparisons
• Lifecourse transitions; intergenerational studies; demography; youth and young adulthood
• Social inequalities; intergenerational and intragenerational social mobility 
• Education; skills and employment; labour market behaviour
• Migration; transnational families; sociology of religion; culture and ethnicity
• Cultural and social psychology
• Political sociology and the study of social movements
• Advanced qualitative and quantitative methods; mixed methods and visual methods
• Systematic reviews of research evidence; study of how research evidence is used in policy, practice and decision making 
• Time use research; time use data to study social life, gender, work/family balance, family and economics

Research environment

The Social Research Institute (SRI) is one of the leading centres in the UK for multidisciplinary teaching and research in the social sciences. With more than 180 academic, research and professional staff, we work to advance knowledge and inform policy in areas including gender, families, education, employment, migration, inequalities, public health, health and child/adult wellbeing. At SRI, our postgraduate research students from all over the world work alongside supervisory teams, staff and current students. Students work closely with their supervisor(s) to develop each stage of research; supervisors also help put together a programme of additional courses and activities to support progress towards completion of the final thesis. We offer a wide range of seminars and teaching opportunities. As research students, you will have opportunities to organise your own reading groups, workshops, and seminars, working with other research students in other departments in IOE and UCL.

In addition to the campus-based mode, we offer the option to study online in a distance-learning mode. Choosing the distance-learning mode means that there are no residency requirements and it is not necessary to attend during doctoral study, the viva examination take place in-person at UCL or online. However, you are welcome to visit and use campus facilities including the library, attend seminars etc. In the first year of full-time study (and first two years of part-time study), distance learners take a series of compulsory research methods modules that are studied online. This typically involves provision of materials (articles, eBooks, videos etc.), forums to facilitate discussion of various tasks, and synchronous sessions to discuss the activities. Alongside these you will work with your supervisors on your research (e.g., using Teams/Zoom and email). In addition, there are other resources and training opportunities to support distance-learning students, e.g., sessions to develop generic skills.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 3 years for full-time.

You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.

The Centre for Doctoral Education at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society provides an extensive Research Training Programme. A mandatory core course is provided that aims to meet the needs of early-stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic non-credit bearing academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups which you can attend.

Full-time MPhil/PhD students are required to fulfil minimum 20 ‘points’ of training activity in their first year, and are encouraged to fulfil the same in their subsequent years of study. This training can be selected from the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent. Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.

You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status towards the end of your first year of study if full-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.

Processes aimed at assisting you during your course of study include the Research Student Log (an online project management tool), and periodic reviews of students’ progress.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 5 years for part-time.

IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. A mandatory core course is provided that aims to meet the needs of early-stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic non-credit bearing academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups which you can attend.

Part-time students are required to fulfil minimum 12 ‘points’ of training activity in each year of study. This training can be selected from the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent. Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.

You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status at around 18 months if part-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Students should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their thesis.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/funding-students-postgraduate-research-courses

UCL's Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available annually to prospective and existing UCL research students from any country: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/research-excellence-scholarship . The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership offers studentships annually. More information is found here: https://ubel-dtp.ac.uk/

UBEL, RES and other funding programmes are not available to online and non-resident students.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Applications for this programme are accepted throughout the year. It is highly recommended that students start their programme at the beginning of the academic year (usually the end of September-beginning of October). Two supervisors must be identified and agreed upon prior to submitting a formal application. To identify potential supervisors, check the areas of research interest of staff from the departmental staff lists https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/departments/ucl-social-research-institute/

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

Social Research Institute

[email protected]

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students .

Prospective Students Graduate

• Graduate degrees
• Taught degrees
• Taught Degrees
• Applying for Graduate Taught Study at UCL
• Research degrees
• Research Degrees
• Funded Research Opportunities
• Doctoral School
• Funded Doctoral Training Programmes
• Applying for Graduate Research Study at UCL
• Teacher training
• Teacher Training
• Early Years PGCE programmes
• Primary PGCE programmes
• Secondary PGCE programmes
• Further Education PGCE programme
• How to apply
• The IOE approach
• Teacher training in the heart of London
• Why choose UCL?
• Entrepreneurship
• Inspiring facilities and resources
• Careers and employability
• Your global alumni community
• Your wellbeing
• Postgraduate Students' Association
• Your life in London
• Accommodation
• Funding your Master's

Social Science PhD Program

Where Interdisciplinary Scholarship Produces Innovative Solutions

At the heart of a Maxwell education is the fundamental belief that analyzing and developing measurable solutions to today’s complex challenges requires both disciplinary excellence and interdisciplinary cross-pollination of ideas. 

Since its founding in 1946, our interdisciplinary social science Ph.D. program has been a leading center for innovative scholarship for students whose intellectual interests do not easily fit within the confines of a single social science discipline. With guidance from the social science Ph.D. chair, social science doctoral students develop their own programs of interdisciplinary study, incorporating social theory and research methods from Maxwell’s highly regarded social science and professional programs, including:

• anthropology,
• international relations,
• political science,
• public administration and

our alumni hold a broad range of academic, research and leadership roles

we offer the only interdisciplinary social science Ph.D. program in the country

determine the mix of disciplines appropriate for your unique research interests

One degree, many paths

The Ph.D. in social science prepares students to undertake a broad range of careers including college and university research and teaching, non-academic research, consulting, public service, organizational administration, and institutional leadership.

Notable Alumni

See More Alumni Placements

Olga Boichak

Diane lyden murphy, gearoid millar, deborah alexander, priti ramamurthy.

Professor, Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies, University of Washington

Nicholas Armstrong

Innovative scholarship, diverse viewpoints.

I am Maxwell.

I took urban anthropology and urban geography and urban sociology. I studied with some extraordinary people, and the degree that I got gave me such a broad, interesting education. Whether I was jumping into solving the New York City fiscal crisis or sitting over at HHS trying to figure out how we were going to straighten out a very complex Medicare system, all of that came out of very good training.”

Donna Shalala M.A., PH.D. (SOCIAL SCIENCE) Former: U.S. Representative (FL-27); president and CEO Clinton Foundation; president, University of Miami; U.S. Secretary, HHS

Read our story “Freshman Rep From Florida”

Graduate students will conduct cutting edge research alongside faculty mentors and in Maxwell's 15 research centers.

• Mission, Facts and Figures
• Deans, Chairs and Staff
• Leadership Council
• Dean in the News
• Get Involved
• DEIB Mission
• Message from DEIB Associate Dean
• News and Media
• Reading Lists
• The Yale and Slavery Research Project
• Photo Gallery
• Winslow Medal
• Coat of Arms & Mace
• $50 Million Challenge
• For Pandemic Prevention and Global Health
• For Understanding the Health Impacts of Climate Change
• For Health Equity and Justice
• For Powering Health Solutions through Data Science
• For Future Leaders
• For Faculty Leaders
• For Transformational Efforts
• Data, Leadership, and Collaboration at the School of Public Health
• An abiding love for Yale turns into a lasting gift – in 15 minutes
• Endowed Professorship Created at Critical Time for Yale School of Public Health
• Brotherly encouragement spurs gift to support students
• Prestipino creates opportunities for YSPH students, now and later
• Alumna gives back to the school that “opened doors” in male-dominated field
• For Public Health, a Broad Mission and a Way to Amplify Impact
• Couple Endows Scholarship to Put Dreams in Reach for YSPH Students
• A Match Made at YSPH
• A HAPPY Meeting of Public Health and the Arts
• Generous Gift Bolsters Diversity & Inclusion
• Alumni Donations Aid Record Number of YSPH Students
• YSPH’s Rapid Response Fund Needs Donations – Rapidly
• Podiatric Medicine and Orthopedics as Public Health Prevention
• Investing in Future Public Health Leaders
• Support for Veterans and Midcareer Students
• Donor Eases Burden for Policy Students
• A Personal Inspiration for Support of Cancer Research
• Reducing the Burden of Student Debt
• Learning About Global Health Through Global Travel
• A Meeting in Dubai, and a Donation to the School
• Rapid Response Fund
• Planned Giving
• Testimonials
• Faculty, Postdoc Jobs
• For the Media
• Issues List
• PDF Issues for Download
• Editorial Style Guide
• Social Media
• Shared Humanity Podcast
• Health & Veritas Podcast
• Accreditation
• Faculty Directory by Name
• Career Achievement Awards
• Annual Research Awards
• Teaching Spotlights
• Biostatistics
• Chronic Disease Epidemiology
• Climate Change and Health Concentration
• Environmental Health Sciences
• Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
• Global Health
• Health Policy and Management
• Implementation Science Track
• Maternal and Child Health Promotion Track
• Public Health Modeling Concentration
• Social & Behavioral Sciences
• U.S. Health Justice Concentration
• Why Public Health at Yale
• Events and Contact
• What Does it Take to be a Successful YSPH Student?
• How to Apply and FAQs
• Incoming Student Gateway
• Traveling to Yale
• Meet Students and Alumni
• Past Internship Spotlights
• Student-run Organizations
• MS and PhD Student Leaders
• Staff Spotlights
• Life in New Haven
• Libraries at Yale
• The MPH Internship Experience
• Practicum Course Offerings
• Summer Funding and Fellowships
• Downs Fellowship Committee
• Stolwijk Fellowship
• Climate Change and Health
• Career Management Center
• What You Can Do with a Yale MPH
• MPH Career Outcomes
• MS Career Outcomes
• PhD Career Outcomes
• Employer Recruiting
• Tuition and Expenses
• External Funding and Scholarships
• External Fellowships for PhD Candidates
• Alumni Spotlights
• Bulldog Perks
• Stay Involved
• Board of Directors
• Emerging Majority Affairs Committee
• Award Nomination Form
• Board Nomination Form
• Alumni Engagement Plus
• Mentorship Program
• The Mentoring Process
• For Mentors
• For Students
• Recent Graduate Program
• Transcript and Verification Requests
• Applied Practice and Student Research
• Competencies and Career Paths
• Applied Practice and Internships
• Student Research
• Seminar and Events
• Competencies and Career paths
• Why the YSPH Executive MPH
• Message from the Program Director
• Two-year Hybrid MPH Schedule
• The Faculty
• Student Profiles
• Newsletter Articles
• Approved Electives
• Physicians Associates Program
• Joint Degrees with International Partners
• MS in Biostatistics Standard Pathway
• MS Implementation and Prevention Science Methods Pathway
• MS Data Sciences Pathway
• Internships and Student Research
• Competencies
• Degree Requirements - Quantitative Specialization
• Degree Requirements - Clinical Specialization
• Degree Requirements- PhD Biostatistics Standard Pathway
• Degree Requirements- PhD Biostatistics Implementation and Prevention Science Methods Pathway
• Meet PhD Students in Biostatistics
• Meet PhD Students in CDE
• Degree Requirements and Timeline
• Meet PhD Students in EHS
• Meet PhD Students in EMD
• Meet PhD Students in HPM
• Degree Requirements - PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Degree Requirements - PhD SBS Program Maternal and Child Health Promotion
• Meet PhD Students in SBS
• Differences between MPH and MS degrees
• Academic Calendar
• Translational Alcohol Research Program
• Molecular Virology/Epidemiology Training Program (MoVE-Kaz)
• For Public Health Practitioners and Workforce Development
• Course Description
• Instructors
• Registration
• Coursera Offerings
• Non-degree Students
• International Initiatives & Partnerships
• NIH-funded Summer Research Experience in Environmental Health (SREEH)
• Summer International Program in Environmental Health Sciences (SIPEHS)
• 2023 Student Awards
• 2022 Student Awards
• APHA Annual Meeting & Expo
• National Public Health Week (NPHW)
• Leaders in Public Health
• YSPH Dean's Lectures
• The Role of Data in Public Health Equity & Innovation Conference
• Innovating for the Public Good
• Practice- and community-based research and initiatives
• Practice and community-based research and initiatives
• Activist in Residence Program
• The Data & The Solutions
• Publications
• Health Care Systems and Policy
• Heart Disease and Stroke
• Panels, Seminars and Workshops (Recordings)
• Rapid Response Fund Projects
• SalivaDirect™
• Emerging Infections Program - COVID-NET
• Public Health Modeling Unit Projects
• HIV-AIDS-TB
• The Lancet 2023 Series on Breastfeeding
• 'Omics
• News in Biostatistics
• Biostatistics Overview
• Seminars and Events
• Seminar Recordings
• Statistical Genetics/Genomics, Spatial Statistics and Modeling
• Causal Inference, Observational Studies and Implementation Science Methodology
• Health Informatics, Data Science and Reproducibility
• Clinical Trials and Outcomes
• Machine Learning and High Dimensional Data Analysis
• News in CDE
• Nutrition, Diabetes, Obesity
• Maternal and Child Health
• Outcomes Research
• Health Disparities
• Women's Health
• News in EHS
• EHS Seminar Recordings
• Climate change and energy impacts on health
• Developmental origins of health and disease
• Environmental justice and health disparities
• Enviromental related health outcomes
• Green chemistry solutions
• Novel approaches to assess environmental exposures and early markers of effect
• 1,4 Dioxane
• Reproducibility
• Tissue Imaging Mass Spectrometry
• Alcohol and Cancer
• Olive Oil and Health
• Lightning Talks
• News in EMD
• Antimicrobial Resistance
• Applied Public Health and Implementation Science
• Emerging Infections and Climate Change
• Global Health/Tropical Diseases
• HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Marginalized Population Health & Equity
• Pathogen Genomics, Diagnostics, and Molecular Epidemiology
• Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases
• Disease Areas
• EMD Research Day
• News in HPM
• Health Systems Reform
• Quality, Efficiency and Equity of Healthcare
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health
• Modeling: Policy, Operations and Disease
• Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Medical Devices
• Health and Wellbeing
• News in SBS
• Aging Health
• Community Engagement
• Health Equity
• Mental Health
• Reproductive Health
• Sexuality and Health
• Nutrition, Exercise
• Stigma Prevention
• Community Partners
• For Public Health Practitioners
• Reports and Publications
• Fellows Stipend Application
• Agency Application
• Past Fellows
• PHFP in the News
• Frequently Asked Questions
• International Activity
• Research Publications
• Grant Listings
• Modeling Analyses
• 3 Essential Questions Series

INFORMATION FOR

• Prospective Students
• Incoming Students
• myYSPH Members

The mentorship and support I’ve received through the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) as a predoctoral fellow has been invaluable and was a big factor in my decision to attend YSPH.

PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Department aims to understand and improve health equity, both domestically and globally. SBS provides instruction in the theory and methods of the social and behavioral sciences that emphasize individual, interpersonal, community, and structural influences on health, illness, and recovery. The primary emphases are focused on (1) understanding the psychosocial, behavioral, community, and societal influences on health in the general population, with a focus on those who are disadvantaged; and (2) creating multilevel interventions that eliminate barriers to health, from infancy to old age. The SBS curriculum takes an interdisciplinary approach and focuses on integrating methods from epidemiology and the social sciences, training scientists with a broad skill set that allows them to answer a host of complex research questions. The department has numerous research strengths including in HIV/AIDS, aging health, community engaged health research, maternal child health, mental health, health equity and disparities, and stigma prevention and health.

This program does not require General GRE test scores.

Learn more about the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

• Career Outcomes and the YSPH Career Management Center

MyYSPH.Yale.Edu

2024 Best Online PhD in Social Science Programs

If you are an analytical individual with a drive to help others, you might consider earning a PhD in Social Science.

Editorial Listing ShortCode:

This degree is also a beneficial option for anyone who is interested in building their research abilities, understanding global communities, and developing a set of transferable skills.

Universities Offering Online PhD in Social Science Degree Programs

Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.

Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University offers a PhD in Social Welfare. This is an on-campus program that can be enrolled in full-time or part-time. Coursework can typically be completed in 2 years by full-time students and 3 years by part-time students. Students are also required to complete a dissertation.

Case Western Reserve University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University offers a Doctorate in Public Administration and Policy. It requires the completion of 49 credit hours. The program covers how to conduct policy analyses, design and conduct research studies in public administration, and report research findings and their implications. Online courses are live and follow a regular schedule. ODU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University offers a PhD in Social Studies Education program that is designed to prepare students for working in teacher education at the postsecondary level. Classes can be taken on campus or online. Courses include Research on Social Studies Education, Teaching and Learning Historical Literacy with Media, and Historical Nonfiction for Teaching History.

The Pennsylvania State University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

University at Buffalo

The University at Buffalo offers a Doctor of Social Work that can be earned fully online as a part-time student. The program requires the completion of 39 credits and is aimed at experienced social workers. It incorporates a trauma-informed and human rights perspective. Students may start in the fall semester only.

The University at Buffalo is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona offers both a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Services and a Doctor of Psychology. Online students may take just one course at a time, and courses are 6 or 9 weeks long. Up to 30 approved credits may be transferred into the program. University of Arizona’s doctoral programs emphasize research and social justice matters.

The University of Arizona is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

The University of Tennessee—Knoxville offers a Doctor of Social Work in Clinical Practice and Leadership. The online program includes three years of rigorous coursework, with two classes each semester. Online students must also spend one week each summer on campus in Knoxville.

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania offers a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work. Online students may complete their coursework and dissertations simultaneously and can usually finish within 3 years. Online classes meet two evenings each week for two hours. The program also includes on-campus immersion experiences.

The  University of Pennsylvania  is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California offers an online Doctorate of Social Work. The program aims to help students learn how to develop practical, applied solutions to large-scale social challenges. The standard track is nine semesters, and the accelerated track is seven semesters. The program is fully online with no required fieldwork, clinicals, or internships. The University of Southern California is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Senior College and University Commission.

Walden University

Walden University offers a PhD in Social Work. Students may choose a specialization in Advanced Clinical Practice and Supervision, Impact Leadership in Social Work Administration, or Social Work Education. This is a research-based program designed for working professionals. Students begin focusing on their dissertations from the first course.

Walden is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Wilmington University

Wilmington University offers a Doctor of Social Science in Prevention Science. This is an interdisciplinary program that includes the study of public health, human development, developmental psychopathology, education, behavioral sciences, and more. It requires the completion of thirteen courses for a total of 39-48 credits.

Wilmington University  is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

PhD in Social Science Programs

Similar to a master’s in social science program, in a PhD program, there are many disciplines that fall under the umbrella of social science. The following are some typical areas that you may choose to focus on as you earn your doctorate degree. Select the program that most interests you to jump to that section of the guide:

Anthropology

Human services.

Regardless of the specialty you select, you will still receive a strong foundation in social science and related courses.

At its core, a degree in anthropology centers around the study of humankind. Not only will you have the opportunity to research historical communities and cultures, but you will also examine modern-day societies as well.

Learning to conduct effective research and using information about the past to impact the future are important parts of this degree. After earning a PhD in Anthropology, there are a number of career options available. Many graduates go on to work in the fields of museum curation, government, education, and social work.

Students earning a PhD in History can develop expertise in analyzing and conducting historical research. Many programs also focus on building conscientious leaders and teachers. You can use the lessons you learn about the past to educate and inform the decisions you make about the present and future. A degree in this field can lead to a wide variety of career paths.

Many graduates pursue careers as educators, research fellows, historians, and policy analysts. Because doctoral history programs require a high attention to detail and strong writing skills, some graduates also find jobs as authors or archivists.

A doctoral degree in human services can provide you with a deeper look into the work and impact that human service organizations provide. You will likely leave with a working knowledge of the ethical guidelines in the field and with leadership skill sets.

Careers in this field typically serve the community and improve the lives of the individuals who inhabit them. Depending on your previous educational background, you may choose to do several different things with a PhD in Human Services. An eligibility worker supervisor, specialist director, and licensed clinical social worker are just a few examples of the career paths available in this field.

Students who are working toward their PhD in Sociology will study societies and social interactions. Programs in this field usually prepare you for work in teaching or research.

Graduates tend to go on to become teachers or researchers, but there are other options available as well. For example, you may choose to pursue work in a medical health center or a government agency. Most PhD professionals in this field end up in a nonprofit or research-based organization.

A doctoral degree in psychology will look different depending on the specialty that you choose. Doctoral psychology programs typically offer an opportunity to conduct extensive scientific research and to strengthen your skills in this area. You will often pair this research with real-world practicum experience.

Because you can tailor a degree in psychology to fit your interests, there are a wide variety of potential career paths. Some professionals choose to become teachers, counselors, and social workers. Others pursue positions as clinical psychologists.

Social Science Careers & Salaries

With a social science doctoral degree, there are a wide range of potential career paths that you may take. The positions that you are qualified for will vary depending on your specific area of study within your social science PhD program.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics , here are the annual median salaries for common careers within the social sciences.

Because you can tailor this degree to fit your interests, it can often lead to work that is personally fulfilling. With options in a variety of sectors, such as nonprofit or private, you can help your community in the way that feels best to you.

Social Sciences Doctorate Curriculum & Courses

While each university has its own unique curriculum, there are typical classes within each discipline that you may take as you complete your doctorate in social sciences.

Here are some common courses that may be offered:

• History Research : In this course, you’ll learn methods of effective research specific to social studies as well as how to identify and analyze credible sources.
• Historical Methods : This course focuses on using primary sources to conduct research and write about findings.
• Ethnographic and Qualitative Methods : Focusing on fieldwork methods, this course explores topics such as project design, observation, and data-collection and analysis.
• Development of Anthropological Thought : In this course, you’ll learn about the evolution of anthropological thought, including the ways in which scientific and intellectual thought-patterns have changed.
• Foundations and Methods of Psychology : This course is a foundational exploration of the history of psychology, and it takes a deeper look into the research tools and methods used to conduct psychological studies.
• Development of Human Behavior : This course examines the ways in which external events impact human reactions.
• Grant Writing : This course dissects the process of grant writing and details each step, including the statement of need and executive summary.
• Human Service s Theory : This course examines modern approaches to research in the human services field, and you’ll also learn to design ethically informed research projects.
• Sociological Theories of Development : This course provides a study of the history of sociological theories as well as an overview of key figures and important dates.
• Dissertation : Most PhD programs close with a dissertation. This course will be a chance for you to learn about the dissertation writing process and begin plans for your own work.

Your own curriculum and coursework will be specific to the university that you attend.

Doctor of Social Science Admissions Requirements

Although every university is unique in their admissions criteria, here are some of the typical requirements for doctoral programs:

• GRE or GMAT scores, if required
• Master’s degree
• Minimum GPA from previous programs
• Letters of recommendation

In addition to these criteria, many schools ask you to pay a small application fee. You may also be asked to provide additional documents, such as an admissions essay or employment records. It’s strategic to check the specific admissions requirements for your schools of interest prior to applying.

Accreditation

Although accreditation is a voluntary process, it can say a lot about the quality of education that a school offers. Regionally accredited programs consist of a staff and educational materials that are considered to be up to standard.

Regional accreditation can be an important factor to look for during your school search. In addition to the instructional benefits you can receive, employers often favor candidates who have completed an accredited degree program.

You can check if a school is regionally accredited by visiting the website of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) .   

Financial Aid and Scholarships

As you apply to various doctoral programs in social sciences, it can be helpful to consider available financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

Federal aid is granted to individuals based on a set of eligibility requirements. You can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at no cost to you to determine how much aid you qualify for. Federal financial assistance can come in several forms, including direct unsubsidized loans, grants, and work-study programs.

In addition to federal aid, you may also be eligible for state aid, scholarships, or employee education benefit programs. You can check the financial aid guidelines for your specific state, university, or employer for specific details.

What Can You Do with a Social Science PhD Degree?

Because there are so many topics within the social sciences major , a PhD degree in this field can lead to a wide range of career opportunities.

Many professionals who earn their doctorate degree in a social science field go on to provide essential services to their communities. For instance, some work as chief executives, social workers, or psychologists. Others choose to enter into the worlds of education and history as professors, historians, or museum curators.

Every individual’s path post-graduation will look different. There are a number of factors that can impact your career path and salary, such as your work experience, specialty area, employer, and location.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Social Science Doctoral Degree?

It typically takes 3 to 5 years to complete a PhD program, but the length of time can vary based on the required number of credits and how long it takes you to complete your dissertation.

Doctoral programs that do not require a dissertation may be completed in as little as 3 years with full-time enrollment. Alternatively, if you attend part-time, it may take you longer to complete your degree.

What’s the Difference Between a PhD in Social Science vs. Humanities Degree?

It can be helpful to think of social sciences as a scientific approach to studying human nature and communities, while the humanities take an analytical approach.

The program that is right for you will depend on several factors, including your career goals and your individual interests.

Is a Social Science PhD Worth It?

Yes, a social science PhD is worth it for many students. There are so many potential areas of study within the field of social sciences, and you can tailor your degree to fit your personal interests and career goals. Each area of focus provides a unique way to help develop and assist your community.

In addition to a variety of career options, employment in life, physical, and social science occupations is expected to grow 8% over the next ten years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). A PhD can also help you qualify for positions in research and academia.

Getting Your PhD in Social Science Online

Earning your PhD in Social Sciences can open up doors to new opportunities. Many professionals who earn their social science degrees leave with a deeper understanding of the interactions between individuals and their communities. They often go on to impact the lives of the people around them through the services they provide.

If you are passionate about using science and research to help others, a Ph.D. in Social Science may be the right degree path for you. A growing number of accredited universities now also offer credible PhD programs online, allowing for more convenience and flexibility.

You can get started today by researching doctoral programs in your chosen field.

Doctoral Program

Phd-phs in social and behavioral sciences.

Prospective doctoral students interested in the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences should apply to the Doctor of Philosophy ( PhD ) Program in  Population Health Sciences  and choose  Social & Behavioral Sciences as their Field of Study.

The PhD in Population Health Sciences is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and is awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Students in this program will gain broad, interdisciplinary knowledge in quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry for understanding the health of populations, and developmental approaches to population health science. In addition, students will belong to one of the following Fields of Study associated with the departments of: Environmental Health , Epidemiology , Global Health and Population , Nutrition , or Social and Behavioral Sciences .

For further details on the PhD program, please visit this website .

Curriculum Guide

2023-24 SBS-PhD Curriculum Guide

What are the admission requirements for the PhD program?

For applicants that are applying into the PhD in Population Health Sciences check out this admission requirement  checklist .

Is the GRE required?

Yes. All applicants are required to submit GRE scores as part of their application submission. This is a change from our pandemic policy. As with other application components, the GRE will be considered as part of an applicant’s holistic application, in combination with all submitted materials.

I’m applying to the PhD program in Population Health Sciences, do I need to secure an advisor? Do faculty make advising commitments before applying to the program?

Advisors for PhD students in the PHS program are chosen after we know who will be joining us in the new cohort. Generally, the assignment takes place in early to mid-May. An essential part of the PhD admissions process is the consideration of appropriate mentoring faculty for the applicant. Therefore applicants do not get prior advising commitments from a potential faculty mentor prior to applying to the program. We recommend listing up to three faculty members of interest in your personal statement, articulating how your current research interests align with the faculty listed.

I’m applying to the PhD program in Population Health Sciences, do I need to have prior quantitative coursework?

Our program has a strong emphasis on quantitative methods so showing preparation in this area is strongly recommended. The doctoral program in SBS is very quantitative-focused and we do require students to take a year of Quantitative Research Methods in Population Health Sciences (PHS 2000 A + B). Although the committee looks at the application holistically, some emphasis is placed on how well applicants do in specific course areas such as Biostats, EPI and the social sciences.

It’s always helpful to the admissions committee to be able to assess quantitative skills in an applicant’s background and that is usually demonstrated through coursework, professional experiences and letters of recommendation.

What are you looking for in applicants to the PhD program?

While applications are looked at holistically, the admissions committee does place an emphasis on prior coursework in biostatistics, epidemiology and the social sciences, so highlighting these types of courses in your application will be useful.  Additionally, it could be helpful if one of your recommenders is a professor from your last degree program who can comment positively on your quantitative abilities.  Your statement of purpose is a chance for you to tell the committee about your motivation for pursuing doctoral work in SBS and to describe yourself as a researcher. A key part of the admissions review process is making sure there is appropriate mentorship, so we suggest naming up to three SBS faculty whose interests align with your own. You can read about the faculty here .

You may find the information on this page helpful as you prepare your application.

Will graduate course work from my master’s degree be accepted for some of the coursework required in the PhD (e.g. statistics courses etc.)?

You can submit a substitution form with the course syllabus for courses you have taken in your Master’s program. Substitution requests are carefully reviewed by the instructor of the required HSPH course to determine if the course is truly equivalent.

Where can I find out more information on the research in the SBS department?

You can get some information on faculty research by viewing their profiles on the department website.

You can read about the research areas of current students here .

News from the School

The power of storytelling in public health

New center to tackle health disparities affecting LGBTQ community

Alcohol use disorder among reproductive-age women—and barriers to treatment

Prosthetics nonprofit wants to hear from its patients

• University of California, Irvine

We use cookies on this site to enhance your experience and tailor content. By continuing to use our sites, you accept our use of cookies. For further information please see UCI Privacy and Legal Notice .

Ph.D. in Sociology

ONLINE APPLICATION APPLY NOW

about OUR PROGRAM

Ranked among the top 10 programs in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report), the UCI graduate program in sociology offers students six years of guaranteed funding .

Scholars in the department have a proven record of earning competitive research funding from national agencies including the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health; from private foundations including the Russell Sage Foundation and Grant Foundation; and from campus-level fellowships, such as the Public Impact, Fletcher Jones, and Chancellor's Club fellowships.

Faculty in the department publish regularly in the field's top academic journals, and graduate students have incredible opportunities to publish alongside them.

And if that wasn't enough, the UCI campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach, is the #1 university doing the most for the American dream ( New York Times College Access Index ), and the #1 best value university in the U.S. ( Forbes ). And USA Today College ranked UCI the #8 best place to earn a sociology degree ( U.S. News & World Report ).

Learn more about sociology at UCI...

university committed to economic diversity and upward mobility - New York Times College Access Index

best college in the nation - Money Magazine

public university in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report

best public sociology program in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report

LOCATION Campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach.  

FUNDING Admitted students receive 6 years of guaranteed funding.  

METHODOLOGY Quantitative, qualitative, and multi-method approaches to social issues.

DEGREE Ph.D.; a master's degree may be earned while in pursuit of the Ph.D.  

ENROLLMENT Full-time, on-campus with housing.    

SPECIALIZATION The department offers a dozen areas in which graduate students can focus their studies.

JOB PLACEMENTS

Boston University

Harvard University

RAND Corporation

Tulane University

University College London

UNC Chapel Hill

University of Tokyo

University of Washington

U.S. Census Bureau

Read more about alumni job placements...

  A top 10-ranked program with research strengths in population, family, immigration and inequality.  

what makes us

  UCI sociology is internationally recognized for research and training that supports studies across the spectrum of quantitative, qualitative, and multi-method approaches to social issues. Research specialties within the department include:

• Economy, inequality, labor, and organizations
• Gender and family
• Global inequality and change
• Immigration
• Political sociology
• Social movements
• Race and ethnicity
• Social networks

Sociology faculty contribute not only to the department and the wider field but also to the campus's interdisciplinary units, providing leadership and core faculty to the institutes and centers. Students have an opportunity to earn a master's degree while in pursuit of their Ph.D., and are encouraged to enroll in interdisciplinary coursework.

Alumni have entered tenure-track positions at top research universities, highly competitive post-doctoral positions, and research-oriented jobs in both the public and private sectors.

In short, graduate students in sociology at UCI join a vibrant, collegial, rigorous academic program, with instruction from leading experts in the field, and a collaborative atmosphere that fosters success.

So what are you waiting for?

APPLY TODAY

If full funding, opportunities to publish, and a proven track record of excellence in the field are what you’re looking for in a graduate program, contact us today to learn more about UCI sociology.  

UCI Department of Sociology

Online Application

Department Chair

David John Frank   [email protected]  949.824.1117

Graduate Director

Yang Su   [email protected]  949.824.6800

Graduate Advisor

Jennifer Gerson   [email protected]  949.824.4074

connect with us

© UC Irvine School of Social Sciences - 3151 Social Sciences Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697-5100 - 949.824.2766

Doctoral Degree Programs

The PhD program in the Department of Sociology at Stanford offers rigorous training in sociological knowledge and research methods, and prepares students to embark on successful professional careers in sociology.  Our program prides itself on world-renowned faculty, cutting-edge research programs, and close interactions between faculty and students.

Through coursework, workshops, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships, students work closely with faculty members to develop research skills and experience and gain expertise in the substantive areas of sociology.  In collaboration with Stanford Law School, as well as other research programs on campus, we offer a JD/PhD joint degree and a multidisciplinary environment for students to pursue their intellectual interests in different areas.

Finalists for the Knight Hennessy scholarships work with Stanford lecturers. Photo credit: Linda A. Cicero / Stanford News Service

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars  develops a community of future global leaders to address complex challenges through collaboration and innovation. Each year, up to 100 students are awarded with funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford and participate in an experiential leadership development program that emphasizes collaboration and innovation. Citizens of any country may apply. Visit  khs.stanford.edu  to learn more.

• Interesting for you
• My settings

Go to your profile page to get personalised recommendations!

Environmental Social Science, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Environmental Social Science

The PhD program in environmental social science is one of the few doctoral degree programs in the U.S. that draw on the premise that reducing human impacts and developing more sustainable environmental practices are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve without a focus on the social dynamics of environmental issues using critical social science perspectives.

The program is organized around theoretically based conceptual domains:

• culture and the environment
• environmental hazards and vulnerability
• environmental justice
• human environment impacts
• political ecology
• science and technology studies

These are the bases for addressing various topical foci, including urban environments, technologies and their consequences, landscapes, institutions, and health and the environment.

Students work with faculty who have expertise in a broad range of fields, including:

• archaeology
• community resources
• cultural and medical anthropology
• environmental history
• geographic information systems
• human and physical geography
• public affairs

Coursework for the degree is focused on developing practical skills and a solid grasp of complex social science approaches to environmental issues. Students work closely with their committee to develop a curriculum appropriate to their chosen interests and career goals.

Degree Requirements

Curriculum plan options.

Students who enter the program with a master's degree in a related field may be granted up to 30 credit hours toward the 84 credit hour total required for the doctorate degree program. This leaves 30 credit hours of coursework, 12 credit hours of research credit and 12 hours of dissertation credit (54 credit hours total) to be earned after admission.

Students who enter the program without a master's degree must earn an additional 30 hours of graduate credit, produce a research portfolio that is formally evaluated by a faculty committee, and present that research in a public forum before continuing to the later stage of the doctorate degree program.

All students must maintain an average GPA of 3.20 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in their courses and complete degree requirements per the program's satisfactory progress policy.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Undergraduate coursework in the social sciences (e.g., geography, political science, sociology, anthropology, planning or history) is not a prerequisite for admission but is generally advisable. Students may be admitted without such a background and may be required to acquire knowledge of the social sciences in a manner to be specified at the time of admission.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• personal statement outlining educational and professional goals
• current curriculum vitae or resume
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Applicants may include in the application materials an optional scholarly writing sample, not to exceed 30 double-spaced pages.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, career opportunities.

The program trains students to move into teaching and research positions or to assume leadership roles in government, industry or nongovernmental organizations.

There is a demand in the job market for people with keen thinking skills who can manage, evaluate and interpret large amounts of data. As the many spheres of human interaction expand globally, people trained in this degree program are increasingly sought-after for their broad, holistic knowledge and perspectives. Some career opportunities include:

• acting as legal advocates in international cases
• analyzing and proposing policies
• conducting postgraduate academic research
• consulting for private and public organizations
• curating cultural resources
• directing nonprofit organizations
• directing programs in the private or public sector
• managing culture or heritage resources in the private or public sector
• planning communities

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-6215

PhD in Social Policy

In this section.

• Current Students
• PhD Student Life
• Degree Requirements
• What We Look For

The joint PhD Programs in Social Policy combine the disciplinary depth of a PhD in political science or sociology with multidisciplinary perspectives and problem-driven research on questions of social policy.

As a joint venture between the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences'  Government and Sociology departments and Harvard Kennedy School, the program is designed for students like you who have broad interests in social policy problems and solutions, spanning topics such as:

• Economic inequality
• Wealth distribution (including high-end wealth accumulation)
• Race and ethnicity
• Poverty and social mobility
• Family dynamics
• Workplace inequities
• Health disparities
• Crime and criminal punishment
• Immigration
• Local politics, neighborhoods, and segregation
• Educational access and inequality
• Political participation and political inequality  

The “discipline-plus” model

The PhD Programs in Social Policy are grounded by a “discipline-plus” structure. You will build a strong foundation in either political science or sociology before embarking on a sequence of multidisciplinary seminars and advanced research in social policy—all of which will focus primarily on the United States and Western Europe.

Research at the core

The joint PhD Programs in Social Policy are targeted toward producing scholars whose research puts them at the forefront of studying key problems in social policy. The skills and cross-disciplinary insights you develop will allow you to identify important unanswered questions and create research strategies that improve our understanding of social problems.

Graduates of the joint PhD Programs in Social Policy leave the program well equipped to pursue careers in leading political science or sociology departments, public policy schools, law schools, think tanks, nonprofit organizations, and in the public sector. 

Ph.D. Programs

At the graduate level, five of our departments have Ph.D. programs: Anthropology , Economics , Political Science , Psychological Sciences , and Sociology . All of these programs achieve excellence by concentrating on selected areas for education and research.

If you are interested in earning a doctorate, you are encouraged to learn about our programs by browsing each department's website and by contacting faculty. Each department strives to make sure that there is a good "fit" between a student's interests and the strengths of the department.

For more information on any of our Ph.D. programs please click on the links below:

• Anthropology
• Political Science
• Psychological Sciences

Ph.D. in Psychology: Consciousness and Society

• Skip to content
• Skip to main navigation
• Wolf Connect
• Faculty & Staff
• Departments & Offices
• Programs & Degrees
• Courses & Syllabi
• Becoming UWG
• Academic Calendar

Explore West

Take advantage of what the University of West Georgia has to offer. UWG boasts 87 programs of study.

UWG offers an exciting, diverse curriculum that allows its students to flourish and become community and world leaders.

Creating Future Scholars.

Our Ph.D. in Psychology program is committed to creating scholars eager to engage in research at the nexus of consciousness and society.

Apply Today Learn More

At-a-Glance

• 64 credit hours: 60 in coursework and 4 for dissertation
• At least 48 credits must be completed in the UWG Psychology Program
• Focus on psychology as a "human science"
• Graduate assistantships available

an integrative approach

The Ph.D. program in Psychology at the University of West Georgia is focused on the study of Consciousness and Society. We are grounded in approaching psychology as a distinctively human science with scholarship linked to social engagement.

What to Expect from Our Program

With a perspective on psychology as "a human science," our Ph.D. program is dedicated to educating future scholars and practitioners at the highest level of the discipline to make original contributions to theory and knowledge. Our curriculum reflects three theoretical approaches to analyze the intersection of consciousness and society:

• Transpersonal

Make a Difference

Graduates emerge from our program as rigorously trained academics who can creatively facilitate transformations in a global society. They serve in a variety of academic fields related to research and teaching, as well as consulting and leadership roles outside of the academy. 

Prospective Students

We invite applicants to join us in blending alternative perspectives into a new pluralistic vision. Bringing together the deep commitments and methodological traditions founded in humanistic psychology, we take seriously the contributions of those who integrate the psychological and the spiritual, the mind and the body, and the social and the subjective. Learn more about qualities we look for in Ph.D. candidates:

A Community of Learning

In our monthly graduate symposium, students have the opportunity to present original research projects at any stage of development, from proposals to complete conference papers, and receive feedback from dedicated faculty and supportive peers.

History and Values

Learn more about the Ph.D. program's conception at UWG, the core values that guide our curricula, and the main objectives that we aim to help our doctoral students achieve as they pass through our program.

Find Out More About the Ph.D. in Psychology

Request Info Courses Academic Catalog

[email protected]

(678) 839-3819  

Faculty & Staff Directory

Location: Melson Hall 123

HSS welcomes applications from students who are interested in working full time toward a PhD in the social sciences.

All qualified applicants will be considered for admission to HSS's PhD program in the social sciences, which includes the fields of economics, political science, political economy, history, psychology, anthropology, law, and public policy. Admission to this program is highly competitive. The program is deliberately small and selective, with the admissions committee looking for students who demonstrate a commitment to scholarship, a willingness to work hard—as evidenced by letters of recommendation or other achievements—and expressed interests that align with those of the HSS faculty.

General Qualifications

Caltech requires that PhD applicants in any field be able to clearly express themselves in written and spoken English.

Modern approaches to the social sciences require the ability to think abstractly and quantitatively. As such, applicants must be skilled in formal reasoning. Although HSS does not require that an applicant's undergraduate degree be in any of the social sciences, the admissions committee expects every applicant to demonstrate a commitment to research in the social sciences. To be prepared to succeed in the social sciences PhD program, students should have a solid undergraduate background in mathematics, including at least:

• two years of calculus, at the level of Apostol's Calculus , volumes 1 and 2; and
• linear algebra, at the level of Apostol's Calculus , volume 2.

It is also strongly recommended that applicants complete an introductory course in mathematical statistics and real analysis before entering the HSS graduate programs.

Caltech requires applicants whose first or native language is not English to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as part of the application procedure. HSS is not accepting or considering Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from applicants to its PhD programs for Fall 2024 matriculation.

Financial Aid

Caltech offers competitive stipends in the forms of fellowships and research and teaching assistantships that are designed to cover tuition and living expenses. Students in good standing generally receive financial support for a maximum of five years. Funding for the summer quarters is not guaranteed; however, it may be provided based on the availability of such funding and on an individual student's performance. As a matter of educational policy, graduate students are expected to act as graduate teaching assistants at some point in their career.

Due to the full-time and research-intensive nature of the PhD programs in HSS, many students are also supported with research assistantships. Graduate students in all programs are also encouraged to apply for external fellowships.

Application Deadlines

To be considered for admission, a complete application, including all supporting material (including TOEFL scores), must be submitted to Caltech no later than December 15. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications online through the Graduate Studies Office website .

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the option manager .

• Social Sciences
• Engineering
• Natural Sciences

Whether improving national security, exploring issues of poverty, explaining human behavior or taking a critical look at international trade, research in the social sciences at Princeton strives to advance of knowledge of human society and address some of the largest societal problems of the 21st century.

African American Studies

For students who wish to study the complex interplay between political, economic and cultural forces shaping the historic achievements and struggles of African-descended people in the United States and their relationship to others around the world.

Academic Units

• Department of African American Studies

Degrees, Certificates & Minors

• Undergraduate certificate
• Graduate certificate

African Studies

The minor in African studies provides opportunities to learn about the continent. The program offers classes in Africa's political, economic and social history; built environments and urban geographies; ecology, genetic diversity and epidemiological concerns. The program also offers classes in Africa's vibrant art scenes, past and present, where literature, music and art have come to define a new post-colonial African cosmopolitanism.

• Program in African Studies
• Undergraduate minor

American Studies

The program aims to give students an understanding of American society — its culture, its institutions, its intellectual traditions, and the relationships among its diverse people. We encourage study and debate about America’s place in the world and the world in America, as well as what it means to grapple with the horizons and limits of its democratic aspirations.

• Program in American Studies

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of human experience and social change. Through situated and relational methods, anthropology considers the ways people think, act and make sense of their lifeworlds, against the backdrop of multiple structural forces and across intersecting domains and scales. Always in a deep interdisciplinary dialogue, the connections between ethnography, theory, social engagement and storytelling are a hallmark of anthropology.

• Department of Anthropology

Asian American Studies

The Program in Asian American Studies, administered by the Effron Center for the Study of America, provides students with the opportunity to gain an interdisciplinary perspective on the diversity of Asian American and Pacific Islander histories, cultures and contemporary experiences. The course of study focuses on the emergence of this pan-ethnic group in the United States, but also highlights Asian America’s transnational connections and contexts, including the dynamics of globalization, migration, imperialism and post-coloniality.

• Program in Asian American Studies

Cognitive Science

Cognitive science is the study of how the mind works, drawing on research from psychology, philosophy, linguistics, neuroscience and computer science. The interdisciplinary character of cognitive science reflects different levels of analysis of mental phenomena and their employment of a variety of methodologies appropriate to each level.

• Program in Cognitive Science

Contemporary European Politics and Society

The program encourages the interdisciplinary study of modern Europe, with a particular focus on politics, economics and society in western and central Europe since World War I.

• Program in Contemporary European Politics and Society

Princeton has one of the finest economics departments in the world. Economics is consistently one of the most popular undergraduate concentrations on campus and attracts a diverse group of students with a broad range of interests. The graduate program provides thorough training in both the techniques and applications of economic analysis. 

• Department of Economics

Entrepreneurship

The program aims to supplement undergraduates in their major departments with an understanding and practice in entrepreneurship.

• Program in Entrepreneurship

Environmental Studies

The undergraduate program engages the scientific, political, humanistic and technological dimensions of environmental challenges facing the world today. Students majoring in any discipline may pursue either a generalist track or a specialist track that explores biodiversity and conservation, climate and energy, Earth systems, environmental policy or environment and water. The graduate program broadens the educational perspective of doctoral students by exploring policy aspects of their environmental research.

• Program in Environmental Studies

European Cultural Studies

The program deepens students' understanding of European civilization and strengthens their command of cultural interpretation through interdisciplinary investigation. The program focuses on the ways in which European societies, past and present, order reality, make sense of life and communicate meaning across a range of disciplines and in a wide variety of media.

• Program in European Cultural Studies

The undergraduate program focuses on the pricing of financial assets (including equities, bonds, currencies and derivative securities), portfolio management and the evaluation of financial risks, banking and financial intermediation, the financing of corporations, corporate governance, financial-market and banking regulation, and many other topics.

The graduate program places a strong emphasis on financial economics in addition to financial engineering and computational methods. Students will develop a solid understanding of the fundamental quantitative tools from computer science, economic theory, optimization, probability and statistics — all of which are becoming increasingly vital in the financial industry.

• Program in Finance

Gender and Sexuality Studies

The undergraduate and graduate programs are dedicated to the study of gender and sexuality, as well as their intersections with race, class, ethnicity and disability, across cultures and global geographies both past and present. 

• Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies

Global Health and Health Policy

The program enables undergraduates to study the determinants, consequences and patterns of disease across societies, the role of medical technologies and interventions in health improvements, and the economic, political and social factors that shape domestic and global public health policy.

• Program in Global Health and Health Policy

Health and Health Policy

The graduate program trains graduate students for careers in health-related areas in the public and not-for-profit sectors. The program is designed for students with domestic and international health interests and provides both broad training in core topics in health and health policy as well as courses in specialized areas.

• SPIA Graduate Programs and Certificates

The undergraduate program encourages students to gain further knowledge of the major developments in, and problems of, history, to do independent historical research and writing, and to develop an authoritative knowledge of one particular field of history.  

The graduate program values an approach to scholarship grounded in the particular while retaining a sense of the whole. Students take a comprehensive view of history with the goal of cultivating a far-reaching understanding of the past. Throughout their enrollment, students develop the necessary skills to conduct discipline-defining research.

• Department of History

History and the Practice of Diplomacy

The program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue concentrated interdisciplinary study of history and diplomacy in concert with internships in the practice of diplomacy and related professions. 

• Program in History and the Practice of Diplomacy

History of Science

The graduate program aims to enhance students' enthusiasm for the subject while also training them for the joint professional responsibilities of teaching and research. The program treats science as an intellectual, cultural and social phenomenon, and provides students with special training and techniques not normally included in the education of professional historians while at the same time preparing them to teach and work in general history.

• Program in History of Science

History of Science, Technology and Medicine

Students will learn from the array of methodological approaches developed by historians of science, technology and medicine, and track the evolution of modern science from antiquity to the present, in many of the world’s cultures.

Judaic Studies

The undergraduate program provides students the opportunity to explore more than three millennia of Jewish culture, history, religion, thought, politics and literature from the Bible to contemporary Jewish thought and society from an interdisciplinary perspective.

• Program in Judaic Studies

Latin American Studies

The undergraduate and graduate programs promote interdisciplinary study to inspire knowledge of and experience in Latin America.

• Program in Latin American Studies

Latino Studies

The undergraduate program traverses the arts, humanities and social sciences, seeking to provide students with a broad understanding of the emergence, transformation and consolidation of Latinos as a pan-ethnic group and to appreciate the range of Hispanic imprints on American society and culture.

• Program in Latino Studies

Linguistics

Linguistics is the study of the distinctive properties of human language and the cognitive capacities of language users, including the rules that govern the patterns of particular languages and universal principles governing all languages. Linguists investigate the grammatical principles and processes that determine the structure of human languages, their evolution over time, and their psychological underpinnings.

• Program in Linguistics

Medieval Studies

The undergraduate program encourages the interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages: its art, literature (Latin and vernacular), music, religion, science, philosophy, politics, and economic and social structures.

• Program in Medieval Studies

Undergraduate study is focused in four areas: American politics, comparative politics, international relations and political theory. There also is a strong concentration of courses in the areas of quantitative analysis, political economy, and strategy in politics.

The graduate program is designed to offer broad professional training in political science and to enable students to specialize in any of the main subfields of political science, as well as public law, and formal and quantitative analysis.

• Department of Politics

Population Studies

The graduate program draws on substantive and methodological specializations in the social, mathematical and biological sciences. Building on its historical strengths in signature fields such as demographic methods, fertility, health and mortality, the program embraces prominent fields in population studies, such as international migration and development, children, youth and families, as well as various aspects of social and economic inequality. In addition, researchers are involved in new fields of inquiry such as epigenetics, biodemography, social epidemiology and web-based experimentation.

• Program in Population Studies

The undergraduate program provides a rigorous understanding of human behavior and mental processes through foundational and advanced courses on sensation, perception, movement, language, reasoning, decision-making, social interaction and computational models of the brain. The psychology concentration also provides a grounding in neuroscience, since mental processes and behavior arise from the brain.

The graduate program emphasizes preparation for research and teaching in psychology, with specialization in cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, language, learning and memory, perception and cognition, the psychology of inequality, social neuroscience, social psychology, and systems neuroscience. 

• Department of Psychology

Public Policy (Princeton School of Public and International Affairs)

The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs offers a multidisciplinary liberal arts major for undergraduates who desire to be engaged in public service and become leaders in the world of public and international affairs. The curriculum is founded on courses relevant to the study of policymaking, policy analysis and policy evaluation. Students take courses in economics, politics, and either psychology or sociology.

The graduate program offers a distinctive educational approach that strikes a careful balance between theory and practice. Graduate students spend time developing analytical skills and acquiring a substantive knowledge about the world's most important domestic and international issues. The two-year curriculum leads to the degree of Master in Public Affairs. Students can earn a dual degree in public affairs and law after four years of study in the school and a collaborating law school. The school also has a graduate program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy in public and international affairs, as well as a one-year Master in Public Policy for mid-career professionals.

• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
• M.P.A./J.D.

Quantitative Economics

The minor in quantitative economics allows quantitatively inclined students to gain access to economics, with a course of study that is tailored to their interests and skills. 

Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies

The undergraduate program draws on the humanities, history and social sciences to study Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Students develop expertise in a core language of Eurasia and a scholarly grounding in the study of the region.

• Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies

Science, Technology and Environmental Policy

The graduate program develops a deep understanding of current scientific, technological and environmental issues and potential local, national and international policy responses through a systematic introduction to the field of policy analysis. The program provides interdisciplinary training that facilitates communication between technical experts and policy makers. 

• Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy

Social Policy

The graduate program addresses some of the most pressing problems in the U.S. and around the world where inequality generates conflict, poverty and prejudice, diminishes political participation, and reduces opportunities for social mobility. Students learn using the most rigorous tools of social science to bear on these important questions.

• Joint Degree Program in Social Policy
• Joint Degree (Ph.D.)

The undergraduate program offers students a cutting-edge approach to the study of the social dimensions of politics, economics, history, psychology and demography. Students engage in cross-disciplinary thinking in addition to a thorough grounding in a single field. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches to social science are utilized by our students and faculty.

The graduate program is oriented toward the foundations of sociological analysis, including sociological theory, research methods and social statistics, and making significant contributions to the sociological literature.

• Department of Sociology

South Asian Studies

The undergraduate program offers students the methodological and theoretical tools to study the political, economic, social, religious, literary and cultural institutions of the region with particular focus on the modern history of India and Pakistan. Students take a four-term sequence of language instruction in Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit.

• Program in South Asian Studies

Statistics and Machine Learning

The undergraduate program is designed for students who have a strong interest in data analysis and its application across disciplines. Statistics and machine learning — the academic disciplines centered around developing and understanding data analysis tools — play an essential role in various scientific fields including biology, engineering and the social sciences.

The graduate certificate is designed to formalize the training of students who contribute to or make use of statistics and machine learning as a significant part of their degree program. In addition, it serves to recognize the accomplishments of graduate students across the University who acquire additional training in statistics and machine learning, going beyond the requirements of their own degree programs.

• Program in Statistics and Machine Learning

Teacher Preparation

The program combines coursework, seminars, laboratory experience, fieldwork and practice teaching to become fully prepared and certified to teach successfully at the middle- and secondary school levels. Participants can earn certification in art, English, mathematics, music, the sciences, social studies and world languages. The program is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

• Program in Teacher Preparation

Technology and Society

The undergraduate program is targeted to students, both engineers/scientists and humanists/social scientists, who are interested in exploring the intersection of society and technology. Programs of study are offered under information technology and energy tracks.

• Center for Information Technology Policy (information technology track)
• Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (energy track)

Urban Policy

The certificate in urban policy emphasizes the social, economic and political dimensions of urban problems. It is designed to prepare students for careers in urban policy analysis and economic development in national, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, think tanks and international organizations.

• Certificate in Urban Policy

Urban Studies

The undergraduate program offers an interdisciplinary framework for the study of cities, metropolitan regions, and urban and suburban landscapes.

• Program in Urban Studies

Values and Public Life

The undergraduate program focuses on modes of inquiry into important ethical issues in public life. The program helps students develop competence in pursuing such inquiries generally and supports them in applying these intellectual skills to the advanced analysis of one or more related topics. Students will be equipped to bring informed discussion of values into the public sphere and to integrate a critical value perspective into their future studies and pursuits.

• Program in Values and Public Life

• University of California, Irvine
•          

We use cookies on this site to enhance your experience and tailor content. By continuing to use our sites, you accept our use of cookies. For further information please see UCI Privacy and Legal Notice .

As a UCI Social Sciences graduate student, you will have the opportunity to pursue an advanced education in the following areas:  

Ph.D. in Anthropology  

Ph.D. in Cognitive Sciences  

Ph.D. in Economics  

Ph.D. in Global Studies

Ph.D. in Language Science  

Ph.D. in Logic & Philosophy of Science

Ph.D. in Political Science  

Ph.D. in Sociology  

  The interdisciplinary nature of the social sciences allows many of our graduate programs to collaborate with one another on certain topics, providing students a unique perspective on a variety of issues.

Working alongside internationally renowned faculty - 10 of whom belong to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Science, you will have the opportunity to be involved in groundbreaking research.

Teaching assistantships and graduate fellowships are available to graduate students through an application-based process, so be sure to check out our links to various sources of financial aid and funding opportunities.

We invite you to further explore our site to learn more about graduate education opportunities in the Social Sciences at UCI, and we look forward to seeing you on campus.

© UC Irvine School of Social Sciences - 3151 Social Sciences Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697-5100 - 949.824.2766

Vai al contenuto

• Departments

• SCEGLI IL TUO PROFILO
• Search Ricerca Search Search
• Studying in Padua
• Salta al menu teaching and research
• Study with us
• Courses held in English
• International Joint Programmes
• Funding and Fees
• Student administration and support
• Arriving and living
• Opportunities
• Career service
• Sport, leisure and healthcare
• Teaching and Research
• Salta al menu business and networking
• Research Excellence
• Supporting Research
• Doctoral Degrees - PhD Programmes
• International Mobility
• Teaching and training
• Opportunities for Researchers
• Services for International Scholars
• Scientific and Academic Structures
• On-line resources
• Business and networking
• Salta al menu about us
• Tools for innovation
• Innovation and Business relations
• Social innovation, sustainability and inclusion
• Historical and Cultural Heritage
• Public Engagement
• Professional and continuing education
• Wellness and Sport
• Public health
• University in Prison
• Salta al menu going global
• The University
• Cultural Heritage
• Social Innovation, Sustainability and Inclusion
• Welcome to Padua
• Information and contacts
• Going global
• Salta al menu exchange students
• Erasmus and other student Exchange Programmes
• Arqus - European University Alliance
• Opportunities for researchers
• Opportunities for refugees
• Guangzhou International Sister-City Universities Alliance
• Staff training weeks
• International Projects
• Partnerships
• International events
• Exchange students
• Salta al menu after graduation
• Erasmus+ for Studies - incoming
• Bilateral Agreements - incoming
• Erasmus+ for Studies - outgoing
• SEMP - outgoing
• Ulisse - outgoing
• Erasmus+ for Traineeship
• Coimbra Group - Student Exchange Network (SEN)
• European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System - ECTS
• ICPU - Industry Community Project
• Other opportunities
• Virtual Exchange
• Erasmus +: Short mobility PhD
• Incoming students starter kit
• Summer and Winter Schools
• Virtual International Programme (VIP) - Outgoing
• Welcome activities
• After graduation
• Salta al menu visiting the university
• Specialisation Schools
• First and Second level University Master
• Advanced training courses
• Post graduate programmes
• Scholarships
• Visiting the University
• Salta al menu home
• Padua City of Science ticket
• Guided tours to Palazzo Bo
• Guided tours to Sala dei Giganti
• Palazzo Bo Virtual Tour
• Palazzo del Bo - Historical Tour
• Tours and tickets
• Visits and tours to Palazzo del Bo and Hall of the Giants
• Salta al menu vivipd
• Coronavirus
• Data protection
• About this site
• An Inclusive University
• Menu Apri menu
• Indietro Menu

RICEVI LA MINIGUIDA

Social sciences.

The PhD programme in Social Sciences lasts three years and is based in the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA) of the University of Padua. The PhD aims to deepen theoretical and methodological background of social sciences, in particular for the analysis of the processes of social change typical of highly complex societies. The training is based on the acquisition of competences and skills from sociology and applied psychology, supplemented by the contribution of anthropology, political science and social statistics. The interdisciplinary nature of the PhD programme together with its methodological focus and specific internationalisation experiences included in the programme, contributes to a unique training context for research, where students will be able to develop cutting-edge research on social and psychological phenomena in an innovative manner. The programme is structured in 2 curricula: one curriculum in Sociology  and one in Applied Psychology , each of them characterised by a specific selection process and a dedicated teaching and research pathway.

  Find out more

The PhD programme in Social Sciences lasts three years and is based in the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA) of the University of Padua. The PhD aims to deepen theoretical and methodological background of social sciences, in particular for the analysis the processes of social change typical of highly complex societies. The training is based on the acquisition of competences and skills from sociology and applied psychology, supplemented by the contribution of anthropology, political science and social statistics. The interdisciplinary nature of the PhD programme together with its methodological focus and specific internationalisation experiences included in the programme, contributes to a unique training context for research, where students will be able to develop cutting-edge research on social and psychological phenomena in an innovative manner. The programme is structured in 2 curricula: one curriculum in  Sociology   and one in  Applied Psychology , each of them characterised by a specific selection process and a dedicated teaching and research pathway. The Sociology curriculum dwells in particular on three crucial areas of research in order to grasp the most significant discontinuities in contemporary societies:

• Intercultural relations: mobility, religions, family, gender;
• the relationship between society, technoscience and the media;
• the relationship between institutional processes and the practices of production and reproduction of everyday life.

These three areas identify paths of study and theoretical reflection that can find multiple connections with many research themes, in the perspective of developing skills for the critical analysis and management of the processes that characterize today's contemporary complexity. Particular emphasis is placed on the cultural construction of social processes and practices; qualitative, quantitative and digital-based methodologies currently available in social sciences; comparative research approaches; internationalization of topics and research activities, through extended periods of research abroad. The Applied Psychology curriculum focuses on the psychological processes that characterise the several spheres of individual, relational and collective life, with the aim of developing theoretical, methodological and applicative knowledge required to carry out evidence-based psychological research and interventions. The objectives are structured around a diversified spectrum of topics, including: - the social sphere, with particular reference to the investigation of attitudes and behaviour, intergroup relations and various forms of prejudice, environment and culture, violence and perceptions of safety, individual dispositions, well-being and positive social relations, social construction of meaning - the work and organisational sphere, in relation to issues such as personnel selection, the centrality of work on a psychological level, organisational well-being; - the clinical and dynamic sphere, in relation to personal and relational distress and suffering, couple and parenting relationships, preventive, support and psychotherapeutic interventions. Particular emphasis is given to psychometric and methodological aspects, transversal to the various fields, involving training in relation to quantitative and qualitative methods, instruments for detecting and measuring psychological variables and constructs, formal models in psychology.

  Curriculum

• APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

  Other information

• PhD Programmes Calls and Admissions
• PhD Programmes
• The International PhD guide
• More informations

  Contacts

[email protected]

Collegamenti utili

University of padua.

• Official list
• Student Admissions
• Certified mail: [email protected]
• Email: [email protected]

Meet Our 2024 Graduate Medalists

The UW College of Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce three Graduate Medalists for 2024. The Graduate Medal honors exceptional graduate students who completed their advanced degrees this year, with medalists selected on the basis of nomination letters from faculty. Learn more about our medalists:

Liesbeth Gijbels Christina Yuen Zi Chung Freesoul El Shabazz-Thompson

Liesbeth Gijbels Graduate Medalist in the Natural Sciences

Phd, speech and hearing sciences.

The Covid-19 pandemic threw a wrench into Liesbeth Gijbels' plans to research audiovisual (AV) speech integration in children ages 6-13. Gijbels envisioned working with and testing her young research subjects in person, but when that was not an option, she designed and launched her experiments online. The research focused on visual aspects of AV perception, particularly the gains conferred by seeing the face of a speaker, and how that develops as we age. In addition to contributing to the field of AV perception, Gijbels has demonstrated successful methodologies for online experiments in the field.

Before and during her time as a doctoral student in the Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences (SPHSC), Gijbels worked as a research assistant at the UW’s   Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS), helping with a reading camp for five-year-olds. The research looked at the development of phonological skills in camp participants. Again, Gijbels pivoted during COVID, switching the in-person camp to an online experience that proved equally effective. She has since taken on other projects at I-LABS.

Through her various research projects, Gijbels has had eight papers published in top peer-reviewed journals and has several more in development. She also completed a six-month internship at Meta Reality Labs.

“I have supervised many graduate students and postdoctoral students,” says SPHSC professor and chair Adrian KC Lee. “Liesbeth’s body of work is the most astounding in terms of scope and volume.”

“Everyone who works with Liesbeth is struck by her boundless energy, the breadth of her talent, and the depth of her knowledge,” adds SPHSC professor Patricia Kuhl, co-director of I-LABS. “Most comment, ‘How does she do it?’ Liesbeth is among the top 1% of PhD students I have mentored in my nearly 50 years on the faculty at the UW.”

Christina Yuen Zi Chung Graduate Medalist in the Social Sciences

Phd, gender, women & sexuality studies.

Christina Yuen Zi Chung is interested in how art intersects with culture and politics. Her dissertation explores the integral and intertwined roles of gender and decoloniality reflected in Hong Kong contemporary art, which illuminates the cultural-political and economic negotiations among Hong Kong, Britain, and the People’s Republic of China. Her work examines the ways in which history, materiality, and the practice of art making are an integral part of shaping the territory’s future.

“Christina’s dissertation is groundbreaking and beautifully written,” says Sasha Su-Ling Welland, chair of Chung’s dissertation committee and professor and chair of the Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies (GWSS). “Her scholarship… is forging the nascent field of Hong Kong studies and reshaping curatorial practice.”

Welland praises Chung’s teaching as well, noting that Chung received the department’s graduate excellence in teaching award. “I still hear glowing reviews from students that [a course taught by Chung] was their favorite GWSS course,” Welland says.

Beyond campus, Chung worked with curators at the Seattle Asian Art Museum on a major redesign of the museum’s permanent-collection exhibit, and she has contributed her writing and curatorial skills to a range of artistic and scholarly projects on Hong Kong and its diaspora. A committed volunteer and advocate of language justice, she has served as a Cantonese and Mandarin interpreter for the Chinese Information and Service Center as well as the Asian Counseling and Referral Service in Seattle.

“I have come to realize what a rare privilege it is to work with and learn from Christina,” says Welland. “She is theoretically adept, rigorous yet generous in her support of peers and undergraduate students, and remarkably clear-eyed as she charts a scholarly trajectory that combines her many talents and skills as a researcher, teacher, public-facing scholar, and curator.”

Freesoul El Shabazz-Thompson Graduate Medalist in the Arts

Mfa, 3d4m, school of art + art history + design.

“Freesoul El Shabazz-Thompson is the most dynamic graduate student I have ever seen at this University,” says Michael Swaine, associate professor and chair of the 3D4M (3D Forum) program in the UW School of Art + Art History + Design (SOA+AH+D). “His work opens possibilities for new thinking, such that it challenges one’s assumptions about the world around them.”

El Shabazz-Thompson is particularly interested in systems and how they work -- including monetary systems. That interest led him to spend winter quarter 2024 in Ghana to study cowrie shells, an ancient form of currency still used in Ghana today. He wanted to understand how the cowrie monetary system operated, and the nature of the shells’ current use. The research trip was made possible through an International Research Fellowship funded by the Chester Fritz Endowment.

While in the MFA program, El Shabazz-Thompson also taught sculpture courses and worked as a research assistant for Studio Tilt , a SOA+AH+D design research group. He participated in Black Embodiments Studio , an interdisciplinary UW program that builds discourse around contemporary Black art, and took art history courses for added perspective.

“Freesoul is the kind of student every professor would fight to have in class,” notes Jennifer Baez, assistant professor of art history, who had El Shabazz-Thompson in her Haiti and Print Culture course. “His observations fed my own thinking and reflected a deep sense of curiosity and problem pondering.”

“It feels like the word ‘Art’ might not be expansive enough to express what Freesoul might give to the world,” says Swaine. “I believe his work as an artist is leading us to not only imagine but also act in more expansive ways amidst the world around us.”

More Stories

Four Students Shine as 2024 Dean's Medalists

Meet the four new graduates honored as College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Medalists for 2024. 

Fellows, Futurists & More Awards

Recent awards and appointments celebrate Arts & Sciences faculty, staff, and alumni research, leadership, and more. 

Awards for Justice, Environmental Research & More

Recent awards and appointments celebrate Arts & Sciences faculty research, leadership, and more. 

Explore Stories Across Arts & Sciences Departments

• Graduate Education
• Honors and Awards

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Clas awards seven graduate assistantships in writing, editing, community engagement.

By Izabela Zaluska 

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences awarded seven graduate assistantships to doctoral students in writing, editing, community engagement, and marketing. 

These positions, part of a five-year pilot project, provide doctoral students unique opportunities to participate in the college’s outreach, engagement, and writing missions in ways designed to diversify and transform graduate career preparation. 

Iowa Sciences Academy 

Clare Mulcahy , PhD student in the Department of Biology, and Joseph Starr , PhD student in the Department of Mathematics received graduate assistantships with the Iowa Sciences Academy focused on community engagement.  

The Iowa Sciences Academy is home to a range of programs that support the success of undergraduate students interested in research and scientific communication. 

Mulcahy is passionate about helping others get the most out of their scientific research experiences and wants to support undergraduates in their research. 

“I want to develop my teaching and mentoring skills while also helping others learn how to communicate about science more effectively,” Mulcahy said in her application. “The ISA Graduate Assistantship position would also provide opportunities to apply science communication skills in a wider variety of settings.” 

After graduate school, Starr plans to find a faculty position at a primarily undergraduate institution and wants to teach and lead undergraduate research. Starr wants to encourage and guide the next generation of math students. 

Starr said the opportunity will help him gain hands-on experience in “effective administration of a STEM initiative.”  

“Gaining this knowledge now would allow me to cultivate scientific and research interests in undergraduates wherever I land,” Starr said in his application. 

Magid Center for Writing 

Katherine Kingsbury , PhD student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was selected for an assistantship with the Magid Center for Writing for the summer.  

Jennie Sekanics , PhD student in the Department of English, was selected for the assistantship over the 2024-25 academic year. 

Kingsbury has worked as a teaching assistant for American Sign Language courses, created course content, and conducted research during her academic career. 

“One of the most appealing facets of this graduate assistantship is the opportunity it offers to work with motivated learners in a supportive role,” Kingsbury said in her application. 

Sekanics is committed to social justice-oriented forms of art, research, teaching, writing, and more. She is looking forward to developing her digital, writing, and event-planning skills during the assistantship. 

“My intersectional feminist approach to organizing manifests in my research, teaching, writing, and media curation practices, often positioning storytelling and multimodal narratives as effective tools for awareness-raising and community-building,” Sekanics said in her application. 

Academic editing 

Two graduate students received editing assistantships to help faculty with highly prestigious academic journals.   

Emily Wieder , a PhD student in the Department of French and Italian, was renewed for her assistantship with Dance Research Journal , a peer-reviewed journal of scholarly articles and book reviews published by Cambridge University and co-edited by Department of Dance professor Rebekah Kowal .  

“For Dance Research Journal, I look forward to performing more of the reviewing and corresponding tasks that my supervisors have done,” Wieder said in her application last year. “Those skills will be necessary when I become a professor, as I will write articles and eventually serve on editorial boards.” 

Tucker Gregor , PhD student in the Department of Religious Studies, will assist with editing the Journal of Religious Ethics (JRE), an international scholarly journal co-edited by professor Diana Fritz Cates . 

Gregor specializes in the subarea of religious ethics and is advised by Fritz Cates. He is the journal’s current editorial assistant. 

“I am invested in religious ethics scholarship, and I have benefitted intellectually from working on the JRE because of the many opportunities to read and engage with scholarship as it is produced,” Gregor said. “I have enjoyed learning about the ongoing conversations among religious ethicists and I have developed an appreciation for the role and importance of academic journals.” 

Performing arts marketing and communication 

Alicia Maiz Alonso, PhD student in the School of Music, received an assistantship working in marketing and communications for the performing arts units in the college. Alonso specializes in musical performance and arts entrepreneurship.  

“My academic journey has provided me with broad experience supporting the arts and elevating under-represented communities and this opportunity will further allow me to not only grow my career but advance the efforts of the CLAS team,” Alonso said in her application. 

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences /
• Graduate Liberal Arts and Sciences /
• News and Events /
• 2024 News /

Philosophy PhD Graduate Works at the Forefront of the Ethics of Technology

Christopher Quintana '24 PhD explores how technology design can impact and undermine an individual’s capacity for independent practical reasoning.

VILLANOVA, Pa. - “Christopher Quintana ’24 PhD sees the value of philosophy for the world,” says Villanova University Professor of Philosophy Sally Scholz, PhD.

Dr. Quintana, who graduated from Villanova’s Philosophy doctoral program in May, specializes in the philosophy and ethics of technology. His dissertation, Characterizing Digital Design: A Philosophical Approach , evaluates user interface and experience design through Aristotle’s ideas of virtues, especially the virtue of practical rationality. Specifically, he explores how technology design can impact and undermine an individual’s capacity for independent practical reasoning. What happens to us when so much of our social and personal activity is mediated by technology? How do our relationships to technology change?

“Christopher is a creative philosopher working at the forefront of the burgeoning subfield of philosophy and technology,” adds Dr. Scholz, who served as the director of Dr. Quintana’s dissertation committee. “He draws on the ancient tradition of virtue theory to scrutinize user interface in information communication technologies and to articulate principles that could guide the development of a good or virtuous design of technology.  His research promises to transform the human/technology relation.”

Most recently, Dr. Quintana authored a chapter, “ Ethics at the Intersection: Human-Centered AI and User Experience Design ,” in a new book, Human-Centered AI , published in March 2024. Dr. Quintana was a finalist and Audience Choice Award winner at the 2022 Villanova 3MT competition , and a participant in the 2021 CLAS Graduate Research Symposium . He was awarded a CLAS Graduate Summer Research Fellowship, four CLAS Graduate Studies Travel Grants, and the John G. Tich Memorial Award for Excellence in Research. He served as the managing editorial assistant at the journal Social Epistemology: A Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Policy and was a graduate fellow at the Collegium Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published on moral and social issues in technology and has presented at conferences in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to his scholarship at Villanova, he taught the undergraduate philosophy course, Knowledge, Reality, Self.

“Christopher’s dissertation puts him in conversation with some of the leading ethicists in the field, shaping policy for the coming years,” says Dr. Scholz. “He has published on these topics and participated in workshops and conferences around the world, suggesting that his work is at the heart of contemporary philosophical and technological debates. Philosophers need to be at the table in discussions about the ethics of AI and the pernicious use of smart phones.”

In addition to Dr. Scholz, Dr. Quintana’s dissertation committee included Villanova faculty Georg Theiner, PhD and Justin Humphreys, PhD, as well as James Wetzel, PhD, who served at the proposal stage. Later, Shannon Vallor, PhD, director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures within the Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh, joined as an external reader. Dr. Vallor is a leading scholar in technology ethics.

Says Dr. Quintana, “I enjoyed my time in coursework, but I hit my stride after I formed my dissertation committee. All committee members were generous in their mentorship, feedback and spirit.”

The prominence of the Philosophy faculty and the research support offered by the department and the Office of Graduate Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) drew Dr. Quintana to Villanova.

“The Philosophy PhD program has an impressive range of scholars in varying intellectual traditions. We also maintain a consistent interest in contemporary social issues and the history of our discipline. Our breadth helps students develop the capacity to translate concepts and ideas across traditions, styles and levels of expertise,” Dr. Quintana says. “I also appreciate that the PhD program and CLAS Graduate Studies contribute to grants and fellowships for independent research and conference presentations. Learning how to develop and carry out research proposals, present your work, connect with other scholars, and engage international or interdisciplinary audiences, is an important part of graduate education.”

Dr. Quintana continues to present his scholarship at conferences this summer while exploring both traditional faculty roles and careers outside of the academy.

“This is an exciting time of growth for the university and a good time to contribute to the program's storied history,” he says. “Our alumni have been successful in finding roles both in and outside of academia. Our faculty encourages intellectual exploration during coursework, and I got the sense that the program was open to the possibility that you will arrive interested in one area but grow to love and want to work in another. The university also attracts talented undergraduate students, so when you reach the stage in the program where you teach—which is an invaluable experience—you have the benefit of teaching engaged students.”

About Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Since its founding in 1842, Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been the heart of the Villanova learning experience, offering foundational courses for undergraduate students in every college of the University. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is committed to fortifying them with intellectual rigor, multidisciplinary knowledge, moral courage and a global perspective. The College has more than 40 academic departments and programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences.

GRADUATE STUDIES HOME

Office of Graduate Studies College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Villanova University Vasey Hall - Suite 202

Campus Map and Directions

Meet Our Staff

GRAD CLAS NOTES

The newsletter of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduate Studies

SCHEDULE YOUR CAMPUS TOUR

The CLAS Office of Graduate Studies offers personal tours of the beautiful Villanova campus. All tours begin in the Graduate Studies Office, located in Vasey Hall. Schedule your tour !

FOLLOW GRADUATE STUDIES

U.S. needs Chinese students in humanities, Indian students for sciences, U.S. diplomat says

The U.S. should welcome more students from China, but to study the humanities rather than sciences, the second-ranked U.S. diplomat said on Monday, noting that U.S. universities are limiting Chinese students’ access to sensitive technology given security concerns.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said not enough Americans were studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. He said the U.S. needed to recruit more international students for those fields, but from India — an increasingly important U.S. security partner — not China.

For years, Chinese students have made up the largest foreign student body in the U.S. and totaled nearly 290,000 in the 2022/23 academic year. But some in academia and civil society argue that deteriorating U.S.-China relations and concerns about theft of U.S. expertise, have derailed scientific cooperation and subjected Chinese students to unwarranted suspicion.

“I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics,” Campbell told the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank.

Campbell was asked about the China Initiative introduced by the Trump administration, intended to combat Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft, which  ended under the Biden administration  after critics said it spurred racial profiling of Asian Americans.

Campbell said U.S. universities had made “careful attempts” to support continuing higher education for Chinese students, but had also been “careful about the labs, some of the activities of Chinese students.”

“I do think it is possible to curtail and to limit certain kinds of access, and we have seen that generally, particularly in technological programs across the United States,” he said.

Campbell said some had suggested that China was the only source to make up the shortage of science students.

“I believe that the largest increase that we need to see going forward would be much larger numbers of Indian students that come to study in American universities on a range of technology and other fields.”

Campbell said the U.S. had to be careful to not eliminate links between China and the U.S., but officials in Beijing were largely to blame for any withering in academic, business or non-profit sector ties.

“It really has been China that has made it difficult for the kinds of activities that we would like to see sustaining,” Campbell said, adding that foreign executives and philanthropists were wary about long-term stays in China due to concerns about personal security.