Degree: Ph.D. in Social Work
Degree: M.A. in Social Work
School of Social Work Administration, University of Chicago
Address:
969 E. 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: (773) 702-1250

About the Department:
Over the last century the School of Social Work Administration at the University of Chicago has been one of a handful of institutions that has helped create and define the profession of social work. The School emphasizes connections between the social and behavioral sciences, research, and the real world of policy and practice.

As such, the faulty come from the field of social work as well as other policy-related fields, such as drawn both from social work and from such related fields as law, economics, psychology, human development, and sociology.

PhD Program
The PhD program is designed to help students master theory and research methods. The program accommodates students who are interested in developing and evaluating practice methods and interventions as well as those interested in understanding social problems and accompanying institutional and political responses. The doctoral program is structured so that students can pursue a curriculum matched to their individual interests. The curriculum is designed to ensure expertise in theory, research methods, and a substantive area of specialization. In consultation with a faculty advisor, each student develops a program of study that includes coursework, a qualifying examination, a pre-dissertation research project, and dissertation research.

The MA Program
The Master of Arts program, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and its predecessor organizations since 1919, prepares students for advanced professional practice.

In addition to acquiring and applying theoretical perspectives and empirical knowledge, students learn how to practice among diverse populations at all levels of social intervention: individual, family, program, organization, community, and policy.

Funding
All students entering the doctoral program are offered a financial aid package that includes a stipend, full tuition, and fees for four years. Students receive an $18,000 stipend in year one, $15,000 in years two through four. Fellowships are available, on a competitive basis, for dissertation completion.  Many SSA doctoral students receive additional funding through outside training and fellowship programs. As part of their financial aid packages, students are expected in their first two years to work as research assistant with an SSA faculty member for 10-12 hours each week and in their third and fourth years to work as a teaching assistant.

The MA program does not guarantee funding. Instead the website notes that the University makes every efforts to help students by offering scholarship assistance and facilitating other forms of financial assistance. Each year about 95% of students receive some form of scholarship awards and additional opportunities are available for second-year students.

About the University of Chicago
Founded in 1890, the University of Chicago is located in the community of Hyde Park on Chicago’s South Side, just 15 minutes from the city center. Campus and community are interconnected in partnerships that serve both to support the community and train future policymakers, social workers, artists, and social and political leaders. For example, the University of Chicago Charter School, run by the Center for Urban School Improvement, serves Chicago public school students with four campuses for students in pre-kindergarten through high school. The Mandel Legal Aid Clinic teaches Law School students advocacy skills, professional ethics, and the effect of legal institutions on the poor, while assisting indigent clients. The social policy orientation of the University of Chicago will suit students of social work well as the city serves as a living laboratory for addressing social issues on a national and global scale.