social work phd harvard

Social Policy

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You will follow a discipline-plus model, where you are integrated into either the government (political science) or sociology departments.

The discipline-plus model provides you with greater exposure to a network of scholars outside your home discipline and to colleagues with applied policy interests that you might not experience in a single disciplinary department.

Students in the program have worked on an array of projects including the ways labor is divided in households; the inequality, fairness, and identity in American politics and US law; and race and social stratification.

Graduates of the program have gone on to positions as a research consultant at Vanderbilt University, deputy of education and workforce development for the Los Angeles County Supervisor, vice president of science at the Center for Policing Equity, and deputy director for the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the PhD Program in Social Policy , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Social Policy and Government | Social Policy and Sociology

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the PhD Program in Social Policy .

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be a research paper approximately 20 pages in length. Additional requirements can be found on the Social Policy website .

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Required iBT TOEFL minimum score: 103 IELTS minimum score: 7

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Social Policy

See list of Social Policy faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Prospective Students

Welcome to the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences!  We invite you to get to know our Department by exploring our website.

Please read through common FAQs listed in the Doctoral Program and Masters Programs sections below. Should you have any additional questions that aren’t covered, please email us at [email protected] . We look forward to hearing from you!

Quick Facts

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• What We Look For

In This Section

• Current Students
• PhD Student Life
• Degree Requirements

There are a few things you will need to know ahead of applying to the Social Policy (SPOL) PhD program. 

In addition to submitting your application online, you will also need to send your official test scores, be aware of our in-residence requirements, and provide documents to support your application.

Master's Degree

A master's degree is not required to apply.   

Test Scores

Graduate record examinations (gre).

Official GRE scores are required with your application and test scores must be issued within the past five years, no earlier than September 1, 2017. There is no minimum GRE score requirement. We do not accept the GMAT or LSAT. Plan to take the GRE by mid-November at the latest if you are submitting your application in December, and send your GRE scores to the  Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) Office of Admissions , using ETS code 3451. A department code is not required.

TOEFL IBT AND IELTS

You must submit your TOEFL Internet-based test (iBT) or IELTS scores with your application if you are an international applicant and:

• Have an equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction is not English
• Have a master’s degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction

A minimum TOEFL score of 103 OR a minimum IELTS score of 7 is required. Official test scores must be issued within the past two years, no earlier than September 1, 2020. Plan to take the English proficiency tests by mid-November at the latest if you are submitting your application in December. You must send your scores to the  Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Admissions  and use ETS code 3451. A department code is not required.

Supporting documents for your SPOL application

You will need to prepare and submit the following documents directly to the  Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Admissions   by the indicated deadline:

• Online application form
• Application fee
• Official GRE scores; GMAT and LSAT are not accepted
• Official TOEFL Internet-based test (iBT) scores, if necessary
• Official academic transcripts
• Statement of purpose
• Three letters of recommendation
• One writing sample