Graduate Programs
Community Studies & Outreach (CSO)—Ph.D. concentration
Orientation & Program Emphasis
The Community Studies and Outreach program focuses on how community institutions structure differential opportunities that shape people's lives in rural and urban settings, and on how people and groups develop the capacities to influence these institutions. Specifically, we study communities as a context that affects people especially youth, community as a unit of analysis, and community leadership relevant to educating and organizing for social change.
The CSO program is interdisciplinary and draws on courses and materials from sociology, education, mass communication, anthropology, economics and others. There is sufficient flexibility within the concentration to accommodate a wide range of student interests. We study community using a variety of research strategies including ethnography, quantitative methods, and combinations of qualitative and quantitative methods. There are three specialization areas:
Community Development
Community Development focuses on enabling citizens and communities to address issues of change, growth, sustainability, and quality of life. Graduates of this specialization will have expertise to do social analysis of communities, program development and community action research and skills (capacity building) for community change.
Community Studies
Community Studies focuses on how community and neighborhood contexts influence human development and ultimately the life chances of people who live in them. Graduates of this specialization will have expertise in doing community studies, analysis of spatial inequality, and/or skills for describing and assessing how different neighborhood and community social and economic resources influence child and adult outcomes.
Experiential, Career, & Outreach Education
Experiential, Career, and Outreach (ECO) Education focuses on the use of educational tools for personal, institutional, and community development. ECO educators build human capital for communities through education and evaluation. Graduates of this specialization will have expertise in program planning, needs assessments, and program evaluation for schools and community outreach education.
Programs & Degrees
Doctoral Degree. The department offers a Ph.D. degree in Human and Community Development with a transcript-recognized concentration in Community Studies and Outreach.
Master's Degree. The department does not admit students into a terminal Master's CSO concentration. However, students entering our doctoral program without a master's degree obtain an M. S. as part of their doctoral program. Further, students who enter our doctoral program with a master's degree that did not require a research thesis are required to complete a “thesis equivalence” research paper.
CSO Faculty & Professional Staff
- Stephen Gasteyer, Ph.D., Iowa State University, Sociology
- Robin Jarrett , Ph.D., University of Chicago, Sociology
- Soo Ah Kwon, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Social & Cultural Studies
- Christy Lleras, Ph.D., Penn State University, Sociology
- Marianne Lorensen, M. Ed., Penn State University, Youth & Family Education
- Ramona F. Oswald, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Family Studies
- Ann Reisner, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mass Communications/Sociology
- Constance Hoenk Shapiro, Ph.D., Cornell University, Education
- Anne Silvis, M.B.A., University of Illinois, Commerce
- Gale Summerfield, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Economics
- Gerry Walter, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mass Communications/Sociology
- Angela Wiley, Ph.D., Clark University, Developmental Psychology
Admissions Requirements
We are looking for diverse, curious, intelligent, and highly motivated students with strong academic records. Students with degrees in behavioral or social sciences, family and consumer sciences, or education are especially encouraged to apply, as are students with involvement in the Ronald E. McNair or SROP undergraduate research opportunities. The minimum grade-point average for admission is 3.0 (A = 4.0). As a guideline, GRE scores should be above 550 for the quantitative and verbal tests, and above 4.5 for analytical writing, though the Admissions Committee may admit candidates below these scores if the student demonstrates compelling strengths in other areas. GRE scores should be no more than 2 years old.
We encourage applications from potential M.D./Ph.D. students (Medical Scholars) and, in these cases, will accept MCAT scores in lieu of the GRE
.
International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must demonstrate English language proficiency to be eligible for admission.
Applicants must have an advanced undergraduate course in statistics that includes descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, probability, correlation, ANOVA or regression. This requirement may be waived under special circumstances. However, if admitted, students who do not have this background will be expected to complete a statistics course in their first year.
In addition to academic potential, we particularly recruit students whose interests and career goals fit the focus of our program and its faculty. Applicants should clearly describe why our program is a good fit for their interests, and identify at least one faculty member with whom they would like to work.
Please note that we have a "full time student" department culture and thus do not enroll part-time students or encourage outside employment during the program. As you will see below, we provide excellent financial support to our full-time students.
Application Information
Application Deadline: Jan 15 for following fall admission.
Application fee: $60.00 for USA students; $75.00 for International students. Guide to applying to our program. Complete the online U of Illinois graduate application here.
Student Applications (Fall 2008 Class)
We had 14 applicants for the CSO concentration Fall 2008 entering class. Three were offered admission.
Student Characteristics Fall 2006 Class
Three new CSO concentration doctoral students were enrolled in Fall 2006. Two were women. One was a US Minority, one was international, and one a Medical Scholar. All of the students received fellowship or assistantship funding.
Highlights of Student Accomplishments (2005-2006)
Click here to access our lists of Graduate Accomplishments and Job Placements
Financial Information
Tuition & Fees. 2007-2008 $8,374 (state residents) $21,214 (non-state residents) Most students who receive an assistantship receive a full tuition waiver. (See financial assistance for tuition waiver information).
Financial Assistance
All of our students in 2005-2006 received assistantships and/or fellowships. All applicants who are admitted are considered for every assistantship and fellowship; there is no separate application process.
The financial assistance described here is completely separate from state or federal financial aid. Please visit the Office of Financial Aid for information about grant and loan opportunities.
Students entering our doctoral program without a master's degree are typically guaranteed 4 years of support at the "50% level." Those entering with a master's degree are typically guaranteed 3 years of support at the "50% level." At 2006-2007 rates, this corresponds to 20 hours of work per week as a teaching or research assistantship and a 9-month stipend worth approximately $13,000. Students who have at least a 25% assistantship (10 hours per week) qualify for a full tuition wavier. This applies to both state and non-state tuition rates. The tuition waiver does not apply to student and service fees.
We also have several fellowships that provide support to students. See Financial Assistance for more information.
Though we do not guarantee funding beyond the 3rd or 4th year, we have typically been able to provide it. The average student completes our program within 5 years.
Employment of CSO Graduates
The doctoral program in HDFS had its first graduates in 1994. Since 1994, 28 students have completed the program. Sixty-four percent of these students have taken faculty positions (55% in research universities, 33% in colleges with primary teaching missions, and 10% in community colleges). Thirty-six percent of our students have taken positions in government and other applied settings.
Information for Students with Disabilities
The Disability and Educational Resource Center for students with disabilities provides information to students. http://www.disability.uiuc.edu/
Housing
The Housing Office provides Information about both on-campus and community housing. http://www.housing.uiuc.edu/
Child Care
The Child Care Resource Service provides referral information to students and others who are interested in finding child care in the community. http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/CCRSCare/
For more information contact the Graduate Program Director: Dr. Ramona Faith Oswald; email: roswald@uiuc.edu