Program Tracks
The Community and Policy doctoral degree offers two flexible pathways designed to meet students where they are in their academic journey.
Why Pursue a PhD in Community and Policy
The Community and Policy (CAP) program offers advanced training to address social problems from a social ecological perspective in areas such as physical and mental health, crime and safety, poverty and socioeconomic well-being, and public policy. The CAP program focuses on identifying the root causes of these issues and applying interdisciplinary approaches to develop effective, long-term solutions. Community-focused research is central to the program and is supported by access to state-of-the-art classrooms, computer labs, and libraries across multiple campus locations.
Program graduates are prepared to lead and influence change across government agencies, nonprofits, academia, research institutions, community organizations and more. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in this field is projected to grow 12% nationally and an impressive 26% in Texas over the next five years, making now an ideal time to invest in your education.
Networking & Mentorship
When you choose UT San Antonio, you join a community of talented scholars and peers. Students work closely with experienced faculty in the College for Health, Community and Policy to gain mentorship and firsthand insight into the field. The program also features a practicum component with local agencies where students can apply advanced methods to real-world settings and build their professional network.
Admission & Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UT San Antonio Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UT San Antonio Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UT San Antonio by the appropriate application deadline.
| Community and Policy (PhD) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Admission is only available for the Fall semester | ||
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. Students who do not possess a master’s degree in a related discipline are required to complete a program consisting of a minimum of 78 semester credit hours at UT San Antonio. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours | |
| Coursework | Completed adequate credit hours or foreign institution equivalent coursework as preparation for the program. | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from FCSA or any NACES-approved credential evaluation agency. | |
| English Language Proficiency | 79 TOEFL iBT / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026: We require a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 4.0. |
|
| Purpose Statement | Required 3-page statement of that describes prior research experience, community-engaged activities, career goals, and purpose for pursuing a PhD at UT San Antonio. See Graduate Catalog for details. | |
| Resume | Required applicants can submit a CV or resume | |
| Letters of Recommendation | 3 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time) | |
| Writing Sample | Required A writing sample (such as a research paper), written solely by the applicant | |
| GRE/GMAT | Optional Scores will only be considered if submitted | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| Community and Policy (PhD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Decisions will be made and sent to applicants in June. | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Fall 2026 | April 27 | April 27 | |
| Spring | Not Available | Not Available | |
| Summer | Not Available | Not Available | |
Career Options
UT San Antonio prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below are based on data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.
Faculty by Discipline
For a full list of faculty profiles, visit the College for Health, Community and Policy.
Cashen Boccio, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Chantal Fahmy, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Richard Hartley, PhD, MS
Department Chair and Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Kellie Lynch, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Graduate Advisor of Record
Michael Smith, PhD, JD
Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Marie Tillyer, PhD, MS
Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Rob Tillyer, PhD, MA
Associate Dean for Student Success, College for Health, Community and Policy; Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Kelly Cheever, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Sakiko Oyama, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Se-Woong Park, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology
Masataka Umeda, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Sarah Ullevig, PhD
Program Director, Nutrition and Dietetics; Associate Professor
Thomas Coyle, PhD, MA
Professor, Psychology
Monica Lawson, PhD, MA
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Alan Meca, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Psychology
Augustine Osman, PhD, MA
Professor, Psychology
Rebecca Weston, PhD
Professor, Psychology
Jesse Barnes, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor, Public Administration
Tansu Demir, PhD, MA
Associate Professor, Public Administration
Branco Ponomariov, PhD, MA
Associate Professor, Public Administration
Francine Romero, PhD, MA
Department Chair and Professor, Public Administration
Rhonda BeLue, PhD, MS
Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Partnerships, College for Health, Community and Policy; Professor, Public Health
Eduardo Gandara Garcia, DrPH, MPH
Assistant Professor, Public Health
Meizi He, PhD, MSc, MD
Professor, Public Health
Jeffrey Howard, PhD, MA
Professor, Public Health
Emily Joy Nicklett, PhD, MA, MSW
PhD Program Director, Community and Policy; Associate Professor, Social Work, Public Health (by courtesy)
Erica Sosa, PhD, MS
Associate Dean for Research Success, College for Health, Community and Policy; Professor, Public Health
Zenong Yin, PhD, MA
Professor, Public Health
John Bricout, PhD, MSW, MA
Department Chair, Social Work Professor
Amy Chanmugam, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Social Work
Richard Harris, PhD, MA
Professor, Social Work
Ian Johnson, PhD
Assistant Professor, Social Work
Emily Joy Nicklett, PhD, MA, MSW
PhD Program Director, Community and Policy; Associate Professor, Social Work, Public Health (by courtesy)
Megan Piel, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor, Social Work
Bonita Sharma, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Social Work
Jelena Todić, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor, Social Work
John Bartkowski, PhD, MA
Professor, Sociology and Demography
Lynne Cossman, PhD, MS
Dean, College for Health, Community and Policy Professor, Sociology and Demography
Melinda Denton, PhD, MA
Professor, Sociology and Demography
Terrence Hill, PhD
Professor, Sociology and Demography
Ying Huang, PhD, MPP, LLB
Associate Professor, Sociology and Demography
Fernando Riosmena, PhD
Professor, Sociology and Demography
Rogelio Saenz, PhD, MS
Professor, Sociology and Demography
Raymond Swisher, PhD, MA, MCRP
Department Chair and Professor, Sociology and Demography
Xiaohe Xu, PhD, MA
Professor, Sociology and Demography
René Zenteno, PhD, MA
Professor and Assistant Department Chair, Sociology and Demography
The curriculum features courses such as:
- Research Methods
- Quantitative Data Analysis
- Qualitative Methods & Data Analyss
- Theoretical Foundations in Social Ecology
- Community Solutions
- Policy Theory and Development
- Program Evaluation
